Roger Staubach and Drew Pearson are always open to new ways of commemorating their famous Hail Mary touchdown that gave the Dallas Cowboys a playoff victory over the Minnesota Vikings in 1975.
Nothing says 鈥渘ew鈥� quite like a digital collectible known by a term that might sound like a foreign language to folks old enough to remember Staubach鈥檚 50-yard heave in the final seconds, and after his forever-debated contact with defensive back Nate Wright a few yards from the end zone.
The non-fungible token, or NFT, will be on sale through Dallas-based Heritage Auctions on Aug. 21-22 with a starting bid of $20,000 and estimates that the price tag could reach $80,000.
We have and at HAHQ this morning to talk about their 2021 "The Original Hail Mary" NFT 1/1.
— Heritage Auctions (@HeritageAuction)
The winning bidder will get a 55-inch monitor to display the collectible, and will join Staubach and Pearson on the field for a re-enactment of the play that gave the Cowboys a 17-14 victory. Dallas lost to Pittsburgh in the Super Bowl that season.
鈥淭he Hail Mary has always been a part of my life, and it鈥檚 used now for a lot of different ways,鈥� Staubach told The Associated Press on Tuesday. 鈥淏ut in 1975, it was the first time it was ever used in the NFL.鈥�
That鈥檚 because of what Staubach told reporters after the game when asked what he was thinking on the play. In that moment, he had no idea what his answer would create.
鈥淚 was a Catholic kid from Cincinnati, Ohio, and you know, it was a heck of a play,鈥� Staubach said. 鈥淚 said, 鈥業 closed my eyes and said a 鈥淗ail Mary,"' instead of saying, 鈥業 closed my eyes and said a prayer.鈥� Or I could have said the, 鈥極ur Father to Glory Be.鈥� But I said 鈥楬ail Mary.鈥欌��
The collaboration with Ellipsis Digital LLC, designed by Austin-based artist Glitch, comes less than a month before Pearson finally joins Staubach in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The three-time All-Pro receiver is part of the class of 2021. Staubach was enshrined in 1985.
鈥淲hen I saw some of the numbers associated with this digital art from other people doing it, I couldn鈥檛 believe it,鈥� Pearson said. 鈥淎nd then I realized, 鈥楬ey, we might have something of value to these folks as well where we can generate the same kind of numbers.鈥欌��
Heritage was interested in part because there will be only one digital rendition of the Hail Mary. Other NFTs are more like traditional collectibles such as trading cards, with many more in circulation.
Part of the appeal of NFTs is they can be traded in cryptocurrencies. Heritage鈥檚 involvement also means the Hail Mary item can be purchased with a debit or credit card.
鈥淲e think this one is special in that it tells the story of an iconic play, an event, and it showcases two of the greatest players in NFL history,鈥� said Mike Provenzale, Heritage鈥檚 production manager. 鈥淎nd the cool thing about this is it offers a tangible aspect as well. You get to meet Roger and Drew and re-enact the Hail Mary.鈥�
Ellipsis president Josh Fagan says he鈥檚 a lifelong Cowboys fan who is about the same age as the Hail Mary itself 鈥� 45. Though the play was before Fagan鈥檚 time, his company connected with Staubach and Pearson through Doug Donley, a friend and investor who was a Dallas receiver late in Pearson鈥檚 career.
Fagan says Ellipsis has plans to pursue digital memorabilia for other iconic sports moments.
鈥淲e feel and we feel like there鈥檚 a big opportunity specifically with these vintage athletes, because, if you think about it, their careers ended before the invention of the internet,鈥� Fagan said. 鈥淭hey never had to do these types of new forms of media memorabilia. And there鈥檚 just a huge market for it.鈥�
