As a junior in 2005, Jones-Drew set the FBS single-season markby averaging 28.5 yards per punt return. Twenty-five players in college football history have run two kickoffs back for touchdowns in the same game. The Irish victory at Michigan in front of over 105,000 fans made Norte Dame the first school to defeat Michigan head coach Bo Schembechler in three straight seasons. In 2019, Wright finished with 10 returns for 380 yards, 38 yards per return and two touchdowns. 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. It's almost unfathomable to see a stat line of 12 receptions, 326 yards, 27.2 yards per reception andzero touchdowns. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? 2023 NCAA | Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. College football bold predictions with B/R's Adam Kramer, FBS records and milestones that could be broken and reached this season, 5 predictions for the 2021 college football season, College football's longest active road winning streaks, Georgia wins the 2023 CFP National Championship, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. 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. The record? 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. Jacoby Jones has had a few standout returns in his career, and this one against the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII might be his most impressive. The University of Miami alum was in his first season of the NFL, and he made the Rams pay for kicking him the ball. You can't knock Schiano for wanting to make the game safer. Why its untouchable: The Cougars waxed SMU, 95-21, in a biblical beating that featured an all-out aerial assault from Ware, who threw for 517 yards and later won the Heisman. 4-ranked Auburn Tigers (10-1, 6-1 in the SEC). Both records have since been broken. Elite running backs rarely play four seasons in todays game where the shelf life for ballcarriers has diminished and players arent often asked to carry it 30 times-plus every Saturday to save tread. Hundreds waited in line for Jamaal Williams to sign autographs at DC Sports on Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023. Statistics are current through the 2022 NFL season and include stats accrued in NFL, AFL and APFA games. Before there was Devin Hester, there was Dante Hall. Why its untouchable: Kevin Sumlins facilitator of the Air Raid during his time in college, Keenum was fearless from the pocket channeled visions of high-powered Cougars offenses of old, slinging it around like record-setting quarterbacks Andre Ware and David Klingler before him. The former Seattle Seahawks running back was ready to go on the opening kickoff of this game against the San Diego Chargers. Not only did Sanders win the Heisman in the 1988 season with his all-time great junior campaign 2,628 rushing yards, 7.6 yards per carry, 37 rushing touchdowns, one punt return touchdown and one kick return touchdown but his brother, Byron, also turned in a 1,000-yard season with Northwestern the fall of '88. As a West Coast resident and Pac-10 fan, I watched Reggie Bush do some incredible things. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. 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. Jackson was one of the NFL's best return men early in his career, but less effective as a returner after taking on a bigger role at receiver. 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. I think it would start the game in similar field position. Insane. 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. Statistics are current through the 2022 NFL season and include stats accrued in NFL, AFL and APFA games. Active players are listed in bold. + Indicates Hall of Famer, season age in parentheses, Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Friday, March 3, 2:32PM. Ouch. Join our linker program. As good as Jones-Drew was, UCLA has never seen a return man as dangerous as Antonio Perkins. 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. In fact, he only scored two touchdowns in 2001, despite finishing the season with 53 receptions and 737 receiving yards. When we went through and ranked these classes, there was a lot of debate as to who and which classes should be in what positions. But even if he'd been stopped for 10- and 12-yard gains every time, surely he'd find some way to remain memorable. Brandon Jones, who physically looked the part, and Damien Nash were the only two real misses in this class. The best kick-returners have a knack for making big plays in big games. The raw video game-like numbers nearly 20,000 yards passing and 155 touchdowns jump off the page. Leaders Since 1976 Share & Export Modify, Export & Share Table Get as Excel Workbook Or write about sports? And its like, 'Well, yeah, thats good, but what happens when the balls punted to that side of the field, we thought it was going to be over (on the other) side of the field and hes like, 'Oh, (expletive), I got to go over there.' The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. Do you have a sports website? 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. NFL Career Leaders - Punt Return Touchdowns. (Looking at you, Liberty quarterback Malik Willis, Cincinnati quarterback Desmond Ridder, and Ohio State wide receivers Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson.). Most rushing touchdowns, game [ edit] FBS: 8 - Howard Griffith, Illinois, 1990; Kalen Ballage, Arizona State, 2016; Jaret Patterson, Buffalo, 2020 FCS: 7 - Archie Amerson, Northern Arizona, 1996 Div II: 8 - Junior Wolf, Oklahoma Panhandle State, 1958 Div III: 8 - Donavan Henderson, Manchester, 2019; Carey Bender, Coe, 1994 most games with two kickoff returns for touchdowns, A Brief History of The 1970s Pittsburgh Steelers vs Houston Oilers Rivalry. Just look at Moore's freshman (36.2 receiving yards per game) and sophomore (70.8 yards per game) seasons to see that it took Moore time (and potentially a coaching change to offensive mind Lane Kiffin) for him to develop into a receiver who could average that many yards per game. Here's a look at the 2005 draft class and its impact on the team. 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. O.J . Record: 326 yardsRecord-holder: Nate Burleson, NevadaSeason: 2001. Andy Wittry has written for Stadium, SI.com, Sporting News, the Indianapolis Star, Louisville Courier-Journal and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. CLICK HERE. Build your own custom leaderboards with Stathead Football. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. In 2010, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. He ran for 92 yards on the second touchdown. Subscribe to Stathead Football: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Pro Football Reference Database. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. Daynes record is safe. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. It took about two years of post-Rocket recovery before I realized kick return TDs are actually a rare football gift. NO REGRETS:Ben Johnson, Aaron Glenn content even if head coach jobs never materialize. 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. Gordons incredible 408-yard performance through three quarters, no less against Nebraska was short-lived. Thomas is a member of both the College Football and NFL Hall of Fame. Cecil Turner (4/1970), 1. Could Top QB Fall To The Titans? Beforehis breakout Heisman season (1988), Barry played backup to Thurman Thomas and made his mark on special teams. 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. 'Be a gunner? Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Read more about our data coverage. In 1997 he totaled a Super Bowl-record 90 punt return yards and 154 kickoff return yards with one . All rights reserved. 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. Please see our Contributors and Sources page for data source details. 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. The Game Before the Money Radio Showshared outstanding college football records. Who holds it: David Klingler, Houston, 1991 "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. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. Still, he has breakaway. As a senior in 1997, Rossum finished fourth nationally in kickoff-return average; as a junior he led the country in punt-return average. Of course, some records are literally unbreakable. 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). Build your own custom leaderboards with Stathead Football. 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. Sanders, the 1988 Heisman Trophy winner and College Football Hall of Fame inductee, also holds the career record for most games with at least 300 rushing yards. 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. 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. Patterson somehow broke through the throng of tacklers and then it became a track meetand he won. And unfortunately, its days may be numbered. Why its untouchable: Coached by the legendary Bud Wilkinson, the Sooners won two national championships during their record-setting stretch in the mid 1950s. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. Do you have a blog? As a senior, Keenum was spectacular, throwing 48 touchdowns passes to just five interceptions a ratio of nearly 10:1. Record: Four gamesRecord-holder: Barry Sanders, Oklahoma StateSeason: 1988. 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. Both of Ismails kickoffs returned for touchdowns were in the second half, the first coming on the second-half kickoff. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. Who holds it: John Reaves, Florida, 1969 1 pick in the NFL draft (Mayfield), the former of whom is arguably a generational talent at the position and the latter of whom was named the best player in the country one year later. Feel free to disagree because that's part of what this is about. 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. No one will forget the Heisman pose after the 93-yard punt return TD against Ohio State, but they also shouldn't forget the body of work that led to Howard's defining moment. 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. (Jones-Drew's 91-yard kickoff return TD in that same game was understandably overshadowed.). All rights reserved. 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. Again, that's with Kmic playing in 3 more games. Record: 1,383 passing yardsRecord-holder: Patrick Mahomes, Texas Tech (819 yards) and Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma (564 yards)Season: 2016. All rights reserved. Kick return touchdown in the Super Bowldoes it get any more exciting than that? 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. Four games. Schiano, like anybody who cares about football, cares about the welfare of the players. And before Hester made his name in the biggest game by returning the opening kickoff for a TD in Super Bowl XLI, he showed similarly great timing in college. Cordarrelle Patterson was tied for the most kick return touchdowns in NFL history entering Week 11 of the 2022 season. College Football at Sports-Reference.com Blog and Articles. CLICK HERE````````````````````````, Titans Looking To Evolve Analytically: Changes in how the Titans view things are coming. 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. 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. I got kick return, too, I would have housed that one.' But wiping out the kickoff? His 65-yard catch-and-run score against Kansas State, 82-yard punt return touchdown against Texas Tech, and 80-yard jet sweep touchdown in 2022 are plenty of evidence that he could rewrite the . 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. It takes speed to return kicks well, but it also takes field vision, anticipation, agility, and some video game-like juke moves. Grant, who is six inches shorter than the 6-foot-1 Williams, has made his biggest impact in the NFL as a return man. Down three points with just six seconds left in this ACC matchup against Duke, the Miami Hurricanes were in a desperate positionthey needed to find a way to score a touchdown after a late score by the Blue Devils. 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 If you don't, then you punt the ball. Those gargantuan numbers would only be approached within a pass-happy offense with literally two or fewer reliable targets. "Hes done it. It would take a dynamic talent like Randy Moss, who was interested in playing four seasons, to come close. Hall backpedaled as he caught a booming punt, and then proceeded to embarrass the entire special teams unitHall was nearly consumed by three Broncos players, but he juked in and out of the way to avoid them. See our list of forfeits and vacated games for more details. College Football at Sports-Reference.com Blog and Articles; We're Social.for Statheads . Watch on. 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. The notion of putting up "video-game numbers" can be overstated at times, but a stat line like that to start a game is something you're far more likely to find in an arcade or a friend's basement than on the gridiron in an actual FBS game. 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. If any quarterback is going to approach this record in the future, hell be another Mike Leach understudy. Who holds it: Derrick Thomas, Alabama, 1988 As a junior in '86, Brown averaged 27.9 yards per kickoff return, including two touchdowns and 37.5 yards per punt return. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. ', "There's just a difference in there, and that difference makes an exponential difference on the field of play with the whole group.". Join our linker program. Rocket Ismails record of most games with two kickoff returns for touchdowns set in 1989 still stands today. NFL Kick Returns for Touchdown Single Game Leaders All-Time Kick Returns for Touchdown Leaders Build your own custom leaderboards with Stathead Football. 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. The Hurricanes star did some impressive work in the NFL, but his best return ever might be from his days at The U. Hesters return against Duke was like a work of artif there were a museum honoring returns in football, this one might be considered the Mona Lisa of punt returns. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Talk about making an impact in your NFL debut. I expected him to score every time he touched the ball. was better than Barry when it came to returning kicks. "But yeah, were just gong to continue to do everything that we need to do to make sure that hes set up to succeed. Find out more. As a senior, Keenum was spectacular, throwing 48. CRYSTAL BALL: 5 predictions for the 2021 college football season, Record: 36 attemptsRecord-holder: Dominique Davis, East CarolinaSeason: 2011. He has been covering the NFL for various outlets since 2000. Consider what we've seen from the most electrifying kick-returners to mark the college football landscape over the past quarter-century. He doesn't own any national kick return records, and apparently he only scored six return touchdowns in his college career. Welker scored eight touchdowns on punt returns in his career ('00-03), tying the FBS record. The Yellow Jackets posted two 63-point quarters in the first half during a beating that will never be forgotten. The Kick Six (also known as Kick Bama Kick) was the final play of the 78th Iron Bowl college football game played on November 30, 2013 at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Alabama.The game featured the No. 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. 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. Career Leaders. 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. 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. NASHVILLE - It's time to reveal our No.3 class in the top-ten draft classes of the Titans history countdown. He'd find the seam, hit the seam and just out-sprint the coverage like they were wearing snow shoes. Perkins wasn't ridiculously fast, but he mastered the art of being elusive in tight spaces. 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. 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. An asterisk (*) after a player's name indicates bowl stats are included.Read more about our data coverage. His 27.6 yards per kickoff and 13.6 yards per punt-return averages were solid but not eye-popping. Keenum was granted a medical hardship in 2010 after tearing a knee ligament, but his five touchdowns over three games prior to injury count. Recently, Oregon and Baylor have each topped the 700-yard mark with their no-huddle attacks, but hitting quadruple digits in a single game just seems unfathomable. 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. 1 spot on this list? Who holds it: No. Heisman Trophy Winners: D. Henry, B. Sanders, . Williams returned two kicks for touchdowns in his one season at Alabama, when he averaged 35.2 yards on 10 kick returns. So, Sanders' Heisman-winning season in '88 when he ran for 332 yards against Texas Tech, 320 yards against Kansas State, 312 yards against Kansas and 304 yards against Tulsa hasn't been matched by any other running back in their career, let alone a single season. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. Fast, flashy and fearless, Howardaveraged 27.9 yards per kickoff return and 16.2 per punt return in his Wolverines career ('89-91), scoring three return TDs. NFL Career Leaders - Kickoff Return Touchdowns. Follow him on Twitter@davebirkett. As a freshman in just his second game for the Hurricanes, against rival Florida, Hester took the opening kickoff 98 yards to the house. Join our linker program. 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. We're going to double dip with Barry Sanders but this time it's a family affair. The team that would now be kicking off would have the option: They could punt the ball or they could go for it. Their role on special teams is more influenced by offense and defense than it is on what he can do on teams.". 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. All NFL Teams. Detroit Lions RB Jamaal Williams' autograph signing. But the NCAA told me none of it ever happened, so maybe I was just dreaming. Hester danced his way around defenders like a true artistcutting side to side, running backwards, spinning out of tacklesbefore breaking free and taking the ball into the endzone. By any measure, it was a near-perfect performance and the one incompletion was a dropped pass. A compilation of every kick return touchdown of the 2021 college football season. 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. Looking for a great NFL history book? Do you have a blog? See our list of forfeits and vacated games for more details. Leaders Since 1976 Share & Export 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. He made everybody miss twice against Michigan. Add Roydell Williams for the time he was here, Scaife, and the first two seasons, of Hill, and this draft provided five starters and two dependable backups in Fuller and Loper from its eleven members. 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. 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'.