Have we mentioned this guys pretty good at returning kicks? Playing on Sunday Night Football in front of a national television audience, the ridiculously fast return manhe posted a 4.42-second 40-yard dash at the NFL combinetook the ball and ran straight up the middle of the field into what looked like a barrage of Packers players. Ismail dashed for 88 yards on that kickoff. This might be the most controversial of all our classes to be No.3, but this class had depth and a star on the field, and a headache off it all rolled into one class. Record: 1,383 passing yardsRecord-holder: Patrick Mahomes, Texas Tech (819 yards) and Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma (564 yards)Season: 2016. The former Seattle Seahawks running back was ready to go on the opening kickoff of this game against the San Diego Chargers. Record: Six passesRecord-holder: Brooks Dawson, UTEPSeason: 1967. The Detroit Lions are reportedly considering using wide receiver Jameson Williams as a returner for the 2023 NFL season. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. Notre Dame beat Michigan 24-19 on that day in a battle of the nations top two ranked teams. But to do so in just five games is potentially unsustainable, and that's why Sanders' record, amid a season in which he rushed for 2,628 yards in just 11 games (! A kickoff return for a touchdown is one of the most exciting plays in football. The record? Join our linker program. But others, at least on the surface, appear untouchable. The longtime NFL cornerback made everyone look like a fool on this play while he was playing with the Los Angeles Rams. Missouri. The Lions used backup receiver Kalif Raymond as their primary punt returner and No. Raghib "Rocket" Ismail Holds Record for Most Games With Two Kickoff Returns for Touchdowns All rights reserved. I sat in awe, refreshing ESPN.coms GameTracker last season after every carry from Melvin Gordon, waiting on Wisconsins star running back to surpass the 400-yard barrier and inch closer to Ladainian Tomlinsons all-time mark. Though I understand the safety concerns, it would be a shame to tear down a stage on which some of college football's most talented players have put in work. Why its untouchable: Could it be more obvious? NFL Career Leaders - Kickoff Return Touchdowns. Schiano referenced a statistic that more than 15 percent of the catastrophic injuries suffered on the football field happen on kickoffs, even though there are only a handful of kickoffs per game. There have been some amazing kick and punt returns in football over the years, here are the best of the best. Find out more. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Saturday, March 4, 6:41AM. Consider what we've seen from the most electrifying kick-returners to mark the college football landscape over the past quarter-century. Could Top QB Fall To The Titans? In 1988, "Prime Time" led the nation in punt-return average and left FSU as the school's all-time leader in punt return yards. Adams took one step back after receiving the kick and seemingly had nowhere to go as he got close to the right sidelinethree Tennessee tacklers got right in his facebut instead of giving up, he changed direction and ran backwards (something coaches say never to do on punt returns). Theres no way Im going to let that ball hit the ground. To start things off, Jones commited what many special teams coaches say is the biggest mistake for all return mendont take the ball out of the endzone if you catch it over five yards deep. Some school's results have been altered by retroactive NCAA penalties. Twenty-five players in college football history have run two kickoffs back for touchdowns in the same game. Kickoff Return Touchdowns Single Season Leaders and Records An asterisk (*) after a player's name indicates bowl stats are included. Jameis Winston led Florida State to 29 consecutive victories during his tenure, an impressive streak snapped in violent fashion by Oregon in last years first College Football Playoff semifinal at the Rose Bowl. In an interview with an Atlanta radio station. Devin Hester (Miami) 11 of 15 Jamie. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. Record: 140.9 yards per gameRecord-holder: Alex Van Dyke, NevadaSeasons: 1994-95. New Mock Thinks It Possible: CJ Stroud falls to Titans at No.6 overall in a trade-up scenario. But scan through the FBS record book and you'll find other records in the highest level of college football that are likely so untouchable either due to rule changes and the evolution of the game, or due to a flash of brilliance (or the opposite of brilliance) that we think they'll stand in the history books forever. That's roughly what Nevada's Alex Van Dyke averaged during his two-year career Nevada. He has been covering the NFL for various outlets since 2000. It is the most violent, video-friendly, terrifying, electrifying, dangerous and dramatic play in football. Why its untouchable: College footballs Heisman winner in 1999, Dayne topped 2,000 yards for the second time in his Big Ten career to finish with an incredible NCAA-record 7,125 yards on the ground on a record-breaking 1,220 carries. Jackson is a pending free agent, while Raymond is coming off the best season of his career. You should have watched the Ohio Stadium crowd any time Ted Ginn Jr. went back to field a kick. The longtime Chicago Bears return man forced teams to think hard about kicking him the ballhis electrifying speed and agility made him arguably the best kick returner of all time. An asterisk (*) after a player's name indicates bowl stats are included.Read more about our data coverage. CRYSTAL BALL: 5 predictions for the 2021 college football season, Record: 36 attemptsRecord-holder: Dominique Davis, East CarolinaSeason: 2011. Racked up 1,522 kickoff return yards, 559 punt return yards and four kick-return touchdowns in three seasons. No one on the field noticed except for Bailey, who scooped up the ball and sped down the field completely untouched and unchallenged. Keenum was granted a medical hardship in 2010 after tearing a knee ligament, but his five touchdowns over three games prior to injury count. "But yeah, were just gong to continue to do everything that we need to do to make sure that hes set up to succeed. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. His 27.6 yards per kickoff and 13.6 yards per punt-return averages were solid but not eye-popping. Or write about sports? The Game Before the Money Radio Showshared outstanding college football records. Why its untouchable: Youve got to feel for Reaves, the Gators errant passer who tossed nine completions to the opposing defense at Auburn in 1969. Statistics are current through the 2022 NFL season and include stats accrued in NFL, AFL and APFA games. 5. Build your own custom leaderboards with Stathead Football, Frequently Asked Questions about the NFL and Football, Pro-Football-Reference.com Blog and Articles, Subscribe to Stathead Football: Get your first month FREE. 2,850 rushing yards is more than anyone's ever gained at any level of college or pro football. Heisman Trophy Winners: D. Henry, B. Sanders, . Or write about sports? The day before Halloween 2004, from the press box at Washington State's Martin Stadium, I watched him run into a crowd on a punt return on a wet field, then with one cut, leave a trail of flailing arms and jockstraps on his way to the end zone. None of the members of this class will ever hear their names called in Canton, but as a group, and what they provided for the Titans, even though small in some cases, was a solid class top to bottom that played some excellent football and were part of some good, but not great Titans teams. Officially, Arizona States Terrell Suggs holds the NCAAs single-season record with 24 sacks in 2002. Who holds it: Trevor Insley, 1996-99 Rocket Ismails record of most games with two kickoff returns for touchdowns set in 1989 still stands today. ruled that the play should have been blown dead. All rights reserved. With just the kicker to beat, Washington pulled a fantastic stutter step to put him to the ground and ran his way into the endzone. The next year, his Heisman year, Sanders took the opening kickoff in the opening game back 100 yards for a score against Miami-Ohio. In the 2020 season, Wisconsin quarterback Graham Mertz completed his first 17 pass attempts in the Badgers' season-opener against Illinois as he finished 20-for-21 passing for 248 yards and five touchdowns. Greg Arias covers the Tennessee Titans for All Titans.com on Sports Illustrated/FanNation. Bears game on Sunday. "Theyre like, 'Well, just throw him back there.' Hester may not be the fastest person to ever play football, but I don't think I've seen anybody run faster on a football field. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. Im going to go track that thing down. For those that don't know, a kick return touchdown is when the kickoff retu. Or write about sports? The truth is, Florida didnt have a second-team quarterback to relieve Reaves of his obvious tragic afternoon on the Plains and let the future first-round pick heave it 66 times during the game. Whether it's football, fashion or just breathing, it's tough to make any "Most Electrifying" list without including Deion. Find out more. Brandon Jones, who physically looked the part, and Damien Nash were the only two real misses in this class. Over the past eight months, Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano has become the public face of a movement to eliminate the kickoff from college football. It was reported that Georgia Tech coach John Heisman didnt let up after Cumberland Gap had beaten the Yellow Jackets in baseball, 22-0, earlier that year. That's why Dominique Davis' record for consecutive completions in a season is unbreakable, even as passing efficiency in college football has improved over the course of the last decade. The University of Miami alum was in his first season of the NFL, and he made the Rams pay for kicking him the ball. 46. Hester blew through an open lane to go basically untouched into the endzonehigh-stepping his way in all the way from the 20-yard line. UTEP quarterback Brooks Dawson once threw a touchdown pass on six consecutive attempts against New Mexico and what makes it really unbreakable is that he started the game 6-for-6 with six touchdowns. Both of Ismails kickoffs returned for touchdowns were in the second half, the first coming on the second-half kickoff. Ginn visited the end zone four more times on kick returns over the next three seasonsincluding taking the opening kickoff back 92 yards in the 2007 BCS National Championship Gameand finished his career as the Big Ten's all-time leader in punt-return touchdowns. "It's hard to ask a guy to do all those things at a really high level, and people dont realize that," Fipp said. Record: Four gamesRecord-holder: Barry Sanders, Oklahoma StateSeason: 1988. Rushing for 1,500 yards in a season is a terrific accomplishment for a player one likely to earn the player all-conference, if not All-America, honors. If any quarterback is going to approach this record in the future, hell be another Mike Leach understudy. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. Here are 10 current college football records one man at SDS has deemed unbreakable: Who holds it: Oklahoma, from 1953-57 Why its untouchable: Insley, the NCAAs all-time receiving yards leader, managed just 574 yards as a freshman in 1996 before exploding for 4,431 yards and 30 touchdowns over his final three seasons. If you feel like you're losing control over your gambling experience, call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ, PA, WV), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-888- 532-3500(Virginia) 1-800-522-4700 (NV, TN), 1-800-522-4700 (CO, TN), 1-855-2CALLGA (IL), 1-800-270-7117 (MI). One college player tops everybody in this category because he returned two kickoffs for touchdowns twice! 1 on that list? Who holds it: Houston offense led by QB Andre Ware in 1990 I want to be the punt returner, too. It's impossible for someone to break Nevada punter Pat Brady's 99-yard punt without having a touchback, and similarly, no player will ever top the record of a 100-yard return of an extra-point attempt, which is held by eight different players. He is a former college linebacker, a longtime coach and a parent. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. Hall started running backwards and crossed to the other side of the field, outrunning the entire Broncos unit before heading into the endzone untouched. Punts are a much, much less physical play.". Leaders Since 1976 Share & Export Dwight's style wasn't gracefulhe was reminiscent of one of those old NFL Films segments starring Crazy Legs Hirschbut he got where he needed to go in a hurry. That dipped last season with 13 returns for 270 yards and 20.8 yards. Single game leaders only reflect years for which we have complete boxscore data (1950 onward), all playoff games, and all 100 yard rushing/receiving or 300 yard passing games from 1940-1959. Ill be a gunner. Ten players have done that in NFL history. As a junior in '86, Brown averaged 27.9 yards per kickoff return, including two touchdowns and 37.5 yards per punt return. Washington took the kick from one yard inside the endzone and proceeded to juke his way past the front line of the Chargers special teams unit. As a senior, Keenum was spectacular, throwing 48. Williams returned two kicks for touchdowns in his one season at Alabama, when he averaged 35.2 yards on 10 kick returns. Jameson also has to hold his part and make sure that hes doing everything that he needs to do. The national leader in receiving yards per game during the 2020 season was Ole Miss' consensus All-American wide receiver Elijah Moore, who averaged 149.1 yards per game. A compilation of every kick return touchdown of the 2021 college football season. Join our linker program. most kickoff return touchdowns in one game Kene Nwangwu, Cordarrelle Pattersonand Devin Duvernayare tied for the most kick-return touchdowns in a game this season, with 1 touchdown. The football gods skipped over this game pitting the nations best team against a small college from Tennessee at legendary Grant Field and let the bloodletting continue for four horrific quarters. With the game still tied between these two top-10 teams, Cam Newton did what he did best in 2010, take over a game with a game changing play. Who holds it: John Reaves, Florida, 1969 "The goal when we originally drafted him, we didnt know really how much we were going to get out of him but it was good to have him get some kind of game experience to kind of feel the speed of the game," Holmes said. Miami kick returner Jakeem Grant, in his fourth NFL season, had a 101-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in Week 11, his second career kick-return touchdown of at least . All NFL Teams. 14. . Ron Brown (3/1985), 3. Ismail could dance away from contact when he had to, and he had the strength to break tackles, but his style was more like Eric Dickerson. Not that the Red Raiders' notoriously potent offense needed help putting points on the board, but Welker was an extra threat to score any time he fielded a kick. Who holds it: Case Keenum, Houston, 2007-11 Some might argue how much of a hit Jones really was, but he produced on the field, and if he had spent his off-field time as efficiently, who knows where he might rank with the all-time greats of the game. NFL Career Leaders - Punt Return Touchdowns. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. We do not target any individuals under the age of 21. Weaving through traffic and toeing the sidelines in ways that would make Kyle Busch and Cris Carter smile, Javier showed anybody who watched him serve four years ('06-09) as Alabama's home run threat that he is more than just Gilbert Arenas' little cousin. Roby was a miss for the Titans, but he was ultimately the only member of his class to play a prominent role on a team and win a Super Bowl. The Human Joystick made video-game like moves on the field and one of his most impressive returns came against the Denver Broncos in 2003the same season in which he set a record by returning a kickoff or a punt for a touchdown four games in a row. In fact, he only scored two touchdowns in 2001, despite finishing the season with 53 receptions and 737 receiving yards. And that wasn't even the most impressive part of the return. The Yellow Jackets posted two 63-point quarters in the first half during a beating that will never be forgotten. 12 overall pick in 2023. As a junior in 2005, Jones-Drew set the FBS single-season markby averaging 28.5 yards per punt return. Cooper wouldve had to post last seasons jaw-dropping numbers three consecutive seasons to pass Insley. Williams missed most of last season due to an ACL injury but is expected to be fully healthy by the start of the next season. With this play against Tennessee in 2011, the Arkansas wide receiver and return specialist made the argument that he pulled off the best punt return in football history. Patterson somehow broke through the throng of tacklers and then it became a track meetand he won. Statistics are current through the 2022 NFL season and include stats accrued in NFL, AFL and APFA games. "But Ive said this all along a million times is it just depends on their role on offense and defense to what their role is going to be on special teams. It would take a dynamic talent like Randy Moss, who was interested in playing four seasons, to come close. He'd find the seam, hit the seam and just out-sprint the coverage like they were wearing snow shoes. All rights reserved. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? But wiping out the kickoff? It's an impressive genetic and familial accomplishment to have siblings that play at the FBS level, but for them to play the same position in the same season, as starters, and both rush for more than 1,000 yards requires countless stars to align. No. We support responsible gambling. O.J . These opinions are mine and mine alone. 2022 The Game Before the Money All Rights Reserved. Roos and Stewart were bookend tackles throughout their career, and it's not often a team finds a pair of starting offensive tackles in the same draft. This Big 12 shootout, which ended in a 66-59 win for Oklahoma, featured a future NFL MVP and Super Bowl champion(Mahomes) and a future Heisman Trophy winner and No. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Record: 36 attempts Record-holder: Dominique Davis, East Carolina Season: 2011 In the 2020 season, Wisconsin quarterback Graham Mertz completed his first 17 pass attempts in the Badgers'. The score marked the first time an opening kickoff was returned for a touchdown in Super Bowl history. I watched him do things in a USC uniform that Marcus Allen, O.J. Do you have a sports website? Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. Mitchell was a full-time quarterback at Louisiana-Lafayette. Detroit Lions RB Jamaal Williams' autograph signing. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? Good luck figuring out exactly what happened in November 2001 and why. NFL Kick Returns for Touchdown Single-Season Leaders | Pro-Football-Reference.com 1. After a punt from the New Orleans Saints landed into the endzone, it appeared that the ball was going to bounce out of bounds, causing a touchback to the 20-yard linebut it didnt. Join our linker program. Perkins wasn't ridiculously fast, but he mastered the art of being elusive in tight spaces. Howard, the 1991 Heisman trophy winner, is the only return man to win the Super Bowl MVP. You want to see over 100,000 people afraid to move? Who holds it: No. For a few years in the early 2000s with the Kansas City Chiefs, Hall electrified the NFL with his dynamic speed and hard-to-believe kick and punt returns. After receiving the pooch kick at their own 25-yard line, Miami started lateraling the ball to keep it alive, eventually getting all the way back to their own 3-yard line before making their way upfield again. But the NCAA told me none of it ever happened, so maybe I was just dreaming. "Obviously, it would be great to see him back there (as a returner) if thats what his role provides," Fipp said. "White Lightning" was another dual-sport football/track star who finished his Iowa career ('94-97) as the Big Ten's all-time leader in punt-return yardage and touchdowns. Do you have a blog? Kickoff Return Touchdowns Single Season Leaders and Records | College Football at Sports-Reference.com , Google Podcasts, or YouTube. In the famous UCLA game, on his first punt return, he made about four or five moves in a five-yard area before finding daylight. Do you have a blog? 1990. 1-ranked and two-time defending national champion Alabama Crimson Tide (11-0, 7-0 in the SEC) as a 10-point favorite over the No. Enter your information to receive emails about offers, promotions from NCAA.com and our partners. INDIANAPOLIS The Detroit Lions are making big plans to get more out of explosive wide receiver Jameson Williams next season, and that could include using him on returns. It was potentially a perfect storm of a conference (Big 12) and its offensive philosophy (the air raid and spread offenses), a startling lack of defense (each team finished with 854 yards of offense) and two special quarterbacks. Adams slipped through a couple tackles and appeared to be at a dead end againbut with blazing speed he darted up the sideline and got a key block, sending him straight towards the end zone with nearly the entire Tennessee team chasing him, but all coming up short. "Hes done it. Talk about making an impact in your NFL debut. Burleson's effort against San Jose State ranks tied for eighth all-time in single-game receiving yards and yet, he never made it to the end zone. UTEP has been on the wrong end of several FBS records former Houston quarterback Case Keenum holds the record for the most career passing yards gained against one opponent (1,882 yards against UTEP) and former TCU running back LaDainian Tomlinson has the record for career rushing yards against one opponent (788 yards against UTEP) but the Miners are also in the FBS record book for positive reasons, too. College Football at Sports-Reference.com Blog and Articles. College Football at Sports-Reference.com Blog and Articles; We're Social.for Statheads . Daynes record is safe. For a quarterback to break East Carolina's Dominique Davis' record of 36 consecutive passes completed, he would have to double Mertz's streak of 17 completions in a row, then complete three additional passes for good measure. The guy loves playing. NFL Kick Returns for Touchdown Single Game Leaders All-Time Kick Returns for Touchdown Leaders Build your own custom leaderboards with Stathead Football. As a senior in 1997, Rossum finished fourth nationally in kickoff-return average; as a junior he led the country in punt-return average. Green Bay Packers wideout Randall Cobb was anxious to get his pro career startedso anxious that he brought out a kickoff after receiving it eight yards deep in the end zone. Attaboy, Leach. I got kick return, too, I would have housed that one.' Imagine if the fantasy football owners who covet Jones-Drew so much now could have had him in college, where in addition to his rushing and receiving exploits,he was also a record-setting kick-returner.

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