The 8 Strangest Moments In Super Bowl History

The Super Bowl is the NFL’s biggest spectacle, and you never know what’s going to unfold when the league’s two best teams take to the field for the most important game of the season.

There’s a ton of preparation that goes into the Super Bowl to ensure things run as smoothly as possible both on and off the field, but there’s always a chance things will come off the rails given all of the moving parts involved.

We’ve been treated to plenty of unexpected moments during the Super Bowl, but it’s hard to top some of the more unique ones that really stand out from the rest of the pack.

Thurman Thomas Loses His Helmet And Misses The First Drive

Super Bowl XXVI marked the second of the four straight seasons the Bills appeared in the Super Bowl, and Buffalo got there on the back of a dominant offense that revolved around QB Jim Kelly and RB Thurman Thomas.

However, Thomas was strangely nowhere to be found when the Bills took the field for their first drive of the game. Why? He couldn’t find the helmet he’d placed down on the drinks table ahead of the coin toss as part of his pregame ritual.

Kenny Davis was forced to fill in as a frantic search unfolded on the sideline, and it was thankfully recovered after what ended up being a three-and-out series.

It probably didn’t have a huge impact on the game, but the Bills nonetheless dropped their second of what would turn out to be four straight Super Bowl losses in a 37-24 showdown against Washington.

Don Shula Runs A Play Designed My Richard Nixon

“Football fan” probably isn’t the first thing people think of when they hear Richard Nixon’s name, but the 37th President of the United States was a diehard pigskin devotee (he once invited his sworn enemy Hunter S. Thompson to ride in a car with him because was the only member of the press pool who shared a similar passion).

Prior to Super Bowl VI between the Dolphins and the Cowboys, Miami coach Don Shula got a call from Nixon, who told him, “I still think you can hit Paul Warfield on that down-and-in pattern.”

The Dolphins attempted that very pass on their eighth offensive play of the game, but it ended with an incompletion—one of the many the Cowboys would force in their 24-3 victory.

A Fan Steals Don Shula Watch After The Dolphins Win

The Dolphins were not only looking to avenge their loss in The Big Game the previous year heading into Super Bowl VII but also had the chance to finish the season with a perfect record after going 16-0 heading into the contest.

Miami managed to do exactly that with a 14-7 win over Washington, and Don Shula was triumphantly carried off the field in the wake of the victory.

However, the celebration took a turn when a fan reached up to shake his hand and stole the watch on his wrist, which led to the legendary head coach immediately leaping down onto the ground and successfully tracking down the thief to reclaim it.

A Reporter Steals Tom Brady's Jersey After The Patriots Win

The Patriots got the most thrilling (and unlikely win) of the Tom Brady Era after mounting a comeback to beat the Falcons in Super Bowl LI, and it goes without saying the jersey the QB wore during the game was a very valuable piece of history.

However, it mysteriously went missing in the wake of the Super Bowl, which sparked a massive investigation that led them to Martin Ortega, a reporter for a Mexican newspaper who was filmed stealing it from the locker room.

The jersey—which was valued at $500,000—was discovered in his home along with the one Brady wore in Super Bow LIX and the helmet Von Millier donned in Super Bowl 50

Ortega wasn’t actually charged with any crime after the memorabilia was returned, although he understandably lost his job as a result.

Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson Gets Some Help From Liquid Cocaine

Cowboys linebacker Thomas “Hollywood” Henderson was in the throes of a cocaine addiction when Dallas headed to Miami to take on the Steelers in Super Bowl XIII, and he was dealing with the pain of a deviated septum stemming from his abuse of the drug when the game transpired.

He decided the best way to treat it was to mix some of the substance with water and put it in a spray bottle he helped himself to on the sideline over the course of a game where he forced a fumble that led to a touchdown.

However, the Cowboys came up short, and Terry Bradshaw (who Henderson had publically taunted before the Super Bowl) was named the MVP of the game where Pittsburgh got the 35-31 victory.

Eugene Robinson Gets Arrested The Night Before Super Bowl XXXIII

This technically didn’t happen during the Super Bowl, but it’s definitely more than worth mentioning.

On the morning of January 30, 1999—the day before Super Bowl XXXIII— Falcons safety Eugene Robinson was presented with the Bart Starr Award given to the player who “best exemplifies outstanding character and leadership in the home, on the field, and in the community.”

However, things took a wild turn when Robinson was arrested for soliciting an undercover police officer in Miami posing as an, um, “lady of the night.”

Robinson was still allowed to suit up, but Denver earned a 34-19 victory with the help of the 80-yard TD pass Rod Smith took to the house after torching him on the play (he also returned the award).

The Blackout Bowl

The Ravens were up 28-6 over the 49ers with 13:22 on the clock in the third quarter during Super Bowl XLVII when the Superdome was suddenly plunged into darkness due to a power outage.

The game was suspended for a grand total of 34 minutes as officials scrambled to sort out the situation, and it marked a big turning point on the momentum front as San Francisco mounted a second-half comeback.

However, Baltimore was able to endure and ultimately secured the Lombardi Trophy with a 34-31 victory.

Patriots LB Matt Chatham Takes Down A Streaker

Mark Roberts had a reputation as an infamous streaker who’d crashed hundreds of sporting events in his native England and beyond prior to Super Bowl XXXVIII between the Patriots and the Panthers.

The two teams were preparing for a kickoff in the second half when Roberts ran onto the field in a ref’s uniform before disrobing down to nothing but a football-themed thong and dancing on the gridiron while displaying the website of the online casino that paid him $1 million to pull off the stunt.

He made a break for it after police officers and security guards descended upon him, but he was detained with the help of Patriots linebacker Matt Chatham, who tackled him from behind to take him to the turf before he was carried off of the field.