Origins of 'Hail Mary': Cowboys legend Roger Staubach remembers how it stuck
DALLAS – It tickles Roger Staubach to realize the staying power of his words.
“Hail Mary.”
That’s what the Hall of Fame quarterback uttered to reporters in describing his 50-yard touchdown pass to Drew Pearson to beat the Minnesota Vikings in the closing seconds of a 1975 NFC playoff game.
“When they asked me about it, I think the actual quote was, ‘Well, I guess you could call it a Hail Mary. You throw it up and pray,’“ the Dallas Cowboys Hall of Fame quarterback reflected Friday for USA TODAY Sports.
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Staubach, who grew up as a devout Catholic, wasn’t the first person to use the term as part of a sports explanation, but he’s the one who ignited the use of “Hail Mary” on a widespread basis.
Before Staubach-to-Pearson, those desperate heaves were commonly referred to as a “bomb” or an “alley-oop” pass.
More than 42 years since that magic at Metropolitan Stadium in Minneapolis, “Hail Mary” is such a widely used term that it’s transcended the football world.
“Now it’s a term used for everything,” Staubach said. “Politicians and everybody else use it. One of the worse times I heard it used was when I was watching someone on TV talk about O.J. Simpson, and the commentator said, ‘Man, it’s going to take a Hail Mary for him to get another trial.’ “
Then Staubach pondered another possibility.
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“I could have said ‘Our Father’ or ‘Glory be,’ “ he said. “But I don’t think ‘Our Father’ would have carried on.”
It’s ironic that as the Cowboys get set to host the Green Bay Packers in an NFC divisional playoff game Sunday, “Hail Mary” passes represent an attached theme, given Aaron Rodgers’ proficiency with the deep heave. Within the past 14 months, Rodgers has connected on three “Hail Mary” touchdowns – including a 42-yard throw to Randall Cobb last Sunday as time expired in the first half of the wild-card win against the New York Giants.
Staubach said Rodgers’ heroics and the matchup against his Cowboys has prompted several calls this week from those wanting to discuss the “Hail Mary” origins and the connection to the Packers star.
“Rodgers has such a strong arm,” Staubach said. “When Cobb got behind the defensive backs, that was really dumb.”
Staubach considers the success rate for a “Hail Mary” pass at about 10% -- and much tougher to complete than it was when he hit Pearson.
“The preparation to defend for the ‘Hail Mary’ is different,” Staubach notes. “Today, teams work on it. When Drew caught it, there wasn’t anybody else there.”
Pearson ran his route along the sideline and caught Staubach’s pass just inside 5-yard line, beating cornerback Nate Wright for the football before scooting into the end zone. Safety Paul Krause arrived too late from the middle of the field to break up the pass.
“I pumped and looked Krause off,” Staubach recalled. “He really should have helped.”
Staubach knows that the term gained additional juice years later with Doug Flutie’s miracle throw for Boston College beat the University of Miami (Fla). in 1984.
Now Rodgers is the face of the term.
“If I were trying to defend it, I would rush more to make sure he doesn’t have as much time,” Staubach said of Rodgers. “But really we should call him Mr. Hail Mary now.”
It takes one to know one.
Follow Jarrett Bell on Twitter @JarrettBell.
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