Does anyone remember O'Donnell pitching the ball behind him and through the uprights in a game with the Jets? One of my friends told me this story and I cannot find anything to confirm this but my friend doesn't really have a tendency to lie or exaggerate that much.
I don't remember this but I did know the O'Donnel family pretty well, specifically Neil's father, Jack. Jack O'Donell and my father were real good friends... drinking buddies as well, until Jack decided to quit drinking. Prior to that, he was quite an Irish cutup when drunk. He played high scholl football somewhere up in north Jersey.. probably Morristown, where he had his Buick dealership (O'Donnel Buick). But he sobered up and eventually had something like 9 kids. He used to go to every single one of Neil's games too... turned out to be a real good father. I'm sure Neil picked up a lot of football tips from him.
I could have sworn I watched a game where that happened... someone decided to throw it away through the back of the end zone. It could have been Neil or not.
Yes...this did happen. Bill Parcells was the coach and I believe it was the Lions we were playing. I could be wrong but I do know for a fact that this happened because the way the game worked out, the Jets had a 3rd and very long and instead of giving them the ball with good field position, Neil threw it through the uprights to his back so the punting squad could give them worse field position.
Not to pile up on the guy, he also injured himself warming up for a game. As a person, I'm sure he's a great guy. As a Steeler, he had his chance. As a Jets, he simply had no luck.
Yes it happened. 1997, at Indy. It was the last play of the game on fourth down to run out the clock and not risk a punt. It was Neil O'Donnell who threw the ball.
It was Madison, my parents know the family and the brothers and dad as well. I understand they're mostly nice guys. We lost the Detroit game in his last game as a Jet, so it had to be the Indy game. I remember the game he got hurt warming up, too, that was the 1-15 year. By that time we were something like 1-10, and I remember hearing it while on Rt 17 on the way to the game. It was a rainy, cold game vs the Oilers in late Nov/early Dec, smallest crowd I can remember being a part of.
Ok, I said it was against the Lions. I was 100% sure it was in a dome, and I knew it was a blue team, i guess i just picked the wrong one. lol. :manning:
I forgot about it altogether. I do remember Bubby Brister throwing a backwards pass that ended up going for a TD for the defense a year earlier. But that wasn't on purpose.
Yes, that was the game. That play with roughly 10 seconds left enabled the Jets to give the Colts a safety from midfield and kick back to them without a punt rush. The Colts only had time to quickly run out of bounds with the kick and try one hail mary to no avail........
