This Day in Football: Roger Staubach’s “Hail Mary”

On December 28, 1975 the Dallas Cowboys played the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Divisional Playoff Round. Despite being heavy underdogs, the Cowboys trailed 14-10 late in the fourth quarter with one last shot for a miracle. Cowboys QB Roger Staubach threw a 50-yard touchdown pass to WR Drew Pearson to give Dallas a 17-14 upset victory. The pass became known as the “Hail Mary,” a name that has become forever synonymous with last-second, desperation passes.

Watch the genesis of the “Hail Mary” pass from NFL Films’ 1987 production, “The Greatest Moments in Dallas Cowboys History.”