Football fans say the word, “special teams,” so often that we don’t give much thought to the semantics, but if we do, the players on special teams may not sound so “special”. In the NFL, the typical special teams player is a player making close to the league minimum for his experience level with just enough talent on special teams to be worth keeping on the 53 man roster…a bubble player. These players often play in the NFL for two years or less and the vast majority of these players are forgotten about.
SPECIAL TEAMS LEAD TO SPECIAL MOMENTS
If you are a long time fan of one NFL team, stop and think about the biggest plays in the history of your team. There is a good chance that some special teams plays in your personal top ten for your franchise includes some special teams plays. A buddy of mine, who is also a lifelong fan of my New Orleans Saints, and I started discussing the biggest plays in the team’s history. As we continued down our informal list, it occurred than a chunk of those were special teams plays.
Today is another homer day on the Hat Trick. The following top five list is a tribute to the most special special teams moments in the history of the Who Dat’s. Enjoy!
HONORABLE MENTION – STEVE GLEASON BLOCKS A PUNT, RETURNED FOR A TOUCHDOWN, ON THE NIGHT THE SUPERDOME REOPENED FOLLOWING HURRICANE KATRINA – SEPTEMBER 26, 2006
Five is a nice, neat number. But I would be remiss if I were to discuss great special teams plays in the history of the franchise without mentioning Steve Gleason’s block of the Falcons’ Michael Koenen, recovered and returned by Curtis Deloatch for a touchdown less than two minutes into the game, carried on Monday Night Football.
I was in attendance and had to put a finger in one of my ears because the crowd reaction was so loud. I also felt the floor, literally, vibrating beneath my feet. Some people claim to “have been there” when they weren’t. I was and it was one of the most surreal experiences I had as a sports fan.
Special teams moments make otherwise anonymous men immortal. Gleason, who was a quality reserve safety on defense but a standout special teams player, was recently diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s Disease (ALS). He has been given VIP status at Saints facilities and at Saints events. A statue of Gleason blocking the punt has been erected outside of the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
#5 - FIRST PLAY IN TEAM HISTORY – JOHN GILLIAM’S KICKOFF RETURN FOR A TOUCHDOWN – SEPTEMBER 17, 1967
First impressions are not always revealing. The first play in the history of the New Orleans Saints, in 1967, was a 94 yard kickoff return for a touchdown by John Gilliam against the Los Angeles Rams in Tulane Stadium. The Saints would lose the game, and lose ten more game that season, finishing 3-11. In fact, the Saints would not win more games than they lost in a season for 20 more years, finishing 12-3 in 1987.
The Saints franchise highlights were very limited prior to the late 1980s. Tulane Stadium held about 80,000 people. Yet I am willing to bet there are over 100,000 people living today (some 45 years later) who have claimed to have seen it in person. I was not there; in fact, I had not been born yet. Still tall tales grow long legs and Gilliam’s legs got the franchise’s roller coaster story off to a great start.
#4 - TOM DEMPSEY KICKS THE NFL RECORD 63 YARD FIELD GOAL – NOVEMEBR 8, 1970
There have been over a dozen recorded renditions of “Who Dat” since the phrase was coined and the original recording was performed by Aaron Neville and several current Saints players in 1983. One of the versions, written and produced by Carlo Nuccio, has the following line, “Who could forget…old Archie Who? And who dat kicked it twice as far with half his shoe?”
Who dat? Tom Dempsey! The Saints kicker was born with half of his kicking foot and only one hand. Trailing the Detroit Lions, 17-16, Saints quarterback Billy Kilmer heaved up a duck that landed in the hands of a Saints receiver at their own 44 yard line (the goal posts were on the goal line at that time). With two seconds remaining, the ball was shifted, Joe Scarpatti held and….
Jason Elam of the Denver Broncos and Sabastian Janikowski of the Oakland Raiders have since tied the record, but as of 2012, the record still stands, some 42 years later.
Note: San Francisco kicker David Akers also tied the record this past Sunday, September 9th, 2012, at Lambeau Field against the Green Bay Packers with a 63 yard field goal just before the half.
#3 - "HAKIM DROPS THE BALL!! HAKIM DROPS THE BALL!!!" – DECEMBER 30, 2000
This was my personal favorite moment in Saints history, offense, defense, or special teams, for nearly a decade. The Saints were no longer the laughing stock of the NFL, but had no success to speak of in the post season. In spite of having six winning seasons in the past 14 years, five playoff appearances, and two division titles, the Saints had never won a playoff game in their 33 prior seasons of play.
Not only was I at this game, but I believe that every single fan in the Superdome thought the same thing at the same key moments in the game. The Saints took a commanding 31-7 lead on Aaron Brooks' touchdown pass to Willie Jackson, Jackson’s third TD reception (tying an NFL playoff record). The crowd thought, “This is nice, but it ain’t over yet.”
The Saints opponents were the “Greatest Show on Turf” era St. Louis Rams. The notion that the defending Super Bowl champion Rams would bow out of a playoff game with a single touchdown was unthinkable. There would be no need to think it as Rams quarterback Kurt Warner began making plays. The Saints’ defense began to look tired and was tackling in a shoddy manner. Suddenly, the Rams appeared unstoppable, racking up 21 points in 10 minutes to cut the Saints’ lead down to 31-28. The crowd was disappointed but, calmly, thought, “Here we go again. Same old Saints….”
Then Briane Milne, an otherwise anonymous fullback, etched his name into Who Dat immortality. Jim Henderson with the call:
#2 – AMBUSH – Super Bowl XLIV, February 7, 2010
This is probably the most well known special teams play in the history of the franchise. Many would argue it should be number one and I certainly respect that point of view. The reason I personally do not have this play at the top is because success did not guarantee victory and failure did not guarantee defeat. For testicular fortitude by an NFL head coach, however, this play may be #1 in the history of pro football.
The Saints played the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV in Miami. Trailing by four points at halftime, and with the momentum still on the Colts’ side, Saints Coach Sean Payton made, arguably the gutsiest call in Super Bowl history, “Ambush”.
“Ambush” was a surprise onside kick to start the second half. Success would give the Saints a chance to possibly regain the lead and certainly create a complete reversal of the momentum. Failure would give the Peyton Manning and the Colts excellent field position and an easy opportunity to extend their lead and possibly begin to put the game out of reach. If you are an NFL football fan over the age of 10, I need not tell you, when I can show you:
#1 - GARRETT HARTLEY SENDS THE SAINTS TO THE SUPER BOWL - JANUARY 24, 2010
One of the few advantages of being a blogger, as opposed to a journalist, is that I can give my unfiltered opinion with as much or a little to back it up as I choose. I would not doubt if the lion's share of football fans and a majority of Saints fans disagreed with me putting this play as the top special teams play in club history over "Ambush". I invite your reply and, if well written, I will publish it as a rebuttal.
First of all, I was at the game in person, so my perspective is is biased. I watched the Super Bowl on television like almost everyone else. Second, being a Saints fan makes me biased. Rooting interest is far less relevant when a big play stems the tide of the Super Bowl than a play that sends a specific team to the Super Bowl for the first time. One's opinion on this topic depends entirely upon perspective.
Why is this number one?
The Saints and Minnesota Vikings met in the playoffs for the third time in their histories, including the Saints' first playoff game, ever, in the 1987 NFC Wild Card Game. The Vikings obliterated the Saints in that game, 44-10 in the Superdome, and 34-16 in Minnesota in the 2000 NFC Divisional Playoffs. These savage beatings were not lost on die hard Saints fans old enough to recall them. None of that would matter and all of that disappointment would be washed away with a win in the 2009 NFC Championship Game in the Superdome.
Forty year old Vikings quarterback Brett Favre, having the best statistical season of his career, took a beating from the Saints blitz-happy defense, but still managed to trade barbs with Saints quarterback Drew Brees. The score was either tied or the lead was taken nine times in the game. The Vikings tied the score at 28 with less than five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, forced the Saints to punt on the ensuing possession, and marched into Saints territory in the final two minutes of regulation play.
Minnesota had the field position for a long but make-able 50 yard field goal attempt by kicker Ryan Longwell. However, the Vikings were pushed back five yards on third down by a penalty for having 12 men in the huddle. Rather than attempt a low percentage, but still possible, 55 yard field goal by Longwell, the Vikings elected to pass. In what became a Brett Favre tradition, for the third time in what would happen in four consecutive years, the final pass to leave Favre's hands for the season would result in an interception.
The Saints won the coin toss and on the first possession of overtime, drove down to the Vikings' 23 yard line. Hartley, as instructed by Coach Sean Payton, hit the, "Fleur de f____n' Lis!"
WHO DAT!!!!
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No doubt this is one of my most memorable moments as a saints fan but my favorite part is sean paytons emotionless reaction after the saints recovered, all the players were going nuts but sean just kept his cool man i love our coach!!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading! I can't wait until the man COMES back. I thinkwe'll do "okay", but "okay" won't get us home field. FREE SEAN PAYTON! WHO DAT!!!
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