November 8 1970; legendary football play. The Thump.
Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2012 6:17 pm
Today is the anniversary of Tom Dempsy's NFL record 63 yard field goal. He's been tied three times now and I think maybe some of the other guys' might be a few inches longer. But there will probably never be another kick exactly like that one even when someone inevitably goes longer than 63.
That's because this was a team kicking a game winning field goal as the clock ran out from its own 37 yard line with the line of scrimmage at its own 45. In those days NFL goal posts were at the goal line. Pretty good chance none of us will ever again see a team kick a game winning field goal with the line of scrimmage being in its own territory in our lifetimes. A "straight on" rather than a soccer style kicker to boot. The Lions had taken the lead with a field goal of their own with only 11 seconds left. The Saints returned the kickoff and completed one pass to get the ball to the 45.
Then there was "The Thump." You can hear it as you watch the video below. I was a kid watching it on our family's black and white Zenith TV at the time. Great story all around as a guy parlayed his birth defects into history.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hu73YSmtiXU[/youtube]
That's because this was a team kicking a game winning field goal as the clock ran out from its own 37 yard line with the line of scrimmage at its own 45. In those days NFL goal posts were at the goal line. Pretty good chance none of us will ever again see a team kick a game winning field goal with the line of scrimmage being in its own territory in our lifetimes. A "straight on" rather than a soccer style kicker to boot. The Lions had taken the lead with a field goal of their own with only 11 seconds left. The Saints returned the kickoff and completed one pass to get the ball to the 45.
Then there was "The Thump." You can hear it as you watch the video below. I was a kid watching it on our family's black and white Zenith TV at the time. Great story all around as a guy parlayed his birth defects into history.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hu73YSmtiXU[/youtube]
