Everybody occasionally makes mistakes at work. Sometimes no one notices, and other times your superiors chastise you. If you think that’s bad, consider the millions of people who will watch an archived version of your mistake on live television. For NFL players, that situation is a reality.
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Jim Marshall, a defensive end for the Vikings, scooped up a fumble on October 25, 1964, and ran the wrong way, giving his team a safety instead of a touchdown. Marshall had a 20-year Hall of Fame-caliber career, but he is best known for a mistake he made 58 years ago.
Peyton Manning recently discussed this with NFL Hall of Famer Jim Marshall. “I saw the ball and the first thing that came into the light was a goal post, so I took off running,” Jim explained.
“I think it wasn’t until I tossed the ball that I realized I had run the wrong way,” Jim continued.
Relive Jim Marshall’s infamous 1964 blooper
What could be worse than going for a touchdown only to learn you went for a safety instead? When the Vikings defensive end recovered the ball following a fumble and ran the wrong way, Jim Marshall learned back in 1964.
Today in 1964, Vikings lineman Jim Marshall scoops up a fumble and scampers 66 yards in the wrong direction to score a safety for the 49ers. pic.twitter.com/xeJQqVVw9X
— Super 70s Sports (@Super70sSports) October 25, 2017
Marshall continued to run for 66 yards into the incorrect end zone before stopping. The 49ers then scored a safety after he threw the ball off the field. Marshall quickly realised his mistake and became dejected. San Francisco tackle Bruce Bosley was the first to get to him and gave him a pat on the back.
The Vikings, to their advantage, did not drop the match. The safety reduced their advantage to 27-19, but they managed to hold on to win 27-22.
It took “a lot of guts” for Marshall to return to the field, he later told NFL Films. “I had likely made the biggest error possible,” he admitted. He forced a turnover later on in the contest, giving the Vikings the victory.
