National nightmares

Sporting News, The, Feb 1, 1999 by Jared Hoffman

Everyone has bad days on the job, but not everyone has them with the whole world watching. That's what happened with three NFL players whose dreams of starring in the Super Bowl became a nightmare. Dallas' Jackie Smith and Buffalo's Scott Norwood and Thurman Thomas each bore the brunt of a Super Bowl loss and would like to forget it. But somehow, we can't. Here are three of the Super Bowl's most notorious moments.

JACKIE SMITH Super Bowl 13

In 15 seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals, Smith was one of the NFL's top tight ends. When Smith retired in 1977, he ranked as the all-time leading receiver among tight ends with 480 receptions for 7,918 yards and 40 touchdowns. The Cowboys convinced Smith to come back for one more season in 1978, (he had no receptions) and Dallas advanced to the Super Bowl against the Steelers. The Cowboys were Wailing, 21-14, in the third quarter when Dallas quarterback Roger Staubach threw a pass to Smith, who was wide open in the end zone. Smith slipped and dropped Staubach's pass, which hit Smith in the chest. The Cowboys settled for a field goal and lost, 35-31. Even though he's remembered for one missed catch, he was selected for the Hall of Fame in 1994.

SCOTT NORWOOD Super Bowl 25

Buffalo's first of four consecutive Super Bowl losses was its most agonizing. The Bills took a 19-17 lead in the fourth quarter on a 31-yard TD run by Thurman Thomas. But the Giants regained the lead when Matt Bahr kicked a 21-yard field goal to make it 20-19. Buffalo's last drive began on its 10-yard line with 2:16 left. The Bills drove to New York's 29 and quarterback Jim Kelly downed the ball with eight seconds left to set up a 47-yard field-goal attempt by Norwood, who never had kicked one of that length on grass. The kick had the distance but sailed five yards right of the upright. A distraught Norwood said after the game, "I let a lot of people down tonight."

THURMAN THOMAS Super Bowl 26

Thomas led the NFL in total yards from scrimmage for three consecutive seasons and was the AFC's leading rusher in 1991 with 1,407 yards. But Thomas was on the sideline for Buffalo's first two offensive plays because he couldn't find his helmet. "I was very upset," Thomas said. "I mean, the first two plays were running plays, and I wasn't in there to carry it." Even with his helmet on, Thomas had no impact on the game. He carried 10 times for 13 yards as the Bills lost to the Redskins, 37-24.