In celebration of the NFL’s 100 years, the league is encouraging fans to vote for the greatest moments in pro football history on NFL.com/GreatestMoments. John Elway’s “helicopter run” in Super Bowl XXXII has advanced to the Round of 16.
“The word ‘sacrifice’ in sports can be clichéd and misused, but if ever a play demanded the use of that term, it was in the third quarter of a tie game in Super Bowl XXXII, in January 1998 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego,” the league captioned a video of Elway’s famous play.
Facing a third-and-6, Elway had to make a decision about sliding or attempting to convert a third down to keep Denver’s drive alive.
“Rather than be content with a field goal, at the 7-yard line Elway jumped headfirst into the air, where a Green Bay defender took out Elway’s knee and Elway was spun around 360 degrees for the first down,” NFL.com wrote.
The Broncos went on to score and take a 24-17 lead before ultimately going on to win 31-24, marking the team’s and Elway’s first Super Bowl victory.
Voting for the Round of 16 will close Jan. 15 and voting for the Round of 8 will close on Jan. 22. Voting for the Round of 4 will wrap up on Feb. 2, the day of Super Bowl LIV in Miami Gardens. Vote here.
