Don Beebe prevented Leon Lett from scoring a touchdown in Super Bowl XXVII. The Buffalo Bills wide receiver chased down the Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle and knocked the ball from his hand just before Lett crossed the goal line.
The play came in the fourth quarter of a game Dallas dominated 52–17. Bills quarterback Frank Reich had fumbled, and Lett recovered the loose ball with a seemingly clear path to the end zone. Lett slowed to celebrate and extended the football, giving Beebe enough time to catch him from behind.
Beebe’s strip sent the ball through the end zone, resulting in a touchback rather than a Dallas touchdown. The play became one of the Super Bowl’s most famous reminders that a player must finish a run before celebrating.
The moment did not change the winner—Dallas still captured its first championship since the 1970s—but it prevented the Cowboys from adding another score. Lett later redeemed himself by recording the game’s final sack.