In 1983, quarterback Steve Bartkowski threw a last second pass to wide receiver Billy Johnson, giving the Atlanta Falcons a 28-24 victory over the San Francisco 49ers in one of the most exciting Hail Mary passes in league history. More than 40 years after Staubach's miracle throw, Hail Mary passes have only become more popular in the NFL. With less than a minute left on the clock, Fighting Irish backup quarterback backup William Shakespeare threw a 19-yard pass that Wayne Millner caught on his knees in the end zone, resulting in a 18-13 win. 2, 1935, named the best game in the first 100 years of football by the Associated Press in 1969, is considered to be the first case of the Hail Mary pass in modern context. Notre Dame's comeback win against Ohio State on Nov. Kizer is said to have repeated the Hail Mary again in the fourth quarter before the team scored yet another touchdown, winning the game. Notre Dame was trailing 3-0 against Georgia Tech when Fighting Irish guard Noble Kizer said to his teammates in the huddle, "Boys, let's have a Hail Mary," and immediately afterward scored a touchdown in the second quarter. "You used to have a wing and a prayer, and now the Hail Mary is used for politics, for business, and for football."īefore Staubach popularized the term to mean an incredible comeback touchdown pass, the term's first usage in football is thought to date back to Oct. "It slowly became the term for anybody that was kind of in trouble, and you had a hope," Staubach said, according to the St. Staubach's pass, though, would become one of the defining moments of that season and his NFL career, with the phrase Hail Mary spreading even beyond sports. The Cowboys went on to defeat the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship game but would lose 21-17 to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl X. I said, 'I got knocked down on the play.I closed my eyes and said a Hail Mary.'" "I was kidding around with the writers," Staubach said. Staubach reminisced to the Dallas Morning News in 2010 about how his pass got its name. Note that you can adapt many of these puns for a tailgate party or fantasy football draft.The term "Hail Mary" was used by Staubach when the quarterback spoke with sportswriters following the game. Here are some goofy phrases you can use for a football party invitation (if it’s a Super Bowl party, see this article for additional wording ideas). We’re serving this during the game, so you might call it a live ball fowl.We’re going the hole nine yards for this game.I’m establishing my punning game early today.I may not be the biggest football fan, but I love tight ends.Football is one habit I will never kick.I’m icing the kicker – and by kicker, I mean beer.No intentional frowning is allowed here.I made a snap decision to watch football today.Kicking off the afternoon in the best way possible.Here are some football-related puns you can send from the game, or while watching the game on TV. If you’re more interested in what most of the world calls football (aka soccer), reading these puns probably isn’t your goal. Note: In case it’s not obvious by now, this article is about American football puns.
![hail mary football term hail mary football term](https://c.tenor.com/iKikoXRKmX0AAAAC/football-hailmary.gif)
![hail mary football term hail mary football term](https://www.dallasnews.com/resizer/8QwS3FRlJZCRwICZBLndwAybQKA=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-dmn/public/SIY5CKZDUJDPTCCBGMSSE3DPOE.jpg)
If you can tackle all of these gridiron groaners, you are truly an MVP (Most Voracious Punster). Here’s a big list of football puns you can use for Instagram captions, party invites, or just to amuse yourself during halftime. And then there are sayings that have passed into general use, like dropping the ball and Monday morning quarterback.Īll this adds up to some excellent pun-making opportunities. There are colorful expressions like Hail Mary and pigskin. You’ve got acronyms like QB, TD, NFL, and NCAA.
![hail mary football term hail mary football term](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/feature-image-26.png)
![hail mary football term hail mary football term](https://www.rookieroad.com/img/football/football-hail-mary.png)
You’ve got technical terms like T formation, wishbone, and intentional grounding. Every sport has its share of jargon, but when it comes to the sheer size of the lexicon, football clobbers the competition.