When Did The Hurdle Become So Mainstream?

I hadn’t really thought about it that much, but she was (and is) right. This season, more than any I call recall, I’ve witnessed countless running backs, tight ends and wide receivers attempt to leap their way over would-be tacklers. Whether for the purpose of gaining additional yardage and helping their respective teams, or embarrassing their opponents and garnering some love on SportsCenter (a la dunking on someone’s head), the motivation is not all that clear.

If you want to get all philosophical, one could argue it’s a combination of two things: athletes that are more gifted (and bigger) than ever and defensive backs who want no part of taking on those athletes head-on, particularly when they run sub 4.4 40s and weigh 250-plus.

Perhaps it all started with this nifty, little skip by Mike Brown of the Philadelphia Soul in an AFL conference championship.

Although, we have half a mind that Mr. Moreno helped fuel the popularity of the leap by hopping over this Chippewa earlier this season for the Dawgs.

Whatever its origins, the hurdle move seems to be sweeping the nation — and the NFL. One needed to look no further than this past Sunday night’s Giants-Eagles showdown. First, it was Brandon Jacobs going airborne only to get rocked and cough up the football.

His teammate Kevin Boss later pulled off the maneuver with greater effectiveness.

No matter the League or player, don’t expect this to be the last of the hurdle. Personally, I’m not a big fan as it’s typically a disaster waiting to happen and the cons far outweigh the pros. I’ll be the one screaming at the television when Dustin Keller or Thomas Jones look to show off their hops and get rewarded with a game-changing turnover. Awesome.