Member-only story
The Squandering
America fumbles on the one-yard line
I’m sure Leon Lett could see the highlight reel in his head. It was the fourth quarter of Super Bowl 27, in 1993, and the 6’6”, 290-pound Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman scooped up a fumble from Buffalo Bills quarterback Frank Reich, looked upfield, and realized there was nothing but green ahead of him. He was seconds away from completing one of the most exciting plays in football — the Big Man Touchdown, in which a giant lineman who rarely touches the ball gets the chance to lumber downfield and score.
Lett picked the ball up around his own 30-yard line and ran hard toward the end zone. He must have known it would take every ounce of energy in his giant body to stay ahead of the smaller, faster players chasing him down. But, about ten yards from paydirt, Lett decided he was safe. He slowed down, held the ball out in front of his body, and showboated toward the end zone.
(The NFL is very protective of its video footage, so I can’t embed a video, but you can click here to watch the play.)
On the one-yard line, Don Beebe, a much faster Buffalo Bills receiver, snuck up behind Lett, knocked the ball out of his hand, and prevented the touchdown. The heroic highlight Lett had no doubt envisioned in his head became a legendary embarrassment.
