Former Coastal Carolina University star Jerome Simpson isn’t going to break any of Jerry Rice’s NFL receiving records, but he is on the short list of players to earn two spots atop ESPN’s SportsCenter’s “Top Plays” rankings.
Simpson, now with the Cincinnati Bengals, garnered the honor for the second time in his career in Saturday’s victory over the Arizona Cardinals with his acrobatic touchdown reception in which he did a front flip over a defender into the end zone.
Simpson wasn’t willing to give himself a perfect score following his sensational flip into the end zone. The play is being touted as the top play of the year by numerous broadcasters.
After Simpson took to the air with a somersault over Cardinals linebacker Daryl Washington for a 19-yard touchdown, Simpson took a moment to critique his move.
“I stuck the landing like a gymnast,” Simpson told Cincinnati.com. “A lot of the guys gave me a (perfect) ’10’ on it. I think it was like a 9 maybe, because I touched the ground (with my hand) a little bit. But I just wanted to make a great play for my team – you know, have a Merry Christmas and just be happy.”
Simpson has reeled in 45 catches for 671 yards and four touchdowns this season for the Bengals (9-6), who can secure a postseason berth with a victory over the Baltimore Ravens (11-4) this weekend.
At Coastal, Simpson also landed atop ESPN’s nightly list with a diving catch against then-No. 1 ranked James Madison.