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A Hail Mary pass is a very long forward pass in American football, typically made in desperation, with an exceptionally small chance of achieving a completion. Due to the difficulty of a completion with this pass, it makes reference to the Catholic " Hail Mary " prayer for strength and help.
Early use of the term. 1922 — On October 28, 1922, the term "Hail Mary play" was used by Knute Rockne 's Notre Dame in a victory over Georgia Tech. Notre Dame trailed 3–0 in the second half and had been unable to move the ball effectively.
Nov 16, 2023 · The first known use of the term in a football context dates back to a game in the 1930s. However, it wasn’t popularized until much later. The Play that Defined the Term. The Hail Mary pass became etched in football folklore on December 28, 1975, during an NFL playoff game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Minnesota Vikings.
Dec 28, 2016 · The first "Hail Mary" pass in the NFL was thrown by Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach on Dec. 28, 1975.
- Overview
- Roger Staubach uses 'Hail Mary' at U.S. Naval Academy
- Pearson: 'It was unbelievable, tremendous, fantastic'
The miracle connection between the Dallas Cowboys' stars and Pro Football Hall of Famers stunned the Minnesota Vikings in a 1975 playoff game.
In 1975, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach popularized the term "Hail Mary" to describe his miracle, winning touchdown pass to fellow Pro Football Hall of Famer Drew Pearson in a playoff game against the Minnesota Vikings. Hail Mary thus became ingrained in the American sports lexicon, but the term was used decades earlier.
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In a game against Georgia Tech in 1922, Notre Dame players literally said a “Hail Mary” prayer in the huddle before scoring a 6-yard touchdown. It worked, so they did it again before scoring another 6-yard touchdown. Afterward, Notre Dame offensive lineman Noble Kizer declared: “Say, that Hail Mary play is the best play we’ve got!”
Perhaps the term would have vanished were it not for Elmer Layden, who played fullback in that 1922 game for The Fighting Irish and coached Notre Dame against Ohio State in 1935. With 32 seconds left, Notre Dame completed a 19-yard pass for the winning touchdown. Layden, recalling that victory against Georgia Tech, called it “a Hail Mary play.”
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While at the U.S. Naval Academy, Roger Staubach used the term "Hail Mary." He went on to star for the Dallas Cowboys from 1969-79.
On December 28, 1975, Staubach's Cowboys played against the Vikings in a divisional playoff game at Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington, Minnesota. With the Vikings ahead, 14-10, the Cowboys had the ball with just 24 seconds left at midfield. Their season appeared over.
Coach Tom Landry, another Pro Football Hall of Famer, called for a long pass. “The chances on a play like that,” Pearson told reporters after the game, “are slim and none.”
“It was a Hail Mary pass,” Staubach told reporters afterward. "I just threw it up there as far as I could."
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Staubach’s 50-yard prayer was answered, but not without a bit of deviltry. His high, arcing ball came down near the 5-yard-line. Pearson, sprinting toward the end zone, adjusted his route to account for the underthrown ball. No one told Minnesota cornerback Nate Wright and safety Paul Krause. When Wright moved toward the falling football, Pearson collided with him.
Dallas Cowboys receiver Drew Pearson, elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2021, never tires of talking about his Hail Mary reception.
Vikings fans, already celebrating an apparent victory, turned surly. One fan threw an empty whiskey bottle that struck field judge Armen Terzian in the forehead, causing a gash. For the Cowboys, the play was an instant classic.
"Our only hope was to throw and hope for a miracle," Landry told reporters afterward.
After Pearson’s catch answered Staubach’s prayer, the Hail Mary emerged from college football obscurity and found a place in standard football terminology.
Newspaper sports sections the next day focused on the controversy about whether pass interference should have been called on the play. But "Hail Mary" found its way into headlines in the Philadelphia Daily News ("'Hail Mary' Pass Blesses Dallas") and Miami News ("Cowboys had no prayer until 'Hail Mary' pass").
Most Hail Mary passes aren't completed because of the degree of difficulty, but scores of long heaves have been. In one of the most famous Hail Mary plays, Doug Flutie—who went on to win the Heisman Trophy—completed a 48-yard pass to Gerard Phelan in 1984 with seconds left to give Boston College a stunning victory over the University of Miami. Green Bay Packers star Aaron Rodgers has three successful Hail Marys to his credit.
Nov 8, 2019 · After Roger Staubach completed his desperation throw to Drew Pearson to win the Cowboys’ 1975 playoff game at Minnesota, he coined one of the most popular phrases in all of sports, the Hail Mary.
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Aug 21, 2024 · The term “Hail Mary” in football was first used in December 1975 by Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach after a game-winning touchdown pass against the Minnesota Vikings. Staubach described the play by saying he “closed his eyes and said a Hail Mary.”
