Earl Christy ' Earl Oliver Christy ' ( born March 19 , 1943 in Perryman , Maryland ) is a former professional American football player who played cornerback for three seasons for the New York Jets . College . Earl “ The Twirl " Christy better known by friends as " The Super Bowl Champ " or " Mr . Inspiration " was inducted into the Hawk Hall of Fame in 1984 . Earl came to Maryland State College ( MSC ) from Perryman , Maryland in 1961 . Earl attended Havre de Grace Consolidated School in Havre de Grace , Maryland . At the tiny all - Black school , Earl was known as “ All World ” . You name it and he did it . In track and field , Earl high jumped 6 feet and 4 inches and threw the shot put 49 feet and 9 inches . In addition , Earl ’ s basketball prowess was legendary . He had a 40 - inch vertical leap and once scored an amazing 43 points in a single game while the opposing losing team scored a total 42 points . Earl was a four - year letterman on the Hawks ’ football team . During his four - year career , the MSC Hawk football program compiled a record of 17 wins , 2 ties and 9 losses . Earl , a dean lists student , graduated from MSC in 1967 with a degree in Physical Education . NFL career . The New York Jets signed Earl in 1966 to play defensive back , kick off , and punt return specialist . Earl played for the N . Y . Jets for 3 years and was one of five Hawks who played in the 1968 Super Bowl ( 3 Jets and 2 Colts ) . He played for the New York Jets from 1966 to 1969 . He played position of half back and defensive back and during Super Bowl III had a 25 yd kick off return . Earl ended his professional NFL career with 34 punt returns for 222 yards and 58 kick off returns for 1323 yards . Earl was an integral member of the Jets 1968 Super Championship team . Earl Christy has the distinction of playing the proverbial bookend to the nadir and zenith of the Jets ' moments against their most hated 1968 rival , the Oakland Raiders . First , there ' s the Heidi Game , the extraordinary watershed moment in the history of TV ' s coverage of professional football . The histrionics of the game itself are well - known : fights , penalties , ejections , then a little girl trapsing through the Alps . With the Raiders ahead with 1 : 05 to go , their kickoff went to Earl Christy who fumbled it at the 12 ( although he has insisted numerous times - rightfully so - that the ball was actually knocked out of his hands by a team - mate during the play ) , with the Raiders recovering in the end zone . Raiders 43 Jets 32 . This was the nadir . Then , leap ahead a few weeks later , to Shea Stadium and the AFL Championship against Oakland . After the Raiders scored in the fourth quarter to take the lead at 23 - 20 , Christy takes the kickoff and runs it back 32 yards to set up a Namath pass to Sauer , followed by Namath ' s wild throw to Don Maynard , which then set up the clinching touchdown . Heidi Game . The 1968 season also saw the Jets involved in one of the most notorious incidents in television history , an incident that would change the way television networks carried sporting events for decades to come . On November 17 , 1968 , just before 7 : 30pm Eastern time , the Jets scored late to take a 32 – 29 lead over the Oakland Raiders with 1 : 05 left . NBC cut to a commercial , and then everywhere but the West Coast showed the movie " Heidi " , a show which NBC had promoted extensively for the sweeps period . Outraged fans bombarded NBC headquarters in New York with phone calls demanding the game be restored ; so many phone calls were made that they eventually knocked out the NBC switchboard . Even though a decision was made to carry the game to conclusion , this decision could not be communicated , thus resulting in the movie starting on schedule . Fans ' ire was further fueled when they discovered that NBC ' s cutting away from the game denied them from seeing live a dramatic finish . On the Raiders ' second play from scrimmage on the next drive , Daryle Lamonica threw a 46 - yard touchdown pass to Charlie Smith , giving the Raiders a 36 – 32 lead . On the ensuing kickoff , Earl Christy of the Jets fumbled at the 10 yard line , which the Raiders ' Preston Ridlehuber converted into another touchdown , ultimately giving the Raiders a 43 – 32 victory . Much of the country learned of this final outcome only via a bottom - of - screen crawl line shown during the movie . This incident , dubbed the Heidi Game , resulted in most television networks and sports leagues amending their television policies to ensure that games in progress would be broadcast to their conclusion , no matter what , even if it meant delaying or canceling the rest of the network ' s lineup , and even if the game ' s outcome seemed assured . Post NFL Career . An ordained minister and archibishop , Earl has been an outstanding athlete throughout his life , a football coach , a broadcaster for over 40 years , team member of Harlem Wizards exhibition show basketball team , Elementary School Teacher of the Year , Chief of nine villages in Ghana , Africa , a motivational speaker and founder of Athletes For Education Association ( AFEA ) . Earl encourages young people to make their dreams a reality through his organization " Team - Mates Team - Up " , of which he is founder and CEO . Earl is the inventor of Sports - A - Cise ; the highly entertaining and educational popular game that combines academics and physical fitness . Earl is also currently active in several businesses to include itgprinting . com , victorytampa . com and sits on the board of All For God Sports Ministries based in Lakeland Florida and co founded by Yong Fan , ( Gold Metal , world games Sydney ) David Constable ( Espn and CBS on air radio host ) and Dennis Harrison .