Derrick Dillon showed off his incredible speed with a little help from his Memphis Showboats teammates during their 22-0 win over the Pittsburgh Maulers on Saturday.
Maulers kicker Chris Blewitt set up for a 59-yard field goal attempt just before halftime. A mark would have cut the deficit to 10 points before the third quarter. Blewitt went wide to the right and short, allowing Dillon to catch the errant kick and have a chance to return it.
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Head coach Todd Haley of the Memphis Showboats congratulates Derrick Dillon after Dillon returned a missed field goal for a touchdown during the first half of the game against the Pittsburgh Maulers at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium on May 20, 2023 in Memphis, Tennessee. (Joe Murphy/USFL/Getty Images for the USFL)
Dillon somehow stayed in bounds when he caught the ball. He broke away from three would-be tacklers and returned the missed kick 109 yards for a Showboats touchdown.
The USFL said Dillon’s return was an all-time professional football record, as well as an all-time USFL record. The league said earlier this month that Clarence Verdin held the all-time record for 102 yards in the 1980s when he did it for the Houston Gamblers. Deon Cain of the Birmingham Stallions set a modern record on May 11.
Head coach Todd Haley of the Memphis Showboats congratulates Derrick Dillon after Dillon returned a missed field goal for a touchdown during the first half of the game against the Pittsburgh Maulers at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium on May 20, 2023 in Memphis, Tennessee. (Joe Murphy/USFL/Getty Images for the USFL)
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Dillon also had three catches for 61 yards in the game. Vinny Papale had three catches for 40 yards and a touchdown.
Memphis moved to 3-3 with the win and is riding a three-game winning streak since starting the year 0-3. The Maulers fell to 2-4 on the season.
Derrick Dillon of the Memphis Showboats returns a missed field goal for a touchdown during the first half of the game against the Pittsburgh Maulers at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium on May 20, 2023 in Memphis, Tennessee. (Joe Murphy/USFL/Getty Images for the USFL)
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It’s the second week the USFL has been in record-breaking territory. Luis Aguilar made eight field goals for the Philadelphia Stars last week, tying a record set by Rob Bironas of the Tennessee Titans.