Super Bowl XXVII : THROUGH THE YEARS : Footnotes To History : XVIII : DERRICK JENSEN : LOS ANGELES RAIDERS

By THOMAS BONK

Jan. 27, 1993 12 AM PT

Who came up with the biggest defensive play in Super Bowl XVIII?

“It’s funny, but there were so many big plays in that game, I just got the first one,” Derrick Jensen said. “So many people looked back and said they remembered the big play in the game. And they all thought I was Jack Squirek.”

Jensen, the Raiders’ special teams captain in their 38-9 victory over the Redskins, got the AFC champions off to a flying start when he blocked Jeff Hayes’ punt, then recovered it in the end zone for a touchdown. From there, it was easy for the Raiders. The Jensen-produced 7-0 lead became 21-3 at the half, after Squirek picked off a pass from Redskin quarterback Joe Theismann and returned it five yards for a touchdown.

So, the rout was on. But it might not have been without Jensen’s big play. In his fifth year from the University of Texas Arlington, Jensen had spent time as a fullback and tight end before finding his niche on Steve Ortmayer’s special teams unit. Ortmayer had put this particular punt-block play into the Raider book especially for the Super Bowl, then called it the first time Washington lined up to punt.

According to design, Odis McKinney and Lester Hayes, who were coming from the corners, and Jensen, who came up the middle, were the Raiders most likely to block the punt. Jensen made it through first.

“Whoever was supposed to block me didn’t do a very good job,” Jensen said. “He was probably more concerned about coverage. And besides, I was not rated as a very good punt blocker.”

Jensen, in fact, had never blocked a punt in his career. And Hayes had not had a punt blocked all season.

“Well, if you’re going to get one, I guess that’s a pretty good place to do it,” Jensen said.

The ball glanced off his right forearm and spun around in the end zone, Jensen and Lester Hayes in pursuit. Once again, Jensen got there first and

fell on the ball for the Raider touchdown.

“That was probably the only time in my life I outran Lester Hayes,” Jensen said.

* 1984 AT TAMPA

Washington 0 3 6 0 -- 9 Raiders 7 14 14 3 -- 38

Raiders--Jensen recovered blocked punt in end zone (Bahr kick)

Raiders--Branch 12 pass from Plunkett (Bahr kick)

Wash--FG Moseley 24

Raiders--Squirek 5 interception return (Bahr kick)

Wash--Riggins 1 run (kick blocked)