Riegels had run nearly 70 yards in the wrong direction! He sat on the ground in shock as his sympathetic teammates came over and
(Center, California Golden Bears)
Jan. 1, 1929
Roy Riegels has etched his name in college football history as the No. 1 bonehead of all time.
He forgot which way to run!
In a span of about 10 seconds, Riegels cost his school the victory in the 1929 Rose Bowl, made himself a legend among bumblers, and earned a new nickname - "Wrong Way."
It all began in the second quarter of a scoreless tie between his team the California Golden Bears, and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.
Tech running back Stumpy Thomason was hit on his own 36-yard line and fumbled. The ball bounced to the Tech 40 with both teams in hot pursuit. During the wild scramble for the loose ball, Riegels, the California center, picked it out of the air. He started running downfield in the right direction and was only 30 yards away from a go-ahead touchdown when suddenly his radar went awry. While pivoting to get away from a tackler, Riegels completely lost his bearings. He wheeled around in a U-turn and legged it out for all he was worth toward his own end zone.
Centers aren't supposed to be fast runners. But Riegels was sprinting like a man possessed, pumped up with the determination of which heroes are made. Some of his teammates were fooled by his misguided attempt at glory and they began knocking down Georgia Tech tacklers who themselves seemed confused.
The legendary sports broadcaster Graham McNamee, who was calling the play-by-play on radio, couldn't believe his eyes. "What's the matter with me?" he shouted into the microphone. "Am I going crazy?"
Tech players on the bench jumped up and began to shout, but coach Bill Alexander ordered them to sit down. "He's running the wrong way," the coach said. "Let's see how far he can go."
| Riegels would have gone all the way if it hadn't been
for the clear thinking of Benny Lom, the California
quarterback. Lom immediately chased his teammate,
shouting, "Stop, Roy! You're going the wrong
way!" At the 10-yard line, Lom caught Riegels and
slowed him down with a bear hug, but Riegels shook him
off. "Get away from me!" shrieked Riegels.
"This is my touchdown!" At the 3-yard line, Lom
grabbed him again and this time held on. Riegels finally
realized that something was wrong and turned around. Just
then a wave of Georgia Tech players smeared him on the
1-yard line. Riegels had run nearly 70 yards in the wrong direction! He sat on the ground in shock as his sympathetic teammates came over and |
|
consoled him. They had always looked up to him; in fact, before the game, they had voted him captain for the following season.
California decided the best way to get out of this jam—as well as get Riegels off the hook—was to punt. But Lom's punt from the end zone was blocked for a safety. It was the most crucial play of the game because the safety gave the Yellow Jackets the 2 points they needed for an eventual 8-7 victory.
After the safety, a dejected Riegels trudged to the sidelines and took himself out of the game. But after listening to the entreaties of his teammates, he played the entire second half.
Eventually, the Rules Committee passed a rule prohibiting an opponent from advancing a fumble that strikes the ground. But the rule change couldn't erase the shame of Riegels' wrong-way run.