Joltin' Joe Walker once won a game for the Ducks when it happened. Oregon receiver Byron Marshall nearly blew a touchdown in the National Championship pulling the same dumb move. Only Jayden Limar's heads-up save prevented Noah Whittington from ruining an undefeated season.
Yet nearly every week, somewhere in football it happens.
It's hard to score touchdowns. Athletes work all year long to get an opportunity to cross the goal line and celebrate, to make 80,000 fans scream their name or curse it. However, the most bonehead, clueless, selfish thing a ball carrier can do is to let go of the ball before crossing the goal line.
Somehow it became a fashion or the ultimate in style points, striding into the end zone as the touchdown maker lets the ball dribble down their leg. Trouble is, every couple of weeks someone messes up the timing, releasing the ball at the half yard-line turning a touchdown into a touchback.
The latest to fall victim to the classic blunder was Emari DeMercado of the Arizona Cardinals.
I’ll never understand why this still happens pic.twitter.com/KHwLYFg7Ls
— Will Compton (@_willcompton) October 5, 2025
Mercado has an amazing story undone by one careless moment. He made the NFL as an undrafted free agent after starting his career at Saddleback Junior College and earning a scholarship to TCU, rushing for 59 yards in the National Championship Game in 2022. Over his career as a pro he's averaged 6.2 yards a carry.
Sunday in the fourth quarter with the Cardinals leading 21-6, Mercado broke loose for a 72-yard game-sealing touchdown. Only he let go of the ball early, bouncing out of the back of the end zone for a touchback and no points.
I’ll never understand why this still happens pic.twitter.com/KHwLYFg7Ls
— Will Compton (@_willcompton) October 5, 2025
The Titans rallied to win 22-21, behind 265 yards passing from rookie Cam Ward.
Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray said, “I don’t really know what to think about that — how to lose a game 101. That was crazy.”
Since it's happened three times in Duck history, once a pivotal play and two near-misses, there is NO EXCUSE for the classic "look at me" moment to ever surface again after a Duck touchdown. It should be a teaching point in a team meeting or the running back and receiver rooms at least once a month.
Score the touchdown and celebrate with your teammates. One moment of selfishness can ruin a season, unless Jayden Limar is around to have your back.