Hail Mary

A Hail Mary is a desperation long pass, usually thrown from well beyond midfield with seconds left, into a crowd of receivers with only a small chance of being caught. The name traces back to Notre Dame in the 1920s and 30s, when Catholic players reportedly said the actual prayer in the huddle before a long shot, but it entered the wider football lexicon in 1975, when Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach threw a game-winning touchdown to Drew Pearson against Minnesota and told reporters afterward he'd closed his eyes and said a Hail Mary. Modern versions are far more coached than the name suggests: teams drill specific stacking and pick formations designed to create a crowd of receivers the defense can't cleanly cover, rather than just heaving the ball and hoping. It rarely works, which is exactly why it's memorable every single time it does. Full history at History.com.