The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Ex-NFL WR Golden Richards, known for hair, big plays, dies at 73
Golden Richards, the former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver known for his flowing blond hair who famously caught a touchdown pass off a gadget play in the 1978 Super Bowl, died Friday of congestive heart failure at his home in Utah. He was 73.
His nephew, Lance Richards, confirmed the death in a Facebook post.
“My uncle Golden passed away peacefully this morning,” Lance Richards wrote. “I will forever remember going hunting and talking Dallas Cowboy football. He was a kind and sweet soul and I’m so happy he’s not suffering anymore.”
Richards, whose given name was John Golden Richards, played at BYU and Hawaii. He spent seven seasons in the NFL with Dallas, Chicago and Denver, and is best-known for his fiveplus seasons as a big-play threat with the Cowboys.
That was especially evident in the 1978 Super Bowl against Denver. With the Cowboys ahead 20-10 in the fourth quarter, fullback Robert Newhouse threw a 29-yard touchdown pass to Richards, who got behind the defense to assure the Cowboys of their second championship.
Richards finished his career with 122 receptions for 2,136 yards (17.5 yards per catch) and 17 TDs before injuries prompted him to retire in 1980.
The Deseret News of Salt Lake City said Richards struggled with health problems and drug addiction after retiring, but was sober over his final 10 years.
Richards was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2011 and lived with adult sons Goldie Jr. and Jordan in his later years. Doug Richards said his brother broke his hip on Christmas in 2022 and needed four hip surgeries.