Dr. Saturday - NCAAF

Mon May 11, 2009 1:54 pm EDT

Things We Love: Fat Guy Touchdowns

An offseason compendium of college football's small pleasures.

The Fat Guy Touchdown is hands-down our favorite play, and one of the purer joys in college football. Watching a 350-pound lineman scoop up a football and run for a score makes us clap with glee like a small child presented with a shiny object, no matter the color of the player's jersey. There are so many pleasures on so many levels: The play is always completely unexpected by at least one team, the bruiser holding the ball has a markedly higher tendency to knock heads as he trundles down the sideline, and most of all, there's the look of sheer, exhausted glee on the kid's face as he crosses into six-point territory. The endzone is not -- and probably has never been -- a place they get to bask in very often, and watching a hulking defender savor a rare moment in the spotlight is enough to warm even the most black and pitted of hearts.

Very occasionally, the Fat Guy Touchdown comes as the result of devious offensive gameplanning, as in Nebraska's infamous 1984 Orange Bowl fumblerooski:

Every now and then, a short and sweet one will come along, as when Georgia's David Pollack intercepted South Carolina's Corey Jenkins in 2002 (complete with bonus sideline reporter gaffe!):

But for our money, nothing beats Myron Pryor, a Kentucky defensive tackle taken by New England in this year's draft, and his "310 pounds of glory" run against archrival Louisville last September:

Big is beautiful. Rumble on, you sweet warriors of the line. Rumble on.

- - -
Other things we love: Potentially dangerous animal mascots, frat guys on camera, midnight games in Hawaii, players impersonating coaches.

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13 Comments

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  1. Doug G
    1. Posted by Doug G Mon May 11, 2009 2:32 pm EDT

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    Oh, the "Polack interception." even funnier than I remembered it. I've always respected Mark Richt for very politely correcting her while she stood there grinning like an idiot, rather than going "I'm sorry, could you say that again? -- listen to this, guys, she just called him 'Polack'!"
    Another good fat-guy score: Troy offensive guard Junior Louissaint (6'1", 277) picking up a fumble by the tailback and chugging 63 yards for a TD in Troy's 24-14 upset of Missouri in 2004. This YouTube calls it a "lateral," but it was a fumble -- watch as Louissaint starts running out of gas around the 10 and the Mizzou defense still can't take him down: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvx3vrhrm9g
  2. Haneluca
    2. Posted by Haneluca Mon May 11, 2009 3:41 pm EDT

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    How about Brent Curvey from Iowa State/Colorado in '05? I'm sure I'm the only one remembers that because I go to ISU but he rumbled about 40-50 yards and earned the nickname "Big Play" Curvey.
  3. Holly
    3. Posted by Holly Mon May 11, 2009 3:45 pm EDT

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    Working link to the Troy lateral here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvX3vRHrm9g
  4. rugman777
    4. Posted by rugman777 Mon May 11, 2009 4:59 pm EDT

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    What? No Andre Smith backward pass? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBrdA2Mon7A
    "Talk about some beef in the end zone."
  5. Walk On Boy
    5. Posted by Walk On Boy Mon May 11, 2009 6:02 pm EDT

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    Craig Rusch from Northern Illinois had a rumble in the snow against Kent State this year.
    2:10 into the video:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJ-1Ct3l7M0
    Not quite 310 pounds of glory, but a DT TD nonetheless.
  6. dustmck
    6. Posted by dustmck Mon May 11, 2009 6:11 pm EDT

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    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYOuMWDVPcQ
    Domata Peko showing of his 15 inch vertical
  7. Holly
    7. Posted by Holly Mon May 11, 2009 6:21 pm EDT

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    These are great; keep 'em coming.
  8. will p
    8. Posted by will p Mon May 11, 2009 6:50 pm EDT

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    What about Mike Pattersons, he had one at USC vs UCLA in 2003 and one in the NFL with the Eagles vs the Niners (which was like 98 yards)?
  9. 12andCounting
    9. Posted by 12andCounting Mon May 11, 2009 8:12 pm EDT

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    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBrdA2Mon7A
    Andre Smith is a very big man. And he scored a touchdown.
    Don't believe he is a big man? Watch this...
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dF2nYd2NOys
    My God who let that man run without a shirt?!?
  10. stephen k
    10. Posted by stephen k Mon May 11, 2009 8:52 pm EDT

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    i don't know, i personally prefer ndomukong suh's interception return for nebraska against colorado this year where he completely destroys cody hawkins on his way to the touchdown
  11. PaulT
    11. Posted by PaulT Mon May 11, 2009 9:35 pm EDT

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    Here, Holly, we can put aside our differences and agree. As a Chicago Bears fan I especially enjoyed the Fridge touchdowns, and (not a TD, but still good) the Keith Traylor fumble recovery (or INT, whichever) where he ran like 70 yards looking scared over his shoulder at the other players gaining on him, then finally gave up. It was a local favorite for some time.
  12. craig m
    12. Posted by craig m Mon May 11, 2009 11:29 pm EDT

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    Here's a classic from the pros... The Lions no less... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2vks25u-r4
  13. drumsandchicken
    13. Posted by drumsandchicken Tue May 12, 2009 9:32 am EDT

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    Although it wasn't technically a touchdown (it was a 2 pt conversion and the ball was ruled dead) the Christian Peters return in the '96 Fiesta Bowl comes to mind. The play starts 9:10 into this clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfusYeGyKok but feel free to watch the whole thing. The Ol Ball Coach looks like he's going to cry at one point.
    Ndadomukong Suh's return against Colorado: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DZqbl-_sKY

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