DIGGER27
In Memory Of
Tom Dempsey passes away at a senior home in New Orleans from the coronavirus at 73.
https://touchdownwire.usatoday.com/...record-breaking-nfl-kicker-tom-dempsey-at-73/
It was November 8, 1970.
I remember watching this game on tv with my dad and brother because we were loyal Michiganders and it was the Lions against the Saints.
We scored, led by 1 and they had 11 seconds left to do something.
They received the kick and got out of bounds around the 28th yard.
8 seconds left and they needed to get to field goal range to have a shot at winning this thing but they came up short...63 yards left to go and nobody had ever kicked a field goal this far before.
Nobody thought it was even humanly possible.
2 seconds left, if anything could be described as a Hail Mary play this was it.
We won the game in our minds, let them try their feeble attempt and we can go on with our lives.
A bobbled snap which caused a stutter step approach and straight ahead kicker Dempsey with only half a foot kicked the ball.
Then this happened...
https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=emb_err_watch_on_yt&v=cjqiq4S9bqA
An NFL record, took 28 years for anyone to match this feat and it was finally broken in 2013 by one yard.
We were stunned, the Lions were shocked, the team and fans went nuts, we stared at the tv with our mouths agape trying to make sense of what we had just witnessed.
Hard to believe at the time, still hard to believe for me to this day.
RIP Mr. Dempsey...at one specific point in time in my then 15 year old life you managed to both break my heart and impress me at the same moment.
https://touchdownwire.usatoday.com/...record-breaking-nfl-kicker-tom-dempsey-at-73/
It was November 8, 1970.
I remember watching this game on tv with my dad and brother because we were loyal Michiganders and it was the Lions against the Saints.
We scored, led by 1 and they had 11 seconds left to do something.
They received the kick and got out of bounds around the 28th yard.
8 seconds left and they needed to get to field goal range to have a shot at winning this thing but they came up short...63 yards left to go and nobody had ever kicked a field goal this far before.
Nobody thought it was even humanly possible.
2 seconds left, if anything could be described as a Hail Mary play this was it.
We won the game in our minds, let them try their feeble attempt and we can go on with our lives.
A bobbled snap which caused a stutter step approach and straight ahead kicker Dempsey with only half a foot kicked the ball.
Then this happened...
https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=emb_err_watch_on_yt&v=cjqiq4S9bqA
An NFL record, took 28 years for anyone to match this feat and it was finally broken in 2013 by one yard.
We were stunned, the Lions were shocked, the team and fans went nuts, we stared at the tv with our mouths agape trying to make sense of what we had just witnessed.
Hard to believe at the time, still hard to believe for me to this day.
RIP Mr. Dempsey...at one specific point in time in my then 15 year old life you managed to both break my heart and impress me at the same moment.
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