In a barely-believable play, a former NFL punter threw a 40-yard touchdown to an offensive lineman on the opening weekend of the new United Football League (UFL). The San Antonio Brahmas kicked off the new season in style, creating an unforgettable highlight reel moment.
With just 14 seconds left until halftime, the Brahmas were leading the DC Defenders 14-9. They lined up for a 58-yard field goal attempt on fourth down, but then everything changed.
The special teams unit quickly switched their formation, and the Defenders realised a surprise play was coming. Brahmas punter Brad Wing ended up holding the ball. He waited patiently until he spotted a free man downfield.
That man was Alex Mollette, a 6-foot-2, 300-pound centre. Despite pressure, he made it to the goal line and scored a 40-yard touchdown, reports the Mirror US.
No one saw this play coming, except for Brahmas offensive coordinator A. J.Smith. The Brahmas went on to win 27-12, securing their first victory of the season.
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This could help spark interest in the newly formed league. The UFL is in its debut season after the merger of the XFL and the USFL. Teams from each former league make up the new eight-team spring league.
There have been several attempts to attract fans to the spring league, due to a seven-month break from football as the NFL season runs from September to February. The new UFL season kicked off on Saturday with two thrilling games. The Birmingham Stallions, who are the two-time defending USFL champions, beat the Arlington Renegades, last year's XFL winners.
This was followed by a nail-biting match where the Michigan Panthers managed to beat the St. Louis Battlehawks at Ford Field, thanks to a 64-yard field goal from Jake Bates with just three seconds left on the clock. Across both games, a total of 25,000 fans were there to cheer on their teams. However, only 15 percent of seats were filled for Michigan's game at Ford Field compared to the average turnout for Detroit Lions home games.
The San Antonio Brahmas produced a memorable highlight-reel inside one half of UFL football (2024 UFL)There were some unexpected moments during the games that certainly caught people's attention. One such moment was when a punter decided to go for it on fourth down - a play that would be replayed over and over again on major broadcasters if it happened in the NFL.
The punter responsible for this daring move was Wing, who had previously entered the 2013 NFL Draft but wasn't selected. Wing used to be a punter at LSU and was doing well until he was asked to leave the school because he failed drug tests.
Despite not being drafted, he spent time on the rosters of the Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers, and New York Giants, punting 336 times in the NFL for over 15,000 punting yards. He then joined the Brahmas, formerly of the XFL.
Mollette, the player who scored the unusual touchdown, originally came from Marshall but wasn't picked in the 2022 draft. He had stints with the Indianapolis Colts and the Lions before being chosen by the Houston Roughnecks of the XFL when he was let go. After being named to the 2023 All-XFL Team, he then joined the Brahmas.
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