Instant Replay The Unedited Edition

Coach Lombardi was very tough on celebrations on the field. He didn’t go for people who taunted the other team and rubbed their noses in it. He always said when you score a touchdown “Just hand the ball to ref and walk away. Act like you have been there before.” Which means the end zone of course.

Most of our players adhered to those rules. I mean some of the Negro players were a little more animated. Elijah Pitts did a Watusi dance once and the Coach suspended him for two games. I thought that was a little harsh. I mean he was caught up in the action and got over enthusiastic and excited. Sort of like Hornung when he would shower with the rookies in training camp.

The thing about celebrations is the most unlikely guys sometimes surprised you. I remember in the playoff bowl against the Cleveland Browns Tom Moore caught a swing pass and ran 99 yards for a touchdown. He couldn’t believe it. He was just a back-up and here was his chance to shine. He scored two TDs in that game. But on this one he made a big mistake.  

You see after he ran 99 yards he took the ball and threw it as hard as he could into the ground and it bounced up in the air. They call that a spike or something like that there. That was the first time we saw it and of all people Tom Moore did it!

When he realized what he had done he was very shamefaced. He sort of sidled back to the sideline and tried to stay away from Coach. He didn’t want to be reprimanded. He was very sensitive that way. Coach knew that so he didn’t yell and scream. When he called him to carry in a play on the next offense sequence he knew what to do.

He burned him with his cigarette.

(Instant Replay- The Unedited Edition, Jerry Kramer & Dick Schaap Random House, 1968)