Okay, so I wanted to dig into this “Don Morgan football” thing. I’d heard the name, but didn’t really know the story. So, I started with a basic search.
First, I fired up my browser and typed in “Don Morgan football”. I got a bunch of results, mostly about some college player. Turns out, it’s referring to a specific play from a 1996 UVA vs UNC game. It is about the cornerback of virginia called Don Morgan.
The ‘Don Morgan’ Play
I watched some videos. This guy, Don Morgan, was a cornerback for the University of Virginia. And, he was matched up against a receiver from North Carolina named, Octavus Barnes.
So, UNC is driving, it’s late in the game, and they’re down by a few points. Their quarterback, I think I was right the first time, Chris Keldorf, throws a deep pass down the sideline to Barnes.
It looked like a completion for a second. Barnes goes up, makes the catch, but as he’s coming down, Morgan rips the ball out of his hands. Virginia recovers the fumble, and basically wins the game.
It’s a pretty wild play. The announcer even yelled something like, “He snatched it away!” I can see why it’s still talked about.
- Defender steals the ball.
- Game-winning play, pretty much.
I spent a good hour just reading different accounts of the game and watching replays. It’s one of those moments that really sticks with you, I guess, especially if you’re a UVA fan!
