Different Memory of Leon Lett

[Picksix]

With the 20th anniversary of the Thanksgiving Day Leon Lett play against Miami getting way too much attention this week, I wanted to take a minute to remember another, much more significant play he made later that season.

In Super Bowl XXVIII, the Cowboys were trailing 13-6 early in the 3rd quarter. Airman was coming off a concussion suffered in the NFC Championship game, which that year was played only a week before the Super Bowl. Emmitt had recovered well from the separated shoulder he suffered in the final week of the regular season, but the Cowboys were having trouble generating anything on offense. The Bills had the ball near midfield. On a play in which Thurman Thomas took a handoff from Jim Kelly, a Cowboys DL knifed into the backfield, hitting Thomas and stripping him of the ball. James Washington picked up the ball, and returned it some 50 yards, behind a convoy of blockers, for a touchdown. Just like that, the Cowboys had tied the game, and had also seized momentum. Another stop, another score, and the Cowboys had the game.

The DL that made the strip...Leon Lett. He did that so many times in his career. In fact, he did it the before in SB XXVIII, again stripping the ball from Thomas. The Cowboys recovered, then threw a TD pass to Irvin on the next play to go up 28-10, and the game, for all intents and purposes, was over.

We talk about who we feel are some of the most underrated players in Cowboy history. For my money, it's still a toss up between Darren Woodson and Dat Nguyen. But Big Cat Leon is right up there with them. Here's to you, Leon.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

 

[Echo9]

With the 20th anniversary of the Thanksgiving Day Leon Lett play against Miami getting way too much attention this week, I wanted to take a minute to remember another, much more significant play he made later that season.

In Super Bowl XXVIII, the Cowboys were trailing 13-6 early in the 3rd quarter. Airman was coming off a concussion suffered in the NFC Championship game, which that year was played only a week before the Super Bowl. Emmitt had recovered well from the separated shoulder he suffered in the final week of the regular season, but the Cowboys were having trouble generating anything on offense. The Bills had the ball near midfield. On a play in which Thurman Thomas took a handoff from Jim Kelly, a Cowboys DL knifed into the backfield, hitting Thomas and stripping him of the ball. James Washington picked up the ball, and returned it some 50 yards, behind a convoy of blockers, for a touchdown. Just like that, the Cowboys had tied the game, and had also seized momentum. Another stop, another score, and the Cowboys had the game.

The DL that made the strip...Leon Lett. He did that so many times in his career. In fact, he did it the before in SB XXVIII, again stripping the ball from Thomas. The Cowboys recovered, then threw a TD pass to Irvin on the next play to go up 28-10, and the game, for all intents and purposes, was over.

We talk about who we feel are some of the most underrated players in Cowboy history. For my money, it's still a toss up between Darren Woodson and Dat Nguyen. But Big Cat Leon is right up there with them. Here's to you, Leon.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Nice post. But I don't really have a problem with the Thanksgiving Day Leon Lett play. Whenever anyone brings that up to me, I respond that the Miami game was the last game those Cowboys lost that year. They won out the season, the playoffs and the SB. I'll take that trade any day.

 

[khiladi]

Leon Lett in his prime was just dominant...

 

[theSHOW]

.and during the Super Bowl run that had Don Beebe strip the ball I put the blame on Jim Jones who was responsible to block the backside but was just going along for the celebration run.

 

[jazzcat22]

Nice post. But I don't really have a problem with the Thanksgiving Day Leon Lett play. Whenever anyone brings that up to me, I respond that the Miami game was the last game those Cowboys lost that year. They won out the season, the playoffs and the SB. I'll take that trade any day.

It's also the last game the Dolphins won that season....

In the locker room after the game, Jimmy Johnson told the team...hey, just win out, and they will meet their goal....

 

[zack]

With the 20th anniversary of the Thanksgiving Day Leon Lett play against Miami getting way too much attention this week, I wanted to take a minute to remember another, much more significant play he made later that season.

In Super Bowl XXVIII, the Cowboys were trailing 13-6 early in the 3rd quarter. Airman was coming off a concussion suffered in the NFC Championship game, which that year was played only a week before the Super Bowl. Emmitt had recovered well from the separated shoulder he suffered in the final week of the regular season, but the Cowboys were having trouble generating anything on offense. The Bills had the ball near midfield. On a play in which Thurman Thomas took a handoff from Jim Kelly, a Cowboys DL knifed into the backfield, hitting Thomas and stripping him of the ball. James Washington picked up the ball, and returned it some 50 yards, behind a convoy of blockers, for a touchdown. Just like that, the Cowboys had tied the game, and had also seized momentum. Another stop, another score, and the Cowboys had the game.

The DL that made the strip...Leon Lett. He did that so many times in his career. In fact, he did it the before in SB XXVIII, again stripping the ball from Thomas. The Cowboys recovered, then threw a TD pass to Irvin on the next play to go up 28-10, and the game, for all intents and purposes, was over.

We talk about who we feel are some of the most underrated players in Cowboy history. For my money, it's still a toss up between Darren Woodson and Dat Nguyen. But Big Cat Leon is right up there with them. Here's to you, Leon.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

I remember his jump off the line of scrimmage. He was so fast. He was a great player for Dallas.