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| *''He's running the wrong way. Let's see how far he can go."'' - Georgia Tech's head coach, ] | *''He's running the wrong way. Let's see how far he can go."'' - Georgia Tech's head coach, ] | ||
| *''"What am I seeing? What's wrong with me? Am I crazy? Am I crazy? Am I crazy?"'' - sports broadcaster Graham Mcnamee | *''"What am I seeing? What's wrong with me? Am I crazy? Am I crazy? Am I crazy?"'' - sports broadcaster Graham Mcnamee | ||
| ==External links== | ==External links== | ||
Revision as of 20:12, 10 March 2006
Roy "Wrong Way" Riegles (Apr. 4, 1908 - Mar. 26, 1993) played for the University of California_Berkeley football team from 1927-1929. His sense of direction in the 1929 Rose Bowl Game - or lack thereof - is often referenced as the worst blunder of college football.
The Game
On January 1, 1929, the Bears faced the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena,Calif. against Georgia Tech, Riegles, who played center, picked up a fumble in the 2nd quarter made by Tech's Jack Stumpy" Thomason. Just 30 yards away from the Bears' end zone, Riegles was somehow turned around and ran for 65 yards in the wrong direction.
Teammate and halfback Benny Lom. chased Riegles, screaming at him to stop. Known for his speed, Lom finally pulled Riegles down on California's three-yard line, where he was tackled back to the one-yard line. The Bears chose to punt, rather than risking a play so close to their own end zone. But Tech's Vance Maree blocked Lom's punt, and Georgia Tech would score a safety, lifting the Yellow Jackets over the Bears, 2-0.
Riegles was so distraught that he had to be talked into going back into the game for the second quarter. Lom passed for a touchdown and kicked the extra point, but Tech would win the game - and their first national championship - 8-7.
Aftermath
After the game, coach Nibs Price defended his decision, stating, "It was an accident that might have happened to anyone." Price credits Roy as being the smartest player that he ever coached. Riegles contends that he was hit during a pivot and wound up doing a U-turn, which faced him the opposite direction. Later, the NCAA Football Committee would pass a rule that bars a player from advancing the ball once it hits the ground.
Despite the nationwide mocking that followed, Riegles lived a rather normal life, serving in the United States Air Force during World War II, coaching high school football, and running his own chemical company. He was even able to capitalize on the error, parodying the now-famous run in vaudeville acts.
The entire 1929 Bears' football team was placed in the Georgia Tech Hall of Fame on Sept. 25, 1971. Riegles would enter Cal's Hall of Fame in 1998. Riegles died in 1993, at the age of 84.
Famous quotes from the 1929 Rose Bowl
- He's running the wrong way. Let's see how far he can go." - Georgia Tech's head coach, Bill Alexander
- "What am I seeing? What's wrong with me? Am I crazy? Am I crazy? Am I crazy?" - sports broadcaster Graham Mcnamee
External links
Cal ranks Riegles as #3 most memorable moment in the history of Bears' football