Dallas, TX – The iconic phrase "Hail Mary" has been an integral part of the football lexicon for nearly five decades, a legacy cemented by Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach's game-winning touchdown pass to wide receiver Drew Pearson in a 1975 playoff game. This pivotal play and Staubach's subsequent comment transformed a previously obscure term into a widely recognized football expression.
On December 28, 1975, in a divisional playoff game against the Minnesota Vikings, the Cowboys trailed 14-10 with just 32 seconds remaining. From midfield, Staubach launched a 50-yard pass to Pearson, who secured the ball for the decisive touchdown, securing a 17-14 victory for Dallas. The dramatic nature of the play instantly etched it into NFL history.
Following the improbable completion, Staubach, a devout Catholic, famously remarked to reporters, > "I closed my eyes and said a Hail Mary." This direct quote, widely circulated in the media, provided the vivid imagery and personal context that propelled the term into popular usage. Pearson later described it as "the most thrilling catch of my career."
While variations of "Hail Mary" had been used in football vernacular prior to 1975—Staubach himself used it to describe a play during his Navy career in 1963, and its origins trace back even further to Notre Dame in the 1920s—it was the 1975 playoff moment that solidified its modern meaning. Before this, similar desperation passes were often referred to as "bombs" or "alley-oops."
The dramatic conclusion of the 1975 playoff game, coupled with Staubach's memorable explanation, ensured that the "Hail Mary" became synonymous with a long, low-probability, last-ditch pass, typically thrown at the end of a half or game in hopes of a miraculous outcome. The term's enduring presence underscores the cultural impact of this single, unforgettable play.