Watching football is enjoyable for several different reasons. Some fans love the game so much that it doesn’t matter which teams or players are on the field. Some are passionate about a particular team and will follow them through thick and thin. Others have their favorite players who always expect them to put in great performances while they watch. Soccer is also enjoyed because from time to time something truly unexpected happens.
In a 1997 game that saw the Minnesota Vikings play the Carolina Panthers, only one of those situations was going to happen. Brad Johnson was the Vikings’ quarterback and the team had marched to the Panthers’ 3-yard line. At this point on the field, many fans were probably hoping for a handoff or even a safe short pass to the tight end or fullback. On this particular play, Johnson dropped back to pass and let it fly. The only problem was that a Panthers defensive player was able to reach up and get a hand on the ball. The ball jumped into the air and before it hit the ground, a Vikings player was able to catch it. That player was the same player who had just thrown it, quarterback Brad Johnson. Johnson then pushed aside a Panthers defensive player, made a move over another, and stumbled in the end zone for a touchdown. The fans who watched this game, no matter what they were watching it for, had just seen the first NFL quarterback to complete a touchdown pass to himself.
Soccer fans won’t see a play like this every day, in fact, they may not see it in their lifetime. But week after week, unforgettable things happen on NFL football fields. When something unexpected happens during an NFL game, it can help make it one of the most memorable games a football fan has ever seen.