Sports

The Catholic School Roots of Football’s Iconic ‘Hail Mary’

The origins of the “Hail Mary” pass date back to the 1920s and 1930s when the famed Four Horsemen of Notre Dame (from left) Don Miller, Elmer Layden, Jim Crowley, and Harry Stuhldreher possibly coined the term.

Super Bowl LIX is upon us, and this year’s big game features the perennial powerhouse Kansas City Chiefs against the mighty Philadelphia Eagles.

The game is a rematch of Super Bowl LVII, in which the Chiefs bested the Eagles 38-35 thanks to some late-game heroics by Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

The Caesars Superdome in New Orleans is ready to host this clash of titans in a matter of days. Will Mahomes guide the Chiefs to a historic third consecutive Super Bowl victory, or will former New Yor k Giant star Saquon Barkley continue his torrent run and lead the Eagles to the title?

We’ll find out soon enough. And we’ll also see if a “Hail Mary” ends up playing an important role in the game’s outcome.

If you’re a football fan, you’ve undoubtedly heard the term Hail Mary to describe a long downfield pass that gets caught for a touchdown — usually at the end of the first half or end of the game as a last-ditch effort to put points on the board.

When we think of “Catholic” and “football” together, instantly, the first school that comes to mind is Notre Dame. So, this pass named for the Blessed Mother should have its roots at a Catholic institution. Legend has it that the origins of the Hail Mary pass date back to the University of Notre Dame in the 1920s and 1930s.

The Fighting Irish’s Four Horsemen — Don Miller, Elmer Layden, Jim Crowley, and Harry Stuhldreher — are said to have been the pioneers of the term but not in the current deep-pass format. According to Gary Ashwill’s in-depth Agate Type blog, which explores historic sports moments, the Notre Dame players would say a Hail Mary prayer in the huddle before a big play, such as a critical third-or fourth-down conversion.

“Say, that Hail Mary is the best play we’ve got” is a quote attributed to Notre Dame lineman Noble Kizer. Crowley began telling this story at public speeches, and for about 40 years, the Hail Mary term was primarily centered around Catholic football programs.

That is until Dec. 28, 1975, when Dallas Cowboys Hall of Fame quarterback Roger Staubach threw a 50-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Drew Pearson to defeat the Minnesota Vikings in the divisional round of the playoffs. After

the game, the Catholic Staubach famously said, “I closed my eyes and said a Hail Mary.” That’s when the common usage of the Hail Mary pass took off.

There have been many examples of well-known Hail Marys, but one of the most memorable occurred on Nov. 23, 1984. With his team down by three points, Boston College’s Doug Flutie heaved up a prayer toward the endzone that somehow receiver Gerard Phelan secured for a game-winning 48-yard touchdown as time expired to defeat the defending national champion University of Miami.

Anyone associated with Boston College will never forget that enduring moment. Not only is Father Ralph Edel a devout football fan, but his brother also graduated from Boston College, so he knows all about the Hail Flutie and other notable Hail Marys throughout football history.

Because the Hail Mary is an integral part of the faith, having a football play named in honor of the Blessed Mother takes on an even greater meaning for Catholics.

“It’s reflective of the human experience in that our Lord came into the world through His Blessed Mother,” said Father Edel, chaplain at St. Francis Prep, Fresh Meadows, and in residence at Holy Family, Flushing. “We know at times that the quickest way to get to our Lord is through His Blessed Mother.”

Over time, the Hail Mary has moved beyond football and now signifies any improbable effort to overcome the odds in the realm of sports.

“Hail Mary has become a colloquial sports term,” said Father Edel. “Every sport has its own version of a Hail Mary at this point.”

Father Edel said a Hail Mary often refers to prayerful desperation, and sometimes that desperation comes from circumstance.

“For whatever reason it may be and within popular piety, our Blessed Mother has come to represent that in a real way,” he said. “Throwing up a Hail Mary oftentimes refers to a feeling of God himself abandoning us, but the Blessed Mother hasn’t.”

It might take some sort of Hail Mary — physical or in theory — for the Eagles to upset the two-time defending champion Chiefs. While both are talented teams, the Chiefs have become a dynasty, and Mahomes has become known to always come through with the game on the line.

“The Chiefs have done a great job of avoiding being in a Hail Mary situation,” Father Edel said. “They’ve controlled as much as they could possibly control.”

The chaplain’s prediction: The Chiefs make it a record three straight Super Bowls with a hard-fought 27-24 victory over the Eagles in overtime.

Enjoy the Big Game, and be on the lookout for any Hail Marys!