When I received some Hudl clips from Thomas Downey High School coaching staff after wanting to look at some of their 2 point plays, I didn’t anticipate receiving what would end up being the most talked about fake punt heard around the world.
In fact, I didn’t even know what I was looking at when I hit “play”.
But then I realized I just witnessed one of the most unbelievable fake punts that I’ve ever seen.
I watched it about 10-15 times to really understand what exactly happened.
Then I wanted to share that with the world…
With 4th and a mile from their opponent’s 40 yard line, Thomas Downey lined up in regular punt formation seemingly ready to pin the other team back and send their defense on the field. Instead, the punter took the snap and threw the ball underhand to give the appearance that the ball came off his foot like a regular punt.
This threw the other team for a loop as they were told to get away from what looked like a short punt. That’s when a Thomas Downey Gunner ran down and jumped up for the ball to complete the catch in traffic and convert on their 4th and long.
Thomas Downey HS with the fake punt of the year
— The Spread Offense (@Spread_Offense) September 3, 2024
I’ve watched this on repeat this morning pic.twitter.com/S0VbsoN0qO
This is definitely one of the most creative fake punts that I’ve ever seen in High School, College, or even the NFL. It might be so crazy that it would only work once a decade now that millions of people have come across the most viral fake punt in the history of football.