We’re going sports nostalgia today.

In the wake of the new NFL Kickoff rule, which rocks by the way, there will finally be energy back into the game in the form of the most exciting play in football. Growing up, the game always started with the throw down the field kick off and you were up and gone. I was never the fastest as many of you who have known me a while will remember, but I loved ripping the ball up in the air and forcing some bad playground field position.

Seeing all the clips this week of the USFL and XFL kickoffs reminded me of simpler times, where it was all about taking the rock to the house. So I thought this week I’d help you kill a little time and watch some of my favorite kickoff returners.

First off, here’s a look at the new kickoff format

This is awesome, and will be awesome with NFL Returners like Kavonte Turpin (homer pick), Tyreek Hill, whoever drafts Xavier Worthy and so on. Hell it might get Cordarrelle Patterson another 5 years in the NFL without having a position to play.

I want to start with two homer Cowboys kickoff returns. The first may be one of my all time favorite plays because I was a kid when it happened and the Cowboys sucked even more than they do currently.

Introducing Woody Dantzler

Everything about this was awesome. Running into the blockers, spinning out of tackles, and then the tightrope down the sideline. I can remember my dad and I screaming at the TV as they looked closely at whether he stepped out or stayed in. It was one of those plays I recreated in the backyard after we painted lines in the yard. Just awesome.

Miles Austin 2006 NFC Wild Card

This was the Romo game where they intentionally put in a greased ball for the NFL Script that led to Romo fumbling the snap and having to run for a first down, that he almost got by the way. History forgets Jason Witten got a first down on the play prior and the Crooked NFL officials marked it short with no review. BS.

Pete Wheeler Backyard Football

I couldn’t find a kick return clip but if you ever spent even an hour playing Backyard Football on the PC you know what kind of talent this cat had. I have vivid memories of running the entire perimeter of the field with PrimeTime Pete killing game clock on kick returns because Keisha Phillips and Kenny Kawaguchi weren’t getting close to the South’s greatest export, Pete Wheeler.

My Goat, Dante Hall

I can’t pick just one of the king so here’s just a highlight reel of the most electrifying man on turf. I would’ve sworn Dante Hall weighed 107 pounds at his peak. He was so slick, so fast, and had such a knack for making guys look absolutely useless in pursuit. Those Chiefs teams would’ve been awesome in Madden if they had a Quarterback who didn’t have cement cleats like Trent Green or Brody Coyle.

College Wildcard, Will Blackmon, BC

First off, I think people are making past games look older on Purpose. Matt Ryan just retired from the NFL and is in most of these clips. There’s simply no way TV looked this shitty in the mid 2000-2010 period.

Will Blackmon was poor man’s Deion Sanders, and I say that only because Boston College football had a guy like Will Blackmon and nobody probably remembers his name now, he won a Super Bowl too. He played offense, defense, special teams. And he was the last genuinely explosive Boston College Eagle until Zay Flowers got to Chesnut Hill. Special dude. The clips explain better than I could. Also, #1 is a great number and needs to be worn more in the NFL. Stud receivers and Corners should get first dibs, a guy wearing #1 looks 5x faster than 85 or 37. That’s just facts.

Devin Hester

You know the deal here, guy was just an absolute rocket as soon as he got the ball. A HOF player at a position not often represented in Canton. I remember him coming out of school and just dying to have a fun player like him on my team. He started as a corner and never really stuck, played receiver but was just born to return kicks. Such a stud.

Dri Archer

Dri Archer is my Roman Empire. I spend inordinate amounts of time thinking about the career we never got. In college we used to watch this Highlight tape and just try to find ways to get him to transfer to OSU. An absolute lightning bolt with the ball. His size made him look twice as fast and sweet Jesus was that fast. Archer had a short career with the Steelers and some cups of coffee elsewhere, but his Kent State legend will live on. A big time wish there was a NCAA video game during his time guy.

Sorry for some of the video issues, the NFL blocks embedding their clips for some reason, tried to use as much college as possible. We are only 5 months from football Season. It’s draft time. Life is good.

Be Well,

TT

UPDATE: The kid is on his game this week.