Wrong Way Riegels
Good morning. It is the heart of the football season, so I decided the thought for today would come from one of the more famous, or perhaps infamous, plays of all time.
The occasion was the 1929 Rose Bowl game between the University of California Golden Bears and the Yellow Jackets of Georgia Tech. Both were powerful teams, and both teams were especially known for their defensive prowess. Georgia Tech had gone through the season giving up an average of only 4 points per game. California had a number of fine players but the one who stood out was their All-American Center, Roy Riegels. As the center, Riegels snapped the ball on every offensive play, and on defense he played in the middle of the defensive line or would drop back and play what is now known as the middle linebacker position.
Near the end of the 2nd quarter the game was meeting expectations as a defensive battle. The score was 0 to 0, and neither team had come close to scoring. But with time running short in the first half, the Georgia Tech team fumbled the ball at their own 30 yard-line. Riegels was first to the ball and he scooped it up and began to run toward the endzone as fast as his feet could carry him. The only problem was that he had gotten turned around and was running as fast as he could the wrong way, towards his own endzone. He made it 69 of the 70 yards before a teammate caught up to him and tackled him at the one yard-line. His coach decided that since the half was nearly over, they should punt the ball on first down and count on their defense. But the punt was blocked for a 2 point safety, the only score of the game to that point.
During halftime, the Cal players sat with their heads bowed, not one player or coach said a word. As the 2nd half was about to begin, the Cal head coach Nibs Price announced that the same 11 who started the game would start the 2nd half. The players ran out to the field with the exception of Roy Riegels. The coach told to get to his feet and “get back out there.” But Riegels, with tears running down his face said, “I can’t do it coach. I’m ruined. I’ve ruined the game for you, for our team, for every fan we’ve got. There’s no way I can run out and face them.” Price didn’t hesitate. He told Riegels “Anyone can make a mistake. The only thing that matters is whether you’ll let it make you a quitter. You’re no quitter, so get going. We need you.”
Riegels played a tremendous game in the second half, but his team lost 8-7, the difference in the score being the 2 point safety. The newspapers stuck him the title: “Wrong Way Rigels” which stuck with him well after his football days were done.
Thirty-five years later, the Minnesota Vikings were playing the San Francisco 49ers. At a key point in the game there was a fumble by a 49er player. The ball was scooped up by Vikings Defensive Lineman, Jim Marshall, who got turned around and ran the ball 66 yards into the wrong endzone, resulting in a 2 point safety. In this case, Marshall’s mistake didn’t change the outcome of the game as the Vikings went on to win 27-22. But Jim Marshall immediately became famous for his mistake and was known as “wrong way Marshall” for quite some time. A couple of days later, Marshall received a letter from Roy Riegels. It said, “Welcome to the club. Now get over it! I survived and so will you.”
God is patient in giving us second chances—and not just one, but continual second chances. Micah 7:18 says, “Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight in showing mercy.”
Isn’t it marvelous to know that we serve a God who is love, and is our God who loves to pardon and forgive? It is His delight to show mercy and it pleases Him to know that we have accepted His path to forgiveness through the grace offered to us in the person of Jesus Christ.
I will probably make some mistakes today. I pretty much always do. I would imagine that you will too. Welcome to the club. Now get over it! The blood of Jesus makes every moment one with the opportunity of re-birth into His righteousness.
God bless your day, mistakes and all!
Vern