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September 5, 2015: Known as the "Miracle at Memorial", BYU quarterback Tanner Mangum threw a desperate 42-yard pass to wide receiver Mitch Mathews as time expired to defeat Nebraska 33–28 at Memorial Stadium, and break a streak of 29 consecutive home opener victories for the Cornhuskers.
2014 — USC vs. Oregon State: Leading 14–10 right before halftime, Cody Kessler threw a 48-yard Hail Mary pass that was caught by Darreus Rogers on the 1. Rogers then was able to run in the end zone, giving the Trojans a 21–10 lead. USC ended up winning the game 35–10.
- 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.
With only six seconds remaining, Flutie heaved a desperate "Hail Mary" pass 48 yards into the end zone. Wide receiver Gerard Phelan caught the pass, giving BC the win. The throw has gone down in history as "The Pass."
Apr 13, 2017 · The “Hail Mary Pass” actually originated in 1922, when two former members of Notre Dame's Four Horsemen, Elmer Layden (Catholic) and Jim Crowley (I don't care) coined the term.
- Angelo Stagnaro
Oct 15, 2021 · In 1941, Georgetown used a Hail Mary pass against Mississippi State, and a headline from a local newspaper included the term "Hail Mary." More than 20 years later, Staubach — before his memorable Cowboys Hail Mary — beat Michigan when he played for Navy on a play he described as a "Hail Mary play."
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Oct 13, 2021 · Here are seven of the most famous Hail Mary passes in football history: 1. BYU's Jim McMahon to Clay Brown vs. Southern Methodist (Holiday Bowl), December 19, 1980. Situation: Third...
