Staubach’s Hail Mary for Cowboys left a 50-year Vikings beef

This story was initially revealed on Dec. 10, forward of the Week 15 Cowboys-Vikings recreation. We’re bringing it again for the fiftieth anniversary of the “Hail Mary” play, Dec. 28, 1975.

Not lengthy earlier than kickoff between the Dallas Cowboys and the Washington Commanders on Oct. 19 at AT&T Stadium, Roger Staubach, now 83 years previous and sporting his acquainted No. 12 jersey, was twirling a soccer in his palms. Close by was Drew Pearson.

“Roger gave me that nod, pointing like, ‘Go down [the field],'” mentioned Pearson, now 74 years previous and donning his No. 88. “I mentioned, ‘OK, however not too far now.'”

Staubach floated a number of passes to Pearson as reminiscences flowed again. On that day in Arlington, Texas, the Cowboys had been celebrating their alumni with the quarterback and the huge receiver, each Corridor of Famers, among the many former gamers readily available — and the Cowboys had a shock for them.

Group proprietor and basic supervisor Jerry Jones and chief model officer Charlotte Jones offered footballs commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of essentially the most memorable play in Cowboys historical past: the “Hail Mary.”

On a cloudy and freezing day — Dec. 28, 1975 — at Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington, Minnesota, Staubach launched a bomb that Pearson caught for a 50-yard landing with 24 seconds left to beat the Minnesota Vikings 17-14 in a divisional spherical playoff recreation.

Staubach birthed the now iconic phrase together with his postgame remark:

“I closed my eyes and mentioned a Hail Mary.”

At The Star, the place the Cowboys apply, the Ring of Honor statues of Staubach and Pearson are precisely 50 yards aside, with every participant’s cleats marked in cement. Inside The Star, there’s a three-story-long stairwell with a frame-by-frame picture show of the play — from Staubach taking the snap to Pearson crossing into the top zone. Thirty-six photographs in all.

Some 471 miles away in Minneapolis, nonetheless, the Hail Mary is remembered for a lot totally different causes.

Vikings gamers of that period stay embittered that “Push Pearson,” as he’s recognized in Minnesota, was not known as for offensive cross interference after cornerback Nate Wright was left sprawled on the bottom as Pearson made the catch. Wright, 77, mentioned that it was “devastating as a result of that is all I am remembered for.”

“All of the performs I had, all of the honors I’ve acquired have nearly been whitewashed,” Wright, a two-time All-Professional, mentioned.

Corridor of Fame security Paul Krause, who was ft away as Pearson made the catch, mentioned: “I am sick about it. Sick. To at the present time.”

As 5-8 Minnesota prepares to go to the 6-6-1 Cowboys on Sunday (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC), neither former Viking has discovered consolation in Staubach’s prayer.

“God did not have something to do with it,” Krause mentioned, “as a result of they simply pushed off they usually gained the sport.”

As Wright mentioned, “God? His concern isn’t about who wins a soccer recreation. His concern is about saving souls.”

However the Hail Mary would not have been potential in any respect if it wasn’t for an additional controversial play seconds earlier.

What follows is a glance again in time at that play, the Hail Mary and the lingering aftermath of one of many NFL’s iconic moments.

The play earlier than the play

Two performs earlier than the legendary catch, the Cowboys confronted a fourth-and-17 from their very own 25-yard line. Though Staubach did not really feel compelled to utter a Hail Mary, it will nonetheless take a miracle; the chance of changing a fourth-and-17 in 2025 is about 15%, in keeping with ESPN Analysis.

Lined up in opposition to Wright, Pearson ran a submit nook to the 50-yard line. Staubach threw what Pearson known as a “frozen rope” towards the sideline.

“He hit me proper on the sideline,” Pearson mentioned. “Had just a little time to get my ft in.”

The Vikings — and an usher — thought in any other case. Wright, Krause and linebacker Matt Blair surrounded the officers on the sphere, arguing the cross ought to have been incomplete.

“He caught the ball manner out of bounds,” Krause mentioned. “The snow that day was packed up, and it simply wasn’t known as proper.”

Throughout the melee, a sideline usher with an admitted grudge in opposition to Pearson took a number of steps towards him and kicked his leg.

Dick Jonckowski was a Minnesota superstar of types, having drawn consideration for retrieving footballs after kicks and tossing them behind his again to officers. Now 82, Jonckowski mentioned he had developed a aggressive enmity for Pearson over time and as soon as mentioned to him: “You could not carry Charley Taylor’s jock,” a reference to Washington’s Corridor of Fame wideout who starred in that period.

“Fifty years later, and it nonetheless makes my blood boil”

— Corridor of Fame Vikings security Paul Krause on the Hail Mary

As a part of his sideline act, Jonckowski had his title embroidered on the again of his usher’s jacket. That caught the attention of Cowboys coach Tom Landry’s spouse, Alicia, who reported the kick to commissioner Pete Rozelle, in keeping with Jonckowski.

“I used to be simply mad on the name,” Jonckowski mentioned. “Immediately, I would in all probability go to jail for assault.”

On account of the incident, the Vikings’ usher service took Jonckowski off the sphere for the subsequent two seasons. He went on to change into the longtime broadcast voice of College of Minnesota basketball, baseball and soccer. In 2022, Pearson accompanied an NFL Movies crew to Jonckowski’s home in suburban Minneapolis to settle the rating.

“We received by means of all that,” Pearson mentioned, “and he mentioned he received caught up into the second.”

A 12 months later, Pearson returned to Minneapolis for an autograph signing. As he sat down at his assigned desk, he appeared on the man subsequent to him. It was Jonckowski.

“He is signing with me,” Pearson mentioned.

The play

Trailing 14-10 with 32 seconds left, the Cowboys had the ball at midfield with no timeouts. Lining up within the shotgun, a novel concept Landry unveiled that season, Staubach dropped again to Dallas’ 43-yard line, faked to his left and let free a excessive, arcing deep ball. Pearson caught it on the Vikings’ 5-yard line and walked backward into the top zone with Wright on the bottom and Krause pleading for an offensive cross interference flag.

Right here is how the Hail Mary unfolded of their phrases:

Pearson: Roger mentioned run a turn-in, take-off on Nate Wright. The one different man he instructed was [wide receiver] Golden Richards. Informed him to run a very good submit on the left aspect, and that is the primary motive Paul Krause was held over there.

He was attempting to beat Paul Krause. He is nonetheless the all-time chief in interceptions if I am not mistaken [No. 1 with 81 INTs]. Most of his interceptions are on overthrows as a result of he performs so deep. We needed to go get him out of the image.

It was simply Nate and I. I ran a turn-in, so he was anticipating that, and spun out of there good. He was with me, however I figured I had one other gear to go to the soccer as a result of that is the place I am finest. I may beat [Cowboys wideout and Olympic gold medalist sprinter] Bob Hayes to the soccer. That was my pace — to the soccer. I had an additional gear to go get the soccer.

As a result of [Staubach] pumped Krause, by the point he got here again to me, I used to be manner downfield and I may see it was underthrown just a little. That is after I used the swim transfer to get the place to make the catch.

I am going to put it on the market: There was contact, yeah, after I introduced my arm round, attempting to get inside place to catch the soccer. As a receiver, you are taught to make use of your outdoors arm to get inside. If it is the within arm, you are turning into the defender, so that you carry the skin arm.

Yeah, I hit him, OK. I am sorry. We’re taking part in the sport of soccer proper there. I wasn’t desirous about that. I used to be desirous about making the catch. Once I introduced it round, it is no deliberate push, and I believe any angle you take a look at on movie, you see that. I’d by no means do this. I’d by no means do it.

I ain’t Michael Irvin.

Wright: He ran a go or a deep or no matter you wish to name it. And I used to be working with him. … The ball is within the air, and also you attempt to take the ball on the highest level. Simply as I began to leap, he pushed me within the again. And so that you’re uncontrolled then. And I did not know what had occurred as a result of I assumed I used to be going to have the ability to soar and take the ball on the prime of its flight, however that did not occur.

I did not know precisely what had occurred. I wanted to see it on movie. However I knew that I used to be working with him and on the point of take the ball on the prime of its flight — and impulsively I am on the bottom.

Krause: He pushed Nate down and caught the ball — and that is a penalty proper there. I noticed that. I watched the play, and he pushed Nate down. From there, he walks in. I blame the referee. As a result of [Nate] cannot land on his again after being pushed within the shoulders. It was only a unhealthy play. We received screwed, and that was mainly the sport.

Regardless of long-held beliefs in Minnesota, ESPN NFL guidelines analyst Russell Yurk not too long ago reviewed video of the play and did not see something that will justify the Vikings’ outrage.

Yurk: There isn’t any foul. It isn’t even shut. Pearson is popping again towards the ball. The defender is sort of off-balance. He is stunned by it. I believe when Pearson turns round for the ball, simply the motion of that in all probability put just a little stress on the defender and precipitated him to lose his steadiness and fall down. I do not see any overt push. I do not see something that will be OPI then or now.

The aftermath ‘affected each side manner totally different’

The night time earlier than the playoff recreation, Pearson was speaking to his roommate, defensive finish Harvey Martin.

“I’ll catch a landing and I’ll throw the ball within the stands, not essentially pondering it will be the sport winner however simply because that was my patented transfer,” Pearson mentioned.

Pearson’s signing bonus as a rookie was $150. The superb for throwing the ball into the stands was $150.

“I believe Golden Richards was the primary one down there [after the touchdown], and I turned and threw it so far as I may throw it,” Pearson mentioned. “It went over the scoreboard and into the parking zone.”

As he was strolling off the sphere to the locker room, Pearson mentioned a fan yelled to him.

“I rotated, and a chilly beer hit me proper within the face,” Pearson mentioned. “I am like, ‘Rattling, you may’ve simply given it to me.’ They had been mad.”

Pearson wasn’t the one one. Referee Armen Terzian was hit within the head by a whiskey bottle and knocked to the bottom. As he received up, blood poured from his head. Later, Vikings quarterback Fran Tarkenton realized that his father — whose title was, coincidentally, Dallas Tarkenton — had died of a coronary heart assault whereas watching the sport.

Two years into his retirement within the mid-Eighties, Pearson flew to Minneapolis for enterprise.

“I nonetheless have the massive afro,” he mentioned, “and I stick my head in a cab and the driving force goes, ‘Are you Drew Pearson?’ I mentioned sure. ‘You catch the Hail Mary?’ I mentioned sure. ‘I ain’t taking you nowhere.’ He radioed down, and the subsequent 5 cabs did not take me to the workplace. That is when, with the Hail Mary, I noticed it affected each side manner totally different.”

Over time, Pearson has tried to easy over his relationship with Wright. In 1995, he visited Wright outdoors a health club as a part of a narrative on the twentieth anniversary of the catch for KENS-TV in San Antonio. In accordance with Pearson, they mentioned the Hail Mary and Wright instructed him: “You made an ideal play.” Wright mentioned he chatted with Pearson off digicam however refused to associate with the story.

“He was attempting to authenticate what occurred,” Wright mentioned. “He knew what occurred, however this was his probability to maneuver on from it. I talked to him, however I instructed him I wasn’t going to make a movie with him attempting to get affirmative motion that the play was good. That is what he was attempting to do. He flew all the best way to California for that.”

The 2 males had one different encounter, Pearson mentioned, at an autograph signing about 10 years in the past.

“Nate was completely totally different,” Pearson mentioned. “He was mad. He was speaking noise: ‘You pushed.’ I needed to jack him up proper there.”

Krause mentioned there hasn’t been a lot interplay between him, Pearson and Staubach over time, regardless that all three are members of the Corridor of Fame.

“They will not speak to me,” Krause mentioned. “They know I used to be standing proper there, so that they avoid me, as a result of I noticed all of it with my very own eyes. I noticed all of it. It wears on me. It was so unsuitable, I do not wish to come to peace with it. It took a championship away from us. We had a very good 12 months, however Dallas went on to win the [NFC] championship. Fifty years later, and it nonetheless makes my blood boil.”

A few months in the past, Pearson was doing a signing in San Antonio.

“Little child comes as much as me, and I mentioned, ‘You bought to Google me,'” Pearson mentioned. “He mentioned, ‘I already Googled you. You are the Hail Mary man.’

“So, it lives on and on and on.”

Staubach and Pearson’s lasting bond

Staubach was 31 when Pearson joined the Cowboys as a 22-year-old undrafted rookie out of Tulsa in 1973. The quarterback was already a Tremendous Bowl winner, a Heisman Trophy winner, a Vietnam veteran and nicknamed “Captain America.”

“In some ways, he was the primary who taught me to be skilled, how you can carry myself,” Pearson mentioned. “Not simply being an ideal participant, however how you can method the sport, being accountable for what you had been chargeable for. Simply the best way he carried himself. I imply, he is Roger Staubach. My mother even is aware of who that was.”

In 1984, Pearson was in a automotive accident wherein his brother, Carey Mark Pearson, died. Drew additionally was injured and required remedy in intensive care. As Pearson’s mother and father handled the devastation of shedding a son, Staubach was on the hospital for his teammate, as had been Martin and Landry.

“Roger’s all the time been there for me,” Pearson mentioned.

Unable to proceed taking part in, Pearson spent a 12 months as a Cowboys assistant coach earlier than going into enterprise. He began Drew Pearson Advertising with some companions and received into headwear. He had offers with the entire main American skilled sports activities leagues.

Staubach was Pearson’s preliminary investor, lending him $25,000.

“We turned that round, and I went to pay him again, and he did not need it,” Pearson mentioned. “He mentioned, ‘Let it trip.’ I nonetheless owe him. That is the sort of affect he is had on folks and he had on me.”

The legacy and the evolution of the Hail Mary

Dak Prescott was speaking with Staubach a number of years in the past when the Corridor of Famer talked about the Hail Mary.

“Roger mentioned he is the creator of the Hail Mary,” Dallas’ present star quarterback mentioned. “He mentioned clearly they’ve given it to Aaron Rodgers now, who’s accomplished extra of them, however he is the primary. And the actual motive it is the Hail Mary is as a result of he mentioned a number of Hail Marys when he broke the huddle earlier than he threw the ball deep, threw it up, and Drew got here down with it.”

If not for the dialogue with Staubach or the collection of nonetheless frames that run down the stairwell resulting in the Cowboys’ entrance workplace, Prescott mentioned he would not learn about it.

Like Prescott, huge receiver CeeDee Lamb, the present holder of the Cowboys’ No. 88 jersey, has talked with Pearson.

“He known as it his favourite play. Clearly as a receiver, all people’s [favorite] play is the Hail Mary,” Lamb mentioned. “You simply run deep and catch the ball. As for him, he says he received the matchup that he needed and [he] turned and noticed the ball, and all he noticed was like palms in his face and the ball simply actually fell into his lap. That is an ideal ball by Roger, by the best way.

“However as for Drew, man, it is resilience. It is that tenacity, that adversity to beat, the need to win. And I really feel like all of us received that in frequent. I’ve realized so much from him.”

Lamb mentioned he caught a Hail Mary in highschool on back-to-back performs.

“I caught one one-handed; received known as again. Caught it once more. Recreation over,” Lamb mentioned. “[That’s] highschool, however that is not the league.”

The play has advanced from hope and a prayer to a scripted plan.

“We do not name it Hail Mary, however we have like 4 totally different variations of a Hail Mary,” Prescott mentioned. “It is an actual factor that truly takes like true element and focus to get to the place your spots are. Now, primarily you are throwing to this space, however there is a front-tip man, a back-tip man, a side-tip man. These guys aren’t even supposed to leap. Only one jumper is meant to go up, and relying on what it’s, there is a again man if all of it goes over all people’s head.

“Once you get in these conditions, you are simply attempting to, as a quarterback, put sufficient air on it the place you do get a tip and it goes a method or one other.”

Did Pearson push off?

“They do not name flags down there on the finish,” Prescott mentioned. “Have a look at it, half the time now defensive guys simply sort out receivers, they usually do not name flags. It is Hail Mary for a motive.”