You’d think by now, football players at all levels would know to not drop the ball before they cross the goal line.
DeSean Jackson did it in 2008 with the Philadelphia Eagles, and it became an immediate blooper played over and over again. Yet, players still do it.
New York Jets rookie Malachi Corley had to feel sick about it on Thursday night. On his second career touch in the NFL, he took an end-around and ran 18 yards against the Houston Texans for what should have been his first career touchdown. That’s a major life moment. But Corley dropped the ball before he crossed the goal line.
A review showed Corley let go of the ball before he scored, but there had to be a conclusion to the play since it was live. Had the Jets picked it up, it would have been a touchdown. But the ball rolled slowly out of the back of the end zone. The Texans took over on a touchback.
Corley made a mistake and it’s one he’ll live with for a long time. Instead of the third-round draft pick celebrating a huge accomplishment, he was on the sideline with angry coaches and and teammates while viewers went on social media to talk about what a dumb mistake the rookie made. It’s a mistake that you’ll see here and there, when it’s practically inexcusable any time, particularly after Jackson’s infamous mistake 16 years ago.
Some day, Corley might be able to laugh it off. Thursday wasn’t that day.