6) THE HENRY WINKLER* | THE WATERBOY (1998)
The quarterback takes the snap and immediately pitches the ball to the starting linebacker (more on illegal substitutions in a minute), who sweeps right, and then throws a bomb downfield where the aforementioned QB has positioned himself as an open receiver.
Who ran it?
Forget all the illegal substitutions and the fact that Bobby Boucher (Adam Sandler) was immobilized on the preceding play (this would make him ineligible to return to the game for at least one official down) and you’ve got the beautiful climax to the 1998 Bourbon Bowl. To be fair, the rules for returning to a game after drinking a vial of magic Eskimo water are ambiguous.
Does it work?
The gist of this play is pretty common — a QB pitching the ball to someone with the arm strength to huck it downfield. Former Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor (now with the Oakland Raiders) caught his first receiving touchdown in a similar role during the 2008 Fiesta Bowl. Though he lined up at receiver as opposed to QB to start the play.
*There’s no official name, so that’s what we’re calling it.