Garo Yepremian made 210 of 313 field-goal attempts in his 14-year NFL career, but he is probably best-remembered for his lone pass attempt.
Yepremian, 70, died Friday at a hospital in Media, Pa.
Born in Cyprus, Yepremian moved to the U.S. at age 22 and played in the first NFL game he ever saw. He started his career in 1966 with the Detroit Lions and spent two seasons there. He played nine seasons with the Miami Dolphins, one with the New Orleans Saints and two with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, ending his career in 1981.
His 37-yard field goal in the second overtime ended the longest game in NFL history, a Dolphins’ playoff victory over Kansas City on Christmas Day in 1971, and he helped Miami win back-to-back Super Bowl titles in 1972-1973.
But his gaffe in the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl VII in January 1973 nearly spoiled the Dolphins’ bid to complete a perfect season.
With Miami leading 14-0 and on the verge of finishing the season 17-0, the Washington Redskins blocked Yepremian’s 41-yard field-goal attempt.
Yepremian picked up the ball and tried to throw it. The ball slipped from his hand and he then tried to bat it, one would guess, to a teammate. However, the ball floated into the air and the Redskins’ Mike Bass caught it and ran it 49 yards for a touchdown.
The Dolphins held on for a 14-7 victory, completing the last undefeated season by an NFL team. But Yepremian’s “pass” is what most fans remember about the game.
“Every airport you go to, people point to you and say, ‘Here’s the guy who screwed up in the Super Bowl,’ ” Yepremian said in a 2007 interview with The Associated Press. “After a while it bothers you. If it was anybody else he would go crazy, but fortunately I’m a happy-go-lucky guy.”
In an interview with The Sporting News, Yepremian explained the pass in more detail.
“I saw Bill Brundige coming toward me with smoke coming out of his ears.” he said. “I didn’t have much time to arrange the ball and get the laces straightened out. I didn’t have a good grip. When I cocked my arm, the ball went up in the air. Gravity didn’t even help me. The ball started coming straight toward me. I started batting it. I figured if I batted it out of bounds, I’d be safe.
“But unfortunately, when I batted it, it went straight into the hands of Redskins cornerback Mike Bass, who was my teammate in Detroit and was used to the kind of passes I threw.”
Breaking Brad
From Brad Dickson of the Omaha (Neb.) World Herald:
“A kid from Iowa and other finalists in the National Geographic Bee won $500, while college students who heave the most footballs through giant Dr Pepper cans sometimes win $100,000. Are our priorities slightly askew?
“What’s the message for young people? ‘Forget your studies — the big money’s in tossing balls through ginormous Dr Pepper cans?’ ”
Also from Dickson:
“The Carolina Panthers’ firstround NFL Draft pick, Shaq Thompson, was 0-39 as a hitter with 37 strikeouts in the Boston Red Sox organization. To spin this, the Panthers’ P.R. department refers to him as ‘a two-sport athlete who put up Michael Jordan-like numbers.’ ”
And finally:
“There’s a new protocol at Staples Center: The first 15 rows behind the basket are evacuated when Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard is attempting a free throw.”
Quote of the day
“It felt like Angels in the Outfield except the basketball version. Just unbelievable.”
Houston center Dwight Howard explaining the Rockets’ come-frombehind victory in Game 6 of their NBA Western Conference playoff series against the Los Angeles Clippers