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- Thread starter Buckskin86
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ScriptOhio
Everybody is somebody else's weirdo.
Over the years you kind of forget that Paul Warfield played in 3 SuperBowls and is a 2 time SuperBowl (VII and VIII) champion.
Tidbit on SuperBowl VI: Shortly before Super Bowl VI between the Dolphins and Dallas Cowboys, President Richard Nixon famously telephoned Dolphins coach Don Shula to suggest that they run a particular pass play to Warfield. The play, a down-and-in pattern, was tried and resulted in an incomplete pass. Covered by star defensive back Mel Renfro, Warfield was limited to four receptions for 39 yards as the Dolphins were defeated 24–3.
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ScriptOhio
Everybody is somebody else's weirdo.
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Warfield then lined up on the opposite side of the field for the next play. Unverferth took the snap from under center and initiated a play-action fake to his fullback before rolling out to the left and resetting his feet.
What happened next may be the most underappreciated touchdown catch in the history of Ohio State football.
At 17:34 in the above YouTube video of The Game, Warfield took off from the line of scrimmage out of a three-point stance and successfully evaded the Michigan defensive back in front of him playing shallow coverage. Before Warfield had even crossed the red zone on his go route, Unverferth had already made up his mind to chuck the ball deep despite the presence of two Wolverine safeties.
Beginning his leap from the goal line, Warfield put his broad jump credentials into action and flew through the air while turning back to the throw. He caught the first score of the day for the Buckeyes over a pair of defenders with just 41 seconds remaining in the first half.
The moment of brilliance from Warfield clearly inspired a comeback attitude from Ohio State's entire team heading into the locker room. The Wolverines would not score again for the remainder of The Game, and the Buckeyes finally captured the lead midway through the final quarter after a 15-play, 76-yard drive that concluded in a five-yard touchdown rush for Unverferth. Ohio State won 1963's edition of The Game by a final score of 14-10 and successfully avoided ending the season with merely a .500 record.
Warfield finished the game with five receptions for 76 yards and the phenomenal touchdown catch that proved to foreshadow his future as one of the greatest wide receivers of his era in professional football. Both totals were his second-most in a single contest across his Ohio State career only to his efforts against Northwestern in the previous game.
Two days later, the Cleveland Browns selected Warfield with the 11th overall pick in the 1964 NFL Draft. Warfield became one of six future Hall of Famers selected among the first 18 picks in that class. His conversion to wide receiver helped the Browns win the NFL Championship during his rookie year in 1964, and many fans of the franchise — including Ramzy Nasrallah — still consider him one of the best receivers in team history.