Origins of 'Hail Mary': Cowboys legend Roger Staubach remembers how it stuck
DALLAS â It tickles Roger Staubach to realize the staying power of his words.
âHail Mary.â
Thatâs what the Hall of Fame quarterback uttered to reporters in describing his 50-yard touchdown pass to Drew Pearson to beat the Minnesota Vikings in the closing seconds of a 1975 NFC playoff game.
âWhen they asked me about it, I think the actual quote was, âWell, I guess you could call it a Hail Mary. You throw it up and pray,ââ the Dallas Cowboys Hall of Fame quarterback reflected Friday for USA TODAY Sports.
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Staubach, who grew up as a devout Catholic, wasnât the first person to use the term as part of a sports explanation, but heâs the one who ignited the use of âHail Maryâ on a widespread basis.
Before Staubach-to-Pearson, those desperate heaves were commonly referred to as a âbombâ or an âalley-oopâ pass.
More than 42 years since that magic at Metropolitan Stadium in Minneapolis, âHail Maryâ is such a widely used term that itâs transcended the football world.
âNow itâs a term used for everything,â Staubach said. âPoliticians and everybody else use it. One of the worse times I heard it used was when I was watching someone on TV talk about O.J. Simpson, and the commentator said, âMan, itâs going to take a Hail Mary for him to get another trial.â â
Then Staubach pondered another possibility.
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âI could have said âOur Fatherâ or âGlory be,â â he said. âBut I donât think âOur Fatherâ would have carried on.â
Itâs ironic that as the Cowboys get set to host the Green Bay Packers in an NFC divisional playoff game Sunday, âHail Maryâ passes represent an attached theme, given Aaron Rodgersâ proficiency with the deep heave. Within the past 14 months, Rodgers has connected on three âHail Maryâ touchdowns â including a 42-yard throw to Randall Cobb last Sunday as time expired in the first half of the wild-card win against the New York Giants.
Staubach said Rodgersâ heroics and the matchup against his Cowboys has prompted several calls this week from those wanting to discuss the âHail Maryâ origins and the connection to the Packers star.
âRodgers has such a strong arm,â Staubach said. âWhen Cobb got behind the defensive backs, that was really dumb.â
Staubach considers the success rate for a âHail Maryâ pass at about 10% -- and much tougher to complete than it was when he hit Pearson.
âThe preparation to defend for the âHail Maryâ is different,â Staubach notes. âToday, teams work on it. When Drew caught it, there wasnât anybody else there.â
Pearson ran his route along the sideline and caught Staubachâs pass just inside 5-yard line, beating cornerback Nate Wright for the football before scooting into the end zone. Safety Paul Krause arrived too late from the middle of the field to break up the pass.
âI pumped and looked Krause off,â Staubach recalled. âHe really should have helped.â
Staubach knows that the term gained additional juice years later with Doug Flutieâs miracle throw for Boston College beat the University of Miami (Fla). in 1984.
Now Rodgers is the face of the term.
âIf I were trying to defend it, I would rush more to make sure he doesnât have as much time,â Staubach said of Rodgers. âBut really we should call him Mr. Hail Mary now.â
It takes one to know one.
Follow Jarrett Bell on Twitter @JarrettBell.
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