sport historian
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There has been comment on the Forum about Donavan McNabb not knowing the rules for overtime games. This reminded me of a true story about a mental mistake by a famous player in the 1962 AFL Championship game between the Dallas Texans and Houston Oilers which ended in a 17-17 tie after regulation time.
Before the overtime, Texan coach Hank Stram instructed captain Abner Haynes to choose the side of the field facing the stadium clock if he won the toss. There were strong winds that day and Stram thought they could stop the Oilers and get the ball in good position and kick a field goal.
Haynes won the toss, and thinking the Oilers would elect to receive, thereby making the Texans kick off, if they opted to choose which goal to defend, told the referee, "We'll kick to the clock." However, by stating the words "We'll kick," Haynes had forfeited possesion of the ball to the Oilers and allowed them to choose which end zone to defend as well. The Texans saved Haynes from embarassment by stopping the Oilers in that first overtime quarter, then won the game on a field goal 2 minutes and 54 seconds into the second overtime quarter. The teams had switched sides.
The referee gave Haynes a chance to redo his call in one account I read, but Abner repeated, "We'll still kick." This gave Houston both the ball and the wind, but they couldn't take advantage.
Before the overtime, Texan coach Hank Stram instructed captain Abner Haynes to choose the side of the field facing the stadium clock if he won the toss. There were strong winds that day and Stram thought they could stop the Oilers and get the ball in good position and kick a field goal.
Haynes won the toss, and thinking the Oilers would elect to receive, thereby making the Texans kick off, if they opted to choose which goal to defend, told the referee, "We'll kick to the clock." However, by stating the words "We'll kick," Haynes had forfeited possesion of the ball to the Oilers and allowed them to choose which end zone to defend as well. The Texans saved Haynes from embarassment by stopping the Oilers in that first overtime quarter, then won the game on a field goal 2 minutes and 54 seconds into the second overtime quarter. The teams had switched sides.
The referee gave Haynes a chance to redo his call in one account I read, but Abner repeated, "We'll still kick." This gave Houston both the ball and the wind, but they couldn't take advantage.
