Malachi Corley thought he had scored his first NFL touchdown for the New York Jets, but the rookie wide receiver dropped the ball just before crossing the goal line.
The ball rolled out of the end zone, so it was not a touchdown and turned into a turnover for the Jets, marking a big mistake for the rookie.
“First of all, you can’t do that,” interim coach Jeff Ulbrich said he told Corley. “Second of all, you owe us one.”
During the game against the Texans, which the Jets won 21-13, Corley received a toss from Aaron Rodgers while at the Texans’ 19-yard line and ran down the right sideline. He sped toward the end zone but dropped the ball from his right hand right before reaching the goal line to celebrate.
A video review confirmed he hadn’t crossed into the end zone before dropping it. So, he was given credit for an 18-yard run but lost possession, resulting in a touchback.
The mistake left the fans at MetLife Stadium—only about three-quarters full that Halloween night—shocked.
“Definitely frustrated, to be honest,” Ulbrich said about his first reaction. “And angry at the same time. But, what an amazing opportunity for this kid to grow and learn from. I promise you 10 years from now when he’s still playing in this league that will never happen again.”
Corley was a third-round draft pick from Western Kentucky and has not played much this season, entering the game with only a 4-yard catch in four NFL games.
The situation was similar to a mistake by DeSean Jackson during his rookie season with Philadelphia in 2008, when he prematurely celebrated a touchdown against Dallas by flipping the football behind him at the 1-yard line before getting into the end zone.
