Best Damn's Top 50 Spectacular Football Plays
by FOXSports.com
Best Damn Sports Show Period recently counted down the 50 Best Damn Spectacular Football Plays in sports history. FOXSports.com's own Kevin Hench laid out his own personal Top 10 for you to kick around ().Do you agree? Take a look at Best Damn's Top 50 Spectacular Football Plays ever.
50. Ortege Jenkins
Arizona QB Ortege Jenkins flipped over three defenders into the Washington end zone with :04 left for the game-winning score in a 1998 Pac-10 match-up.
49. Bo Jackson
With a national audience watching on Monday Night Football, Bo capped a 221-yard rushing performance with a scintillating 91-yard touchdown run. The play began as he ran to the outside, untouched down the sideline. He continued through the end zone and finally slowed down as he passed through the entrance to the field tunnel to the dressing rooms.
48. Brandon Lloyd
It's possibly the greatest catch that technically never happened ... not in the record books at least. In a 2005 game, 49ers QB Cody Pickett found him, but the throw was behind Lloyd. The receiver reached back with one hand and corralled the ball in for the grab. But, the 49ers were flagged for holding, negating the play. The catch was still specatular.
47. Robert Bailey
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In a crazy game filled with two kick returns for TDs and a 98-yard fumble return, the strangest runback was the longest punt return in NFL history. With a Saints punt settling in the end zone, the Saints special teams watched the ball come to a stop but didn't down the ball for the touchback. Rams return man Robert Bailey alertly picked up the ball and ran 103 yards for the score.
46. Eric Crouch
Nebraska QB Eric Crouch wanted the Heisman, and a 95-yard run vs. Missouri didn't hurt his cause. Crouch stood from the shotgun in his own end zone. Seeing no open receivers, Crouch took off. He zigged and zagged 95 yards down the field for the longest run in school history. He also took home the Heisman later that season.
45. Flint Hills
It seems like a play straight out of a movie. The center sidesnaps the ball to the QB. The coach is on the sidelines saying "Wrong ball" and holds up another ball which confuses everyone. As the QB walks to the sideline to get the "right" ball, he finds room to run down the field untouched for the score.
44. Deion Sanders
On September 5, 1989, Deion Sanders hit a home run for the Yankees. Five days later, Deion Sanders made history. Three days after signing with the Falcons, Prime Time took back the first punt he caught for a touchdown. Sanders became the first athlete to hit a home run and score a touchdown in the same week.
43. Lansdale vs Upper Perkiomen
With three seconds to go, the QB passes short and the melee begins. Several laterals ensue before the winning TD is scored.
42. Barry Sanders I
The Bears thought they had Barry Sanders wrapped up for no gain. Sanders broke free from a crowd of Bears down the right sideline for a 43-yard score.
41. Barry Sanders II
Barry Sanders had a habit of shaking defenders. Against the Patriots, he dazzled the secondary. With a few shoulder jukes, he turned Harlon Barnett around at the 19 and shook off Myron Guyton at the 2 before spinning into the end zone.
40. Arena runback
Albany and Tampa Bay battled in a 1995 Arena League playoff game. Albany took a 1-point-lead with seconds to go when they kicked off. The kick hit off the back net and bounced around the end zone before being picked up by Steve Thomas. Thomas fought through several Albany defenders as he raced for the winning score.
39. Garrison Hearst
The Jets had to feel good about pinning the 49ers to their own 4 yard-line in overtime. Garrison Hearst made them feel bad about it. He took a handoff 96 yards to the house for the overtime win.
38. Tom Dempsey
Saints kicker Tom Dempsey stared at a game-winning 63-yard field goal. Wearing a special shoe covering his half-foot, Dempsey drilled the kick for the win and shattered the previous record of 56 yards.
37. Loyola (CA) Kickoff
Needing a score to tie the game, the coach calls "Circle ‘em up." The kick returner brings the ball to the 10, where the entire special teams unit huddles up, then everyone breaks off acting like he has the ball. Meanwhile, the actual ball carrier takes it all the way amidst the chaos for the game tying score.
36. Michael Vick college flip
The nation began to take notice of Virginia Tech quarterback Michael Vick as he scrambled seven yards for a score vs. James Madison. Defenders met Vick at the four, so Vick took to the air. He wound up being up ended and flipped into the end zone for the score.
35. Desperation Pass
Mike Hold — the QB for South Carolina back in 1985 — evaded getting sacked five times, while backing up 20 yards into his own end zone (almost resulting in a safety). If that wasn't enough- he then heaved the ball 50 yards downfield. In a style reminiscent of the Immaculate Reception, the football deflected off a few players before falling into the hands of Raynard Brown, who ran it in for an 80 yard touchdown play.
34. Alamo Bowl
It had the makings of a Stanford-Cal ending, minus the band and more importantly, minus the score. But nevertheless, the Wolverines made it very interesting on the last play of the 2005 Alamo Bowl. Michigan's Chad Henne began the last play of the game with a short pass. Eight laterals later and a few skipped Nebraska heartbeats later, the play ended with Tyler Ecker being pushed out of bounds at the Nebraska 13.
33. Punt-rooski
Late in a tie game, Clemson forced FSU to punt from the FSU 20. Bobby Bowden called what's now known as the "Punt-rooski." The ball is snapped, the punter fakes as if the ball goes over his head. One deep blocker goes right, while the short blocker who actually has the ball, scampers down the sideline. In this case the short blocker was Leroy Butler who took the ball all the way inside the Clemson five.
32. Hook n' Ladder
Early in the 1981 AFC divisional playoffs, the Dolphins trailed the Chargers by two touchdowns. Quarterback Don Strock called a play that had long been in the Dolphins playbook but had never been run before, the hook and ladder. Wide receiver Duriel Harris ran a 15-yard curl, caught the Strock pass, then lateraled to a trailing Tony Nathan. Nathan took the ball untouched to the end zone for the score, which tied the game at halftime before a thrilling 41-38 overtime Chargers victory.
31. Hook n' Ladder II
It took 25 years — almost exactly to the day — for this unusual play to be thrust back into the national spotlight ... and it couldn't have come in a better time for underdog Boise State.
Down to their last play — fourth-and-18 with under 20 seconds left in regulation — the Broncos needed a 50-yard touchdown to stay alive and force overtime. Broncos QB Jared Zabransky threw a quick pass to WR Drisan James and it looked like he would be immediately tackled at the 35-yard line.
But James pitched the ball to WR Jerard Rabb, who ran it into the end zone for the game-tying touchdown. Boise State went on to topple heavily-favored Oklahoma with more overtime trickery in what is already being hailed as one of the greatest college football games in history.
30. Tony Dorsett
In the longest run in NFL history, Cowboys RB showed off his blazing speed with a graceful 99-yd run. It's safe to say that is a record that will never be broken
29. Moss Lateral
Just before the half in a Broncos-Vikings battle in 2003, Daunte Culpepper found Randy Moss over the middle. While the Broncos had Moss surrounded for the tackle, Moe Williams slipped behind the group and Moss flipped the ball over the head to the running back. Williams took it the rest of the way, completing the 59-yard TD.
28. Fumble-rooski
A 19-yard touchdown run is pretty commonplace, unless it's done by a 270-pound guard. Corhuskers OL Dean Steinkuhler, who won the Outland and Lombardi awards that season, scored in the Orange Bowl on a play called "fumble-rooski." The QB intentionally fumbles the ball and the guard, Steinkuhler, picks it up and rumbles down field. In this case, the guard scored.
27. Seneca Wallace
The play went down as a 12-yard run in the book, but Seneca Wallace may have run 100 when it was over. Taking the ball at the Texas Tech 12, the Iowa State QB dropped back for a pass, and kept on dropping back. He went 20 yards back but then burst forward down the right sideline. After getting a great block, Wallace made it in for the score.
26. Westlake (CA) High School
Yet another Cal-Stanford-esque play except instead of the band being on the field, fans and even the other school's principal was on the field. And he almost got run over.
25. Jurevicius tip
Tampa Bay WR Joe Jurevicius ran an out on Eagles CB Troy Vincent and Brad Johnson threw the ball behind the receiver. In one motion, Jurevicius reached back and tipped the ball in the air, spun around Vincent and caught the ball in the end zone for the score.
24. Western Washington catch
It was just a short out but it was a fantastic catch. Western Washington's Chris Moore fell to the ground and had the ball go behind his legs and still managed to hang on to the ball for the reception.
23. Reggie Bush
A remarkable run in this remarkable player's college career. Reggie Bush took the ball between the hash marks at midfield, ran to the left sideline, stopped on a dime at the 25 and ran all the way to the other side of the field. He dusted every Fresno St. defender. He wouldn't have been down if it were two-hand touch.
22. LaVar Leap
Illinois needed a yard to convert a fourth down vs Penn State. The Nittany Lions needed LaVar Arrington. Arrington jumped the snap count, dover over the line, and stuffed the ball carrier for a turnover on downs.
21. Favre Hail Mary
Before the NFL found out about Brett Favre, the Southern Miss QB showed Louisville what he could do. Needing a TD to win, Favre scrambled right and heaved the ball downfield. Southern Miss WR Darryl Tillman reeled in the pass and ran in for the game-winning 79-yard score.
20. Prothro
Alabama WR Tyrone Prothro showed extreme concentration and great strength when he caught the ball behind the head of Southern Mississippi 's Jasper Faulk on a hail-mary pass as both fell into the end zone.
19. McNabb Scramble
The game started off with the ABC front office scrambling after the T.O.-Desperate Housewives opening skit. But during the game, Donovan McNabb gave the most memorable scramble. Being chased down by Cowboys defenders, the Eagles QB ran around the backfield for 16 seconds being throwing a strike to Freddie Mitchell 60 yards downfield.
18. Roy Williams superman
The 2001 Red River Shootout showcased Oklahoma safety Roy Williams' great athleticism. Deep in their own territory, Texas QB Chris Simms dropped back for pass and was met Roy Williams, who dove over the blocking running back. The ball popped into the air and into the arms of linebacker Teddy Lehman and walked in for the score.
17. Dante Hall return
Dante Hall set a record by taking a return back for a fourth straight game in the 2003 season. Hall fielded a punt deep in his own territory and scrambled backwards to find daylight. A few jukes and a few (questionable) blocks later, Hall scored for the win.
16. Pollack stuff
Georgia's David Pollack looked more like a point guard than a defensive lineman on a play vs. South Carolina Corey Jenkins. As Jenkins dropped back in his end zone for a pass, Pollack dove at him and stripped the ball for a touchdown.
15. LSU-Kentucky
Kentucky thought they had it wrapped up. They gave their coach the Gatorade shower, fans were on the field. Only problem: LSU still had a play. Tigers QB Marcus Randall threw the ball downfield where it was deflected off the hands of Wildcats defenders right to LSU WR Devery Henderson who took it the 20 more yards for the game winner.
14. Randall Cunningham
Before there was Donovan McNabb in Philly, there was Randall Cunningham. In 1990 vs. the Bills, Cunningham showed his elusiveness and his cannon arm. Avoiding Bruce Smith and other Bills defenders, Cunningham moved toward the sideline in his endz one and launched to Fred Barnett at midfield. Barnett caught in and ran it in for the 95-yard score.
13. Saints-Jags
The Saints needed a TD to tie the game, but the goal was 75 yards away. Aaron Brooks completed a pass to Donte Stallworth who then lateraled to Michael Lewis, who flipped it to Deuce McCallister, who threw back to Jerome Pathon who took it 21 more yards to the house. Unfortunately for the Saints, the joy of scoring turned bittersweet, as John Carney failed to convert the extra point.
12. Graziani throw
Philadelphia Soul QB Tony Graziani dropped back for a pass before being tripped up by his own lineman. Graziani fell backwards to his own 1-yard line, and from his knees threw a strike to a streaking Steve Smith who scored the TD.
11. Steve Young scramble
Immortalized by the King, Steve Young's scramble vs the Vikings in 1988 goes down as one of the most memorable QB runs in history. Young moved around the pocket and took off down field. He spun and juked and stumbled his way for the score
10. Kordell Hail Mary
In 1994, Colorado trailed Michigan at the Big House. On the game's final play Colorado QB Kordell Stewart completed a Hail Mary pass to Michael Westbrook to beat the Wolverines 27-26, a play known as "The Miracle in Michigan."
9. Flutie Hail Mary
In one of college football's most famous plays, the Miami Hurricanes led Boston College 45-41 with only six seconds left. On the last play of the game, Eagles magical QB Doug Flutie scrambled away from the defense and threw a 48-yard Hail Mary pass that was caught in the end zone by Gerard Phelan, giving B.C. an amazing 47-45 win.
8. Vasher's long return
The longest play in NFL history came on perhaps one of the windiest days in the Windy City. 49ers kicker Joe Nedney lined up for a 52-yard field goal, but with the wind gusting, Bears DB Nathan Vasher waited in the end zone for the possible return. The ball fell short of the goal posts, and Vasher caught the swirling ball. After meeting a group of tacklers and blockers, Vasher spun right and, 108 yards later, etched his name into the record books.
7. Tommie Frazier
Tommie Frazier carried the Cornhuskers to a blowout Fiesta Bowl win, not to mention most of the Florida Gators. On an option keeper, Frazier ran right and was stopped by the Gator defense, but powered through for a 75-yard score.
6. Freeman catch
It was a division matchup on Monday night between the Vikings and Packers. The Vikings missed a game-winning field goal at the end of regulation setting up an unlikely finish. Vikings DB Chris Dishman deflected a pass attempt to Antonio Freeman, who had fallen to the turf. The ball somehow managed to stay off the ground and into the arms of the receiver, who got up and ran into the end zone to the disbelief of the Vikings secondary.
5. The Holy Roller
With 10 seconds to go and trailing by six, Raiders QB Ken Stabler dropped back for a pass. Seeing nothing and with the Chargers pass rush closing in, Stabler purposefully fumbled the ball forward. Tight end Dave Casper eventually fell on the bouncing ball in the end zone as time expired.
4. Nebraska kick play
The Cornhuskers came into Columbia as a 29-point favorite against the Mizzou. Trailing by seven in the waning seconds, Nebraska QB Scott Frost threw to the end zone amidst a crowd of Nebraska and Missouri players. Nebraska's Shevin Wiggins kept the ball alive with a desperation kick and then Matt Davison dove for the ball for the touchdown. Nebraska converted the extra point for the tie and won the game in overtime.
3. Music City Miracle
In the 2000 AFC Wildcard Playoffs, Buffalo's Steve Christie had just kicked a 41-yard field goal to put the Bills up 16-15 over the Titans with just 16 seconds remaining. When Buffalo kicked off, Tennessee's Lorenzo Neal received the kickoff and handed the ball off to tight end Frank Wycheck, who then lateraled the ball across the field to Kevin Dyson, who then ran for a 75-yard touchdown and an unbelievable Titans win.
2. Immaculate Reception
The 1972 AFC divisional playoff game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Oakland Raiders was a classic. The Steelers trailed Oakland 7-6 and faced fourth-and-ten on their own 40-yard line with just 22 seconds remaining ... and no time outs. Steelers QB Terry Bradshaw threw a pass toward Frenchy Fuqua, but Raiders safety Jack Tatum reached Fuqua just as the ball did. Tatum's hit knocked Fuqua to the ground, but the ball sailed backward several yards. Steelers RB Franco Harris scooped up the ball just before it hit the ground and ran the rest of the way downfield to score the touchdown that gave the Steelers a 12-7 lead with five seconds remaining in the game.
1. The Play
In the 85th installment of the "Big Game" between California and Stanford on November 20, 1982, Stanford had just kicked a field goal to lead 20-19 with four seconds left. On the ensuing kickoff, Cal lateraled the ball five times and ran for a touchdown through the Stanford special teams ... and the band, which had run onto the field to celebrate prematurely. Cal's Kevin Moen scored the touchdown and in the end zone knocked over a Stanford trumbone player. Cal ended John Elway's career with a 25-20 Bears win.
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