Especially for a Rookie, This Was a Super Kick

Can a football team commit seven turnovers and still win a Super Bowl?

It can if it has a pressure-proof rookie named Jim O’Brien.

O’Brien’s 32-yard field goal with five seconds remaining gave the Baltimore Colts a 16-13 victory over the Dallas Cowboys 28 years ago today.

It remains one of the worst-played (11 turnovers) yet most exciting Super Bowls.

Baltimore’s John Unitas threw two interceptions in the first half, then retired for the day because of bruised ribs. His backup, Earl Morrall, threw another interception. And the Colts lost the ball on fumbles four times.

Yet there they were, locked in a 13-13 tie, before 80,055 in the Orange Bowl in Miami, when O’Brien was sent in. His kick was true.

The Cowboys later pointed to Duane Thomas’ fumble on Baltimore’s one-yard line early in the third quarter as the difference in the game. Thomas fumbled when hit by Colt safety Jerry Logan. Cornerback Jim Duncan recovered.

The Colts--who intercepted three of Craig Morton’s passes in the fourth quarter--set the table for O’Brien’s winning kick when linebacker Mike Curtis returned an interception to the Dallas 28.

Afterward, Dallas running back Dan Reeves paid tribute to O’Brien.

“O’Brien did a great job,” he said.

“I didn’t think a rookie could make a kick like that under such pressure.”

Also on this date: In 1916, at the Taplow Club in New York City, 35 New York-area golfers met for lunch and formed an association. Three months later they voted to call themselves the Professional Golfers Assn. . . . In 1988, CBS fired Jimmy “the Greek” Snyder for making racially insensitive remarks. . . . In a memorable indoor track meet, four world records fell in 1986 at the Sunkist Invitational at the Sports Arena, including the pole vault mark. Billy Olson established the standard with a vault of 19-3 1/2.