Reverse on a kickoff return

[Halas Hall]

A couple of weeks ago there was a good thread on the end of Super Bowl X. On the opening kickoff of that game Dallas did a successful reverse with Thomas Henderson taking the ball from Preston Pearson. I think the only other time I have seen this executed is with Stump Mitchell handing off to Roy Green on the 1980's Cardinals.

Am I correct you do not see this much because there is so much speed on the field that one needs a player with rare speed (Henderson and Green were the fastest players on their teams) to make it work?

Thank you.

[Jay Z]

Did some research on this sort of play.

Henderson was credited with 48 yards on 0 kickoff returns. He was not credited with the return, Preston Pearson was credited with that.

There are 16 players credited with 0 kickoff returns and one or more kickoff return yards in playoff games. Henderson is the only player to show up twice. He also had another return like this for 11 yards against the Falcons in 1978. The most recent play of this type was not this sort of reverse, but it came in the most recent NFL playoff game, the Chiefs/Bengals AFC Championship. After the Chiefs kicked a field goal, there was time for a kickoff play. After receiving a lateral pass, Cincinnati's Trent Taylor advanced the ball two yards. I believe the last time an actual reverse took place in a playoff game was 2011, where the Falcons' Antone Smith ran for 15 yards against the Giants.

The Music City Miracle is one of these plays, though Lorenzo Neal, the first player who touched the ball, is credited with zero kickoff returns for 1 yard. I thought that the first player to handle the ball was credited with the return, which means that touchdown scorer Kevin Dyson would have been credited with zero returns for 75 yards, but apparently that isn't always the case.

Players who scored touchdowns during the regular season on kickoff reverse plays are the Lions' Terry Barr in 1958, the Packers' Terdell Middleton in 1977, and the Titans' Tommie Campbell in 2011. Lenny Moore also scored a touchdown on a kickoff, though that was more of a Music City Miracle type play, an across the field lateral. Dan Edwards of the AAFC's Chicago Hornets also scored a touchdown after running 17 yards after receiving a lateral.

[SixtiesFan]

Henderson's reverse made for a great scene in the movie, Black Sunday.

[Bryan]

I wonder how they decide 'credit' for the return. The reverse the Cowboys did in Super Bowl X was also used by Dallas earlier in the regular season against St. Louis. Rolly Woolsey (eventually) fielded the kickoff, started upfield, then handed the ball to Thomas Henderson. Henderson was credited with the kickoff return of 97 yards and a TD.

[Jay Z]

I wonder how they decide 'credit' for the return. The reverse the Cowboys did in Super Bowl X was also used by Dallas earlier in the regular season against St. Louis. Rolly Woolsey (eventually) fielded the kickoff, started upfield, then handed the ball to Thomas Henderson. Henderson was credited with the kickoff return of 97 yards and a TD.

With Henderson being credited with the return and Rolly Woolsey having four other returns in the game, that one did not show up in my Stathead query.

I'm not sure how they decide the carry. Woolsey fumbled that particular kick so maybe he was credited with zero yards anyway. I

I ran another query for players credited with negative kickoff return yards in a game with zero kickoff returns. There are 26 such players in the regular season and 3 in the playoffs. Three of the regular season occurrences happened in a Pittsburgh/Tennessee game from 1998.

Al Del Greco made a short field goal to put the Oilers (still the Oilers) up 16-14 with three seconds left. Craig Hentrich did a squib kick which the Steelers started lateralling and running backwards with. When there is a backward lateral, the player throwing the lateral gets yards deducted from their total so the player receiving it can start at zero. So four players received negative yardage on this kickoff return. PFR apparently has some problem with displaying players with zero kickoff returns and negative yards, so only Mitch Lyons, with one return for negative 10 yards, shows up on the game screen. But the others show up on the Stathead queries.

Anyway, on this desperation play the Steelers wound up muffing or fumbling the ball into their own end zone, where it was recovered by the Oilers. Final score, 23-14 Oilers.

[Jay Z]

Anyone remember any plays were a reverse was run on a punt return? There have been some lateral plays. Tommie Campbell of the Titans, who scored a TD on a kickoff return reverse, also scored a TD on a lateral on a punt return.

Campbell was a defensive back but apparently played almost exclusively on special teams during his four year career. In 2011 Campbell was credited with one punt return for zero yards, and zero kickoff returns for 84 yards and a touchdown. In 2012 Campbell was credited with zero punt returns for 65 yards and a touchdown. He was also credited with one pass defensed, and some tackles, likely on special teams. A unique and obscure career.

[RichardBak]

Anyone remember any plays were a reverse was run on a punt return? There have been some lateral plays. Tommie Campbell of the Titans, who scored a TD on a kickoff return reverse, also scored a TD on a lateral on a punt return.

Campbell was a defensive back but apparently played almost exclusively on special teams during his four year career. In 2011 Campbell was credited with one punt return for zero yards, and zero kickoff returns for 84 yards and a touchdown. In 2012 Campbell was credited with zero punt returns for 65 yards and a touchdown. He was also credited with one pass defensed, and some tackles, likely on special teams. A unique and obscure career.

I love guys with weird stats and careers like that, no matter what the sport.

[Citizen]

Anyone remember any plays were a reverse was run on a punt return?

The Packers tried this against the Vikings in 1974. Steve Odom fumbled the handoff and Minnesota's Amos Martin ran it in for a touchdown.

[GameBeforeTheMoney]

Did some research on this sort of play.

Henderson was credited with 48 yards on 0 kickoff returns. He was not credited with the return, Preston Pearson was credited with that.

There are 16 players credited with 0 kickoff returns and one or more kickoff return yards in playoff games. Henderson is the only player to show up twice. He also had another return like this for 11 yards against the Falcons in 1978. The most recent play of this type was not this sort of reverse, but it came in the most recent NFL playoff game, the Chiefs/Bengals AFC Championship. After the Chiefs kicked a field goal, there was time for a kickoff play. After receiving a lateral pass, Cincinnati's Trent Taylor advanced the ball two yards. I believe the last time an actual reverse took place in a playoff game was 2011, where the Falcons' Antone Smith ran for 15 yards against the Giants.

The Music City Miracle is one of these plays, though Lorenzo Neal, the first player who touched the ball, is credited with zero kickoff returns for 1 yard. I thought that the first player to handle the ball was credited with the return, which means that touchdown scorer Kevin Dyson would have been credited with zero returns for 75 yards, but apparently that isn't always the case.

Players who scored touchdowns during the regular season on kickoff reverse plays are the Lions' Terry Barr in 1958, the Packers' Terdell Middleton in 1977, and the Titans' Tommie Campbell in 2011. Lenny Moore also scored a touchdown on a kickoff, though that was more of a Music City Miracle type play, an across the field lateral. Dan Edwards of the AAFC's Chicago Hornets also scored a touchdown after running 17 yards after receiving a lateral.

Man, great job on this research, JayZ. Props and thanks...

[GameBeforeTheMoney]

I think part of the reason that you don't see it as much is that it is risky -- the exchange part of it, plus you likely have to go backwards a bit to pull it off.

Landry tried a reverse on the first drive of SB 13 -- I now wonder if he was thinking about the success of that opening kickoff return. Cowboys lost several yards and it basically halted what was looking like a great first drive.