Golden Richards, the former Dallas Cowboys receiver known for his wavy blonde hair who caught a touchdown pass off a gadget play in the 1978 Super Bowl, died of heart failure Friday at his home in Murray. He was 73 years old.
Richards’ nephew, Lance Richards, confirmed the death in a Facebook post.
“My uncle Golden passed away peacefully this morning,” Lance Richards wrote. “I will always remember going hunting and talking about Dallas Cowboys football. He was a kind and sweet soul and I am so glad he is no longer suffering.”
The former BYU star spent seven seasons in the NFL with Dallas, Chicago and Denver, and is best known for his five-plus seasons with the Cowboys as a deep play threat. He averaged more than 21 yards per catch twice and finished his time in Dallas with 18.3 career points.
This was especially evident in the 1978 Super Bowl against Denver. With the Cowboys leading 20–10 in the fourth quarter, fullback Robert Newhouse threw a 29-yard touchdown pass to Richards, who was outrun by the defense all but assuring the Cowboys of their second championship.
Richards finished his career with 122 receptions for 2,136 yards and 17 TDs before retiring due to injuries in 1980.
A native of Salt Lake City, he starred at Granite High School, then at nearby BYU, where he was a receiver and punt returner, leading the nation with four returns for TDs as a junior.
Richards played his final college season at Hawaii, catching 23 passes for 414 yards and five touchdowns. This caught the attention of the Cowboys, who drafted him in the second round in 1973.
The Deseret News said Richards struggled with health problems and drug addiction after retiring, but remained sober in his final 10 years.
Brother Doug Richards, a former BYU basketball player, told the newspaper, “It took seven or eight years of wear and tear on the football field for a 175-pound wide receiver who suffered multiple concussions.” “It obviously caused damage.”
Richards was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2011 and lived his later years with adult sons Goldie Jr. and Jordan. Doug Richards said his brother broke his hip on Christmas Day of 2022 and had four hip surgeries.
“He’s left us and gone to a better place,” Doug Richards said. “He fought so well to the end, until his time came.”
