<P> A Hail Mary pass also known as a Shot Play is a very long forward pass in American football, made in desperation with only a small chance of success . In the Hail Mary pass all receivers run straight toward the end zone and the quarterback will make a long pass that is often "up for grabs". The term became widespread after a December 28, 1975 NFL playoff game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Minnesota Vikings, when Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach (a Roman Catholic) said about his game - winning touchdown pass to wide receiver Drew Pearson, "I closed my eyes and said a Hail Mary ." </P> <P> The expression goes back at least to the 1930s, being used publicly in that decade by two former members of Notre Dame's Four Horsemen, Elmer Layden and Jim Crowley . Originally meaning any sort of desperation play, a "Hail Mary" gradually came to denote a long, low - probability pass, typically of the "alley - oop" variety, attempted at the end of a half when a team is too far from the end zone to execute a more conventional play, implying that it would take divine intervention for the play to succeed . For more than forty years, use of the term was largely confined to Notre Dame and other Catholic universities . </P> <P> Crowley often told the story of an October 28, 1922, game between Notre Dame and Georgia Tech in which the Fighting Irish players said Hail Mary prayers together before scoring each of the touchdowns, winning the game 13 - 3 . According to Crowley, it was one of the team's linemen, Noble Kizer (a Presbyterian), who suggested praying before the first touchdown, which occurred on a fourth and goal play at the Tech 6 - yard line during the second quarter . Quarterback Harry Stuhldreher, another of the Horsemen, threw a quick pass over the middle to Paul Castner for the score . The ritual was repeated before a third and goal play, again at Tech's six, in the fourth quarter . This time Stuhldreher ran for a touchdown, which sealed the win for Notre Dame . After the game, Kizer exclaimed to Crowley, "Say, that Hail Mary is the best play we've got ." Crowley related this story many times in public speeches beginning in the 1930s . </P> <P> On November 2, 1935, with 32 seconds left in the so - called "Game of the Century" between Ohio State and Notre Dame, Irish halfback Bill Shakespeare found receiver Wayne Millner for a 19 - yard, game - winning touchdown . Notre Dame head coach Elmer Layden (who had played in the 1922 Georgia Tech game) afterwards called it a "Hail Mary" play . </P>

Who coined the phrase hail mary in football