Former Walk-on's Fake Field Goal TD Bags Bulldogs
Sunday, November 2, 2014 | Football, Chris Harry
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Every coaching staff has a guy assigned to spy the holder when the opposing team is lining up for a field goal to make sure something squirrelly isn't about to happen.
Someone in the Georgia box was asleep at the wheel.
It wasn't Kyle Crofoot who took a knee in front of placekicker Frankie Velez in the second quarter of Saturday's rivalry game against the Florida Gators. It was special teams specialist Michael McNeely, the walk-on who was surprised with a scholarship during the preseason and two weeks ago was accepted into UF's medical school.
Consider his presence that "something squirrelly."
McNeely took the snap, rose from the EverBank Field turf and sped through the Bulldogs for a 21-yard touchdown run that tied the game and jump-started the Gators to a 38-20 upset of the nation's ninth-ranked team.
Michael McNeely doesn't normally talk to the media after games. He did Saturday. (Photo: Tim Casey)
“I'll never forget this for the rest of my life,” McNeely said afterward.
He said that back on Aug. 22 also when UF coach Will Muschamp, in front of the entire team, surprised both McNeely and Velez with the news they'd be placed on scholarships for the 2014-15 academic year. That was a Friday and two days later McNeely nonetheless reported for his job as bagger and cashier -- “I call it a 'bashier',” he said -- at the Publix on 34th Street about a mile from campus.
Instead of lining up to pay for groceries, they may be lining up for autographs during McNeely's shift Sunday. And, yes, he will be there. Think about that if Georgia's "Publix Enemy No. 1" directs those three words at you some day.
Paper or plastic?
“I've worked for them since 2008,” he said. “It's a great company.”
Against the Bulldogs, McNeely made a great play, but it started with a great call.
The Gators trailed 7-0 and had driven to the UGA 21 where they faced a fourth-and-9. After two three-and-outs to start the game, they needed to salvage something from the drive -- even three points -- which probably was what Georgia's coaches were thinking.
Clearly, they weren't thinking fake.
“A little bit of it is the element of surprise,” Coach Will Muschamp said. “We coach hard with our guys about being excited about field-goal block, but they didn't come to Florida to get on field-goal block. Or be on kickoff and to be the R-5. They came to play defense.”
Translation: Guys sometimes take downs off.
Like field-goal attempts; or apparent ones.
“I'm just a risky guy when it comes to those things,” Muschamp joked. “It's all about the look. We got the look we wanted and then it was a fantastic job by our players.”
The play was blocked and opened exactly like it did the eight or nine times the Gators' special teams unit -- led by coordinator Coleman Hutzler -- practiced it during the week. Tight end Clay Burton had a nice kick-out to the right. Velez carried through with the fake, which held the safeties. Tevin Westbrook, another tight end on the protection unit, fired out and mowed his guy about five yards downfield, with the 5-foot-8, 178-pound McNeely racing through a giant hole, reading his blocks and scoring untouched to tie the game at a critical time.
“They did a great job of creating momentum, and from there, they kept it rolling,” Georgia coach Mark Richt said. “I'm sure it helped their confidence.”
McNeely relived it afterward, surrounded by horde of reporters for the first time of his career.
“Where did all you come from?” he said.
He may be asking the same question at Publix.
Beats the “paper or plastic” one.
