# What was the longest Hail Mary or TD bomb? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [January 13, 2012, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-longest-hail-mary-or-td-bomb/609420 "2012-01-13T19:54:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HubZilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ccd318/32.png) [@HubZilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HubZilla)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2012, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-longest-hail-mary-or-td-bomb/609420/1 "2012-01-13T19:54:42Z")
What was the longest “QB to End Zone” pass? I’m not even sure how the look this up. I could go by [stats](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Hail_Marys_in_American_football), but that could mean a 20-yard pass with a 40-yard run by the WR. For instance, the 2002 LSU vs Kentucky was 75 yards, but the pass wasn’t that long and the WR ran after tip. I’m asking about the QB launches it and it’s caught in the end zone. Flutie had 48 yards vs Miami, where the guy caught it in the end zone. I believe Colorado’s in '94 was 64 yards QB to end zone (can’t youtube at work). Maybe some fans here will remember more. Somewhat related, what’s the farthest a quarterback _could_ throw the ball? Could an NFL QB throw a pass from end zone to end zone? ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2012, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-longest-hail-mary-or-td-bomb/609420/2 "2012-01-13T20:16:07Z")
A bunch of not very reliable looking sites (yahoo answers and similar) claim that Don Meridith (of the Dallas Cowboys) threw a pass that traveled 83 yards through the air to Bob Hayes (though he didn’t hit him in the end zone). ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2012, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-longest-hail-mary-or-td-bomb/609420/3 "2012-01-13T20:19:06Z")
> [@HubZilla](#): > > Could an NFL QB throw a pass from end zone to end zone? No. Years ago, there was some sort of QB competition, maybe as part of Wide World of Sports or some such…not sure if they still do it, but the longest throw I remember was something like 70 yards by Randall Cunningham, and that was not under game conditions. Basically he just ran up and threw as far as he could. Really don’t see anybody throwing endzone to endzone in an actual game until they invent bionic arms. ---
**Author:** ![markdash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@markdash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markdash)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2012, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-longest-hail-mary-or-td-bomb/609420/4 "2012-01-13T20:31:26Z")
Kordell Stewart’s Hail Mary to beat the Michigan Wolverines on September 24, 1994 traveled about 71 yards in the air. He released it at his own 27 yard line, and it was first touched by players at the Michigan 2 yard line. It then bounced up and was caught in the end zone by Michael Westbrook. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/5Nt6HjqtJt8/hqdefault.jpg "Miracle In Michigan: Colorado Buffaloes' Kordell Stewart's Hail Mary Stuns Michigan Wolverines") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Nt6HjqtJt8) ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2012, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-longest-hail-mary-or-td-bomb/609420/5 "2012-01-13T20:40:54Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > No. Years ago, there was some sort of QB competition, maybe as part of Wide World of Sports or some such…not sure if they still do it, but the longest throw I remember was something like 70 yards by Randall Cunningham, and that was not under game conditions. Basically he just ran up and threw as far as he could. Really don’t see anybody throwing endzone to endzone in an actual game until they invent bionic arms. Drew Bledsoe once told reporters that the reason he was chosen #1 overall was that he could make that very same 70 yard throw. Lest you think Drew was bragging, he then said to the reporters, “Ask me how many times I’ve had to make that throw in the NFL?” They asked, and he said “Maybe once a year.” Bledsoe was making a serious point- scouts often drool over quarterbacks who have the arm strength to make insane 60 yard throw, when what they really NEED is a quarterback with the arm strength to drill the ball straight to a well-covered receiver just 15 or 20 yards away. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2012, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-longest-hail-mary-or-td-bomb/609420/6 "2012-01-13T21:20:30Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > Bledsoe was making a serious point- scouts often drool over quarterbacks who have the arm strength to make insane 60 yard throw, when what they really NEED is a quarterback with the arm strength to drill the ball straight to a well-covered receiver just 15 or 20 yards away. I remember reading an article about former Eagles WR [Harold Carmichael](http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/C/CarmHa00.htm), in which it was mentioned that he could throw the ball pretty close to 100 yards in the air (sorry, no cite, this was probably 30 years ago). Illustrating **astorian** ’s point about the general lack of utility of being able to throw the ball a very long distance if you aren’t accurate: in a 14-year career, Carmichael was only asked to throw the ball four times (and only completed one, a 45-yard touchdown). ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2012, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-longest-hail-mary-or-td-bomb/609420/7 "2012-01-13T21:28:30Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > I remember reading an article about former Eagles WR [Harold Carmichael](http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/C/CarmHa00.htm), in which it was mentioned that he could throw the ball pretty close to 100 yards in the air (sorry, no cite, this was probably 30 years ago). Found a [cite](http://jacksonville.com/special/athletes_of_century/stories/4.shtml), after a fashion: “You hear stories that Harold would throw footballs over 100 yards just messing around during practice with the Philadelphia Eagles. I believe it. He was my backup quarterback, but I couldn’t let him throw it often because he threw the ball too hard. He about broke the receivers’ hands.” - Earl Kitchings Sr., former Raines head football coach.