He played college football for the Auburn Tigers and was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the fourth round of the 1965 NFL draft.
In 1963, as the starting quarterback he finished second in the nation in rushing behind Dave Casinelli and was named first-team All-American, after leading his team to a No.
[4] Although he was a quarterback, he still was featured on the cover of the September 21, 1964 edition of the Sports Illustrated magazine, under the title: "The Year of the Running Back".
That year his team was one of the favorites to win the National Championship, but he tore the rotator cuff in his right shoulder in the season opener, playing against the University of Houston.
He signed with the Cowboys and was switched to fullback, but he was lost for the year in training camp, after re-injuring in July the same shoulder he hurt in college.