Few Pensacolians today realize that their city once had a military football team named the “Goshawks!” By 1966, they had their own stadium on the Naval Air Station located just north of the old bowling alley and west of the Navy Chapel across the grass field. Here the Navy team played other military teams as well as small southern colleges. The team was well supported by the citizens of Pensacola until its demise in the 1970’s. As a young boy in high school I attended many of these games to include watching their QB, a future NFL Hall of Famer by the name of Roger Staubach.
The young Lieutenant had entered the Naval Academy in 1961 where he led the midshipmen to many a victory and won the Heisman Trophy in his in 1963. Upon graduation from the academy in June 1965 he volunteered for duty in Vietnam as a supply officer at Chu Lai air base and port. He rotated out of Vietnam in 1967 and reported to Pensacola where he served until September 1967. He went on to play for eleven years with the Dallas Cowboys, leading his team to the Super Bowl five times. As for the old “Goshawks” team, most of them are gone now as is their old stadium. All are but a memory in a few citizen's memories. But once upon a time, the Naval Air Station rang out with shouts and cheers as our Pensacolians egged their hometown boys in Blue and Gold on to victory!
The Pensacola NAS Goshawks 1961
The Navy's Goshawks versus the Marine "Devildogs"
The Navy's Ensign Roger Stauback
Midshipman Roger Stauback,
US Naval Academy, 11-29-1963