Historic overtime feat preserved in Canton

The helmet worn by Denver Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas during the 2011 NFL Season and his electrifying 80-yard touchdown grab against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Wild Card Weekend is now part of the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s collection. The play, which occurred on the first scrimmage play of overtime, took only 11 seconds and provided the quickest ending to an overtime game in NFL history.

The game-winner occurred in thrilling fashion as Thomas grabbed a pass from quarterback Tim Tebow after the receiver cut inside the Steelers secondary on a post route. Thomas then delivered a fierce stiff arm to cornerback Ike Taylor and quickly sped to the end zone; final score – Denver 29, Pittsburgh 23.

The pass, which allowed Denver to advance to the Divisional Playoff round against the New England Patriots, gave Thomas a total of four receptions for 204 yards and one TD on the day. Thomas' 51-yard average set a new postseason record and also helped Tebow break a long-standing playoff mark. Tebow finished his first playoff start with 316 yards on 10 completions and two TDs. His yards-per-completion average (31.6 yards) shattered the old record held by Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw (14.71) who set the mark in Super Bowl XIV against the Los Angeles Rams.

Thomas’ helmet will be placed in the museum’s Pro Football Today Gallery.