The following is a list of the NFL career kickoff return leaders ranked by kickoff return touchdowns. Talk about making an impact in your NFL debut. 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. 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. Howard, the 1991 Heisman trophy winner, is the only return man to win the Super Bowl MVP. ), is safe in our opinion. Who holds it: No. Ismails first touchdown return against Michigan was the first kickoff returned for a touchdown against the Wolverines since 1957 over 30 years before Rockets epic launch. 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. Do you have a blog? While his special teams coach may have been upset, Cobb rewarded him with a dazzling play, using his 4.46-second 40-yard dash time to blaze by the New Orleans Saints defense. 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. Division III Mount Union's Nate Kmic had 2,790 in 15 games in 2008, compared to Sanders' 12. (Jones-Drew's 91-yard kickoff return TD in that same game was understandably overshadowed.). We present them here for purely educational purposes. Looking for a great NFL history book? 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. Hester took the opening kickoff from his own 10-yard line and darted through the first wave of would-be tacklers with a fantastic juke step, and he was offHester made it 90 yards before anyone on the Colts touched him, but by then he was already in the endzone. 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. Some school's results have been altered by retroactive NCAA penalties. Thomas is a member of both the College Football and NFL Hall of Fame. Before Hester was torching NFL special teams units in the pros, he was making complete fools of his fellow college players while playing at the University of Miami. The University of Miami alum was in his first season of the NFL, and he made the Rams pay for kicking him the ball. Do you have a sports website? Michigan had narrowed Notre Dames lead to a single point right before halftime, but Rockets first touchdown returned stretched the Irishs lead to 14-6. It takes speed to return kicks well, but it also takes field vision, anticipation, agility, and some video game-like juke moves. Duke fans and players were absolutely stunned, and while after the fact it was ruled that the play should have been blown dead about 12 timesthe result stood. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. 7 college football records *we think* will never be broken 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. Who holds it: Houston offense led by QB Andre Ware in 1990 "Obviously, it would be great to see him back there (as a returner) if thats what his role provides," Fipp said. On Wednesday, Lions general manager Brad Holmes praised Williams' "rare talent, rare ability (and) serious passion for the game," and said the team was "expecting big things" from last year's No. Cordarrelle Patterson Is the Kick Return King and the Last - The Ringer 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. All NFL Teams. Spiller racked up 2,052 yards and seven touchdowns (an FBS record) on kickoff returns and added 569 yards and a score on punt returns for good measure. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? Feel free to disagree because that's part of what this is about. 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. Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson said Williams is on par with Cleveland Browns receiver Jakeem Grant as the fastest player he's ever coached. Simpson, Charles White and Anthony Davis wouldn't have imagined. 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. 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. Learn how your comment data is processed. Hester set the NFL record for most return touchdowns (combining kickoffs and punts) with 20 over the course of his career, and one of his best came in Super Bowl XLIwhich was played in Miami, where Hester went to collegeagainst the Indianapolis Colts. Al Diaz/Miami Herald/TNS. But the NCAA told me none of it ever happened, so maybe I was just dreaming. It was a challenging discussion, but in the end, the Titans 2005 class grabbed this position despite some of the antics of their first-round pick, Adam "Pacman" Jones. 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. Who holds it: David Klingler, Houston, 1991 Check out The Game Before the Money: Voices of the Men Who Built the NFL available at Amazon.comBarnes and NobleUniversity of Nebraska Press. College football: The best last-second, game-winning touchdown in That same power, speed and aggressive running style that has made him a superstar every-down back in the NFL made him a lethal returner for UCLA. 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. Have we mentioned this guys pretty good at returning kicks? Start the video below at 1:11 for the amazing return. 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. Boasting the speed and fluidity you'd expect from an All-American sprinter, Rossum owns the FBS career record with nine total return touchdownsthree on punts, three on kickoffs, three on interceptionsand ranks second in Notre Dame history with a 22.9 punt-return average. Most games scoring two or more touchdowns, season. 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. Both of Ismails kickoffs returned for touchdowns were in the second half, the first coming on the second-half kickoff. Recruited to play defensive back and run track, Ginn made an immediate impact with the ball, leading the nation in punt return average (25.6) as a freshman and scoring four touchdowns. Why its untouchable: The NCAA didnt start collecting sacks as an official FBS statistic until 2000, but were putting Thomas insane number of 27 quarterback faceplants with the Crimson Tide in 1988 inside the Top 10. Lions special teams coordinator Dave Fipp is open to the idea of incorporating Williams into a return role, and Williams himself has expressed . So well just see how it goes.". Only twice since the turn of the century has a team surpassed 30 or more straight wins USC and Miami. CLICK HERE, Ranking Titans All-Time Draft Classes, No.4: "It's time for The Freak." Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. "It's hard to ask a guy to do all those things at a really high level, and people dont realize that," Fipp said. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Heisman Trophy, Walter Camp Award, Doak Walker Award, AP and Sporting News Player of the Year. A kickoff return for a touchdown is one of the most exciting plays in football. 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. In order for this record to be topped, it would take a pair of quarterbacks likely future NFL starters to average roughly 700 passing yards apiece. 2022 The Game Before the Money All Rights Reserved. Again, that's with Kmic playing in 3 more games. Barry Sanders' 1988 Heisman: 44 reasons it's the greatest ever - Banner The Lane College alum ratcheted up his speed at the 15-yard line and bursted through a small seam in between the 49ers special teams front line. And his most memorable returna 91-yard dash with one minute left in the 1991 Orange Bowl that (would have) dashed Colorado's national championshipdidn't even count due to a clipping penalty. Officially, Arizona States Terrell Suggs holds the NCAAs single-season record with 24 sacks in 2002. Who holds it: Trevor Insley, 1996-99 Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. Follow him on Twitter@davebirkett. Even as the length of the college football season has increased to 15 games for the teams that advance to the College Football Playoff National Championship, in order for Sanders' record to be broken, it would still require a player who plays for a national finalist to rush for at least 300 yards in one out of every three games in a single season. Notre Dame beat Michigan 24-19 on that day in a battle of the nations top two ranked teams. Devin Hester (Miami) 11 of 15 Jamie. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Here are 10 current college football records one man at SDS has deemed unbreakable: Who holds it: Oklahoma, from 1953-57 But wiping out the kickoff? Hail Mary passes, knockout tackles, and deep throws down the sideline are all cool plays in football, but there's nothing quite as exciting as a kick return touchdown. Rocket Ismails record of most games with two kickoff returns for touchdowns set in 1989 still stands today. ROAD WARRIORS: College football's longest active road winning streaks, Record: 3,690 rushing yardsRecord-holder: Barry Sanders, Oklahoma State and Byron Sanders, NorthwesternSeason: 1988. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Saturday, March 4, 6:41AM. One of the most controversial endings in college football history, Colorado scored a last second touchdown on the last play of the game on mistakenly-given . There have been 43 kickoffs returned for a touchdown since Patterson was drafted in 2013. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. KEY: Gms = Games Played, Num = Kickoff Returns, Yds = Kickoff Return Yards, Avg = Kickoff Return Average, Lg = Longest Kickoff Return, TD = Kickoff Return Touchdowns, Yds/G = Kickoff Return Yards Per Game. As a West Coast resident and Pac-10 fan, I watched Reggie Bush do some incredible things. Cecil Turner (4/1970), 1. He was a man among boys off the edge in Tuscaloosa and later set an NFL record with seven sacks in a single game for the Kansas City Chiefs in 1990. Build your own custom leaderboards with Stathead Football. Twenty-five players in college football history have run two kickoffs back for touchdowns in the same game. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. Twenty-five players in college football history have run two kickoffs back for touchdowns in the same game. Find out more. Greg Arias covers the Tennessee Titans for All Titans.com on Sports Illustrated/FanNation. ', "There's just a difference in there, and that difference makes an exponential difference on the field of play with the whole group.". The Lions used backup receiver Kalif Raymond as their primary punt returner and No. Watching Spiller make defenders look like clowns while flying down the field in Clemson's orange unis, it was easy to recall images of Barry Sanders at Oklahoma State. I watched him do things in a USC uniform that Marcus Allen, O.J. Join our linker program. Kickoff Return Touchdowns Career Leaders and Records | College Football at Sports-Reference.com Kickoff Return Touchdowns Career Leaders and Records An asterisk (*) after a player's name indicates bowl stats are included. It shouldn't include Jalen Ramsey. 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. Kick Six - Wikipedia "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. Leaders Since 1976 Share & Export The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. In todays game, for the most part, teams take their foot off the gas once they hit the 63-point plateau and play out the stretch. Record: 140.9 yards per gameRecord-holder: Alex Van Dyke, NevadaSeasons: 1994-95. Do you have a sports website? Please see our Contributors and Sources page for data source details. 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. 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. Heisman Trophy Winners: D. Henry, B. Sanders, . Ill be a gunner. NFL Career Leaders - Punt Return Touchdowns. Detroit Lions could have interesting plan for Jameson Williams in 2023 NFL Career Leaders - Kickoff Return Touchdowns - FootballDB.com Two TD Kickoff Returns in One Game | The Game Before the Money Most games scoring a touchdown, career. Return to Top; Players. NFL Single Season Leaders - Kickoff Return Touchdowns The following is a list of the NFL single season kickoff returnleaders ranked by kickoff return touchdowns. As a senior, he won the Mosi Tatupu Award as the nation's top special teams player. The raw video game-like numbers nearly 20,000 yards passing and 155 touchdowns jump off the page. That year, he took the opening kickoff of the opening game back for a TD against Tulsa. Find out more. In order for this record to fall and reminder, this is two brothers and even a family with three active FBS running backs would struggle to best the Sanders' combined total it would likely take a pair of brothers to each make a run at a 2,000-yard season in the same season. Or write about sports? "But yeah, were just gong to continue to do everything that we need to do to make sure that hes set up to succeed. As a matter of policy, Sports Reference only reports the results of games as played on the field. Ranking Titans' Best Draft Classes: No. 3 The 2005 Group Anchored By Most Kickoff Return Touchdowns In One Game | StatMuse The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NCAA or its member institutions. 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. Jameson Williams could handle kick returns for Detroit Lions in 2023 2023 NFL combine: Current drill record-holders and candidates to break The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. 1 on that list? College Football at Sports-Reference.com Blog and Articles. After a final lateralmaking for eight laterals in totalall the way across to the opposite side field, the Hurricanes took the ball up the sideline and found wide open space, scoring the game-winning touchdown. Read more about our data coverage. One of his players, Eric LeGrand, remains paralyzed from the neck down today due to an injury suffered on a kickoff last October. But we're putting these types of records off to the side, because they're unbreakable based on the size of the playing field and the rules of the game. It would take a dynamic talent like Randy Moss, who was interested in playing four seasons, to come close. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. It's also worth noting that numerous Nevada players from the 1990s and early 2000s hold FBS passing and receiving records, so Van Dyke's record might be a case of the right player in the right system in the right era, which is why it may never be topped. The touchdown also helped Hester set an NFL record for the most return touchdowns by a player in a single season. Houston quarterback David Klinglers single-game FBS passing record of 716 yards stood for nearly 25 years before Halliday, a lesser-known quarterback and Air Raid product, eclipsed the mark last season. The best kick-returners have a knack for making big plays in big games. Jameson also has to hold his part and make sure that hes doing everything that he needs to do. During his freshman and sophomore seasons, Jones-Drew averaged over 26 yards per kickoff return, and by the time he went pro, he had scored seven return touchdowns. Raymond Clayborn (3/1977), 3. 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'. And that really wasn't even his best year as a kick-returner. That season, he averaged 19.8 yards per kickoff return and scored three TDs on punt returns. Record: 1,383 passing yardsRecord-holder: Patrick Mahomes, Texas Tech (819 yards) and Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma (564 yards)Season: 2016. NFL Career Leaders - Kickoff Return Touchdowns. The longtime NFL cornerback made everyone look like a fool on this play while he was playing with the Los Angeles Rams. Punts are a much, much less physical play.". He doesn't own any national kick return records, and apparently he only scored six return touchdowns in his college career. Catch up on DI women's conference tourneys, There are a handful of FBS records and milestones that could be broken and reached this season, respectively. + Indicates Hall of Famer, season age in parentheses, Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Friday, March 3, 2:32PM. Klingler also holds the NCAA mark for most touchdown passes in one game (11). Whether it be a kickoff return or a punt return, football players put their amazing athletic ability on display as they weave in and out of tacklers, rushing down the field after receiving a kick. Kickoff Return Touchdowns Single Season Leaders and Records | College Making the play even more amazing: The Saints basically had Cobb wrapped up, but he was able to spin out, flipping nearly upside downbreaking multiple tackles along the way to the Packers win in his first-ever NFL game. NFL Single Season Leaders - Kickoff Return Touchdowns Kickoff Return Touchdowns Single Season Leaders and Records | College Football at Sports-Reference.com , Google Podcasts, or YouTube. Or write about sports? The Game Before the Money Radio Showshared outstanding college football records. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. 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. Ten players have done that in NFL history. Interpreted as: most kickoff return touchdowns by a playerin one regular-seasongame this season 1977 1976 1947 NFL Punt Returns for Touchdown Single Game Leaders All-Time Punt Returns for Touchdown Leaders Players must meet the minimum requirements to show up on this leaderboard. A kickoff return for a touchdown is one of the most exciting plays in football. 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. Do you have a blog? Cooper wouldve had to post last seasons jaw-dropping numbers three consecutive seasons to pass Insley. Williams returned two kicks for touchdowns in his one season at Alabama, when he averaged 35.2 yards on 10 kick returns. 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. It shouldn't include Jalen Ramsey. For his career, he scored six times on kick returns. We're going to double dip with Barry Sanders but this time it's a family affair. SHAWN WINDSOR:Lions' brass has a plan. So its always an accountability factor on both sides, but we expect big things from him.". The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. As a freshman in just his second game for the Hurricanes, against rival Florida, Hester took the opening kickoff 98 yards to the house. Travis Williams (4/1967), 3. It took about two years of post-Rocket recovery before I realized kick return TDs are actually a rare football gift. Lions special teams coordinator Dave Fipp embraced the idea of incorporating Williams into a return role next season, when the team expects him fully healthy after missing most of last season while rehabbing from a torn ACL. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. 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. Four games. Davis' record stretched across back-to-back games against Memphis and Navy (he completed his first 26 attempts against the Midshipmen), and given the number of passes Davis completed in a row, it would likely force a potential record-breaker to complete 37 or more passes against two different opponents, which means two different schemes and opposing rosters to diagnose and dominate. Im going to go track that thing down. Theres no way Im going to let that ball hit the ground. O.J . For those that don't know, a kick return touchdown is when the kickoff retu. Here's a look at the 2005 draft class and its impact on the team. Williams returned two kicks for touchdowns in his one season at Alabama, when he averaged 35.2 yards on 10 kick returns. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. After the game, Notre Dame head coach Lou Holtz told reporters he simply told Ismail to run to middle. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. "Theyre like, 'Well, just throw him back there.' 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. The next year, in 1989, he returned to kickoffs for touchdowns against Michigan at Michigan in the Big House. Good luck figuring out exactly what happened in November 2001 and why. Keenums NCAA record of 1,546 career completions also wont be touched. Some records are meant to be broken. The next year, his Heisman year, Sanders took the opening kickoff in the opening game back 100 yards for a score against Miami-Ohio. He is a former college linebacker, a longtime coach and a parent. Lions coach Dan Campbell said he planned to use Williams as a gunner on punt team in his first NFL game, but the Lions never got the opportunity as the Jacksonville Jaguars failed to force a punt. CLICK HERE. 5th down. The Cougars simply refused to run the football. 2020 NFL Team Kickoff Return Statistics | The Football Database 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. Who holds it: John Reaves, Florida, 1969 The option to go for it would replace the onside kickoff. Spiller racked up 2,052 yards and seven touchdowns (an FBS record) on kickoff returns and added 569 yards and a score on punt returns for good measure. Who holds it: Connor Halliday, Washington State, 2014 Contact Dave Birkett atdbirkett@freepress.com. 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. The following are the 2020 NFL team kickoff return statistics. Travis Etienne. Most kick return TDs in NFL history: Falcons' Cordarrelle Patterson Do you have a sports website? Before there was Devin Hester, there was Dante Hall. NFL Kick Returns for Touchdown Single-Season Leaders | Pro-Football-Reference.com 1. Perkins wasn't ridiculously fast, but he mastered the art of being elusive in tight spaces. 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. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. I think it would start the game in similar field position. Do you have a blog? I expected him to score every time he touched the ball. From there it was a track meetand no one could catch Jones. Hester had himself quite the day against the St. Louis Rams back in 2006, returning two kicks for touchdowns in the game. Offenses rarely get six possessions in a quarter, much less time to throw it to the end zone six different times. A compilation of every kick return touchdown of the 2020 college football season. He made everybody miss twice against Michigan. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. Ouch. That same season, his best game came in week 15 against Jacksonville, where he had an 83-yard interception return for a score, a 70-yard kick return, and broke up a touchdown pass to save the game. CRYSTAL BALL: 5 predictions for the 2021 college football season, Record: 36 attemptsRecord-holder: Dominique Davis, East CarolinaSeason: 2011. Or write about sports? Like sports history? As a matter of policy, Sports Reference only reports the results of games as played on the field. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. He ran for 92 yards on the second touchdown. An asterisk (*) after a player's name indicates bowl stats are included.Read more about our data coverage. Who holds it: Case Keenum, Houston, 2007-11 Baltimore Ravens ground game rules in NFL Week 11 and more Twelve players, including 2014 Biletnikoff winner Amari Cooper from Alabama, have surpassed the lofty 1,700-mark in a single season since 2008, but that often means NFL dollars will soon come calling once the three-year removed from high school rule has passed.