By Bennett Parker | Sports Writer
Baylor athletics has had a long history of highs and lows. In between are the intense, scary moments where things swing dramatically. Here are three of the most nerve-wracking times to be a Baylor fan in recent history.
RGIII tears ACL in 2009
Quarterback Robert Griffin III was Baylor football’s poster child heading into his sophomore season after breaking out the year prior. However, on Griffin’s first drive of the third game of the season, he tore the ACL in his right knee.
He begged to stay in the game and played the rest of the half but was sidelined for the remainder of the season.
The rising star’s career was suddenly in jeopardy, and Baylor only won two games after the injury. It had been 14 years since the Bears’ last bowl game, and it felt like the curse would never be broken.
People speculated after the injury whether he would be the same player again. Griffin recovered and doused those questions immediately after returning. He helped Baylor notch a bowl game in the next two seasons, winning a Heisman Trophy along the way to being the second overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft.
It seemed like one moment could have derailed his collegiate career, but Griffin fought back to become a Baylor legend.
March Madness canceled in 2020
It was the golden era of Baylor basketball. Head coach Scott Drew had assembled the best men’s squad the school has seen, while the women’s team was in the middle of defending its 2019 title. Both teams were ranked top-5 in the AP poll, getting ready to make a deep tournament run.
The COVID-19 pandemic had other plans. The cancellation was a gut punch to both teams who had put together fantastic seasons. In his first statement on the matter, Drew said he was “overwhelmingly disappointed” and that losing the opportunity to make Baylor’s first Final Four in over 70 years was “devastating” for everyone involved.
Fans didn’t know if Baylor basketball would ever look the same or continue its dominance from the 2019-20 season. Many of the leaders on both teams had used their final years of eligibility, and there were a lot of tough choices ahead. That season looked to be a banner year for both programs, but it was stolen.
Fans remember what came next. Another year of eligibility was granted. The women’s team went 28-3 and on to another Elite 8, while Scott Drew went the distance.
First-and-goal in AT&T Stadium
The 2021 Big 12 championship between Baylor and Oklahoma State came down to the final drive, where the Cowboys marched deep into Baylor territory with less than two minutes on the clock.
Down five points, the Cowboys had four attempts to gain two yards to punch in the go-ahead touchdown and likely secure a conference title. The Bears were collapsing. A missed field goal, a muffed punt and a weary defense had primed OSU to deliver the final blow and steal the win in AT&T Stadium.
Baylor fans could only sense that their team’s hope of being Big 12 champions was fading with every yard. Redshirt senior running back Dezmon Jackson took the handoff and saw green grass in front of him. The 65,771 attendees and 8 million TV viewers held their breath as the play developed. Jackson turned to his right and dove for the pylon, but sixth-year safety Jairon McVea stopped him just in time to seal the deal.
In terrifying, dramatic fashion, the Baylor defense performed the greatest goal-line stand in program history and won the program’s second Big 12 championship.
