Doug Nussmeier’s 57‑yard TD Named Saints Play of the Day

On Day 57 of the Saints’ season‑opener countdown, a 57‑yard touchdown strike from Doug Nussmeier lands as the highlight of the day. The pass went to wide receiver Terry Guess and stands out in a brief stint that saw Nussmeier five games over two seasons with New Orleans. His lone career start arrived against the Atlanta Falcons late in his rookie year, a tough audition for the fourth‑round pick from Idaho.

Video evidence of the play is scarce, leaving fans scouring archives for a glimpse. The official Fox Sports highlight reel missed the 57‑yard touchdown, instead featuring a blocked Saints field goal, three turnovers by Falcons quarterback Bobby Hebert, a short touchdown run from turncoat Atlanta RB Craig Heyward, and Nussmeier’s early interception. A separate video caught an out‑of‑control run by Nussmeier that veered into the chain‑gain area, accompanied by the Saints dance team on the sideline—a misstep that often eclipses rare successes in NFL memory.

Why This Moment Matters

The 57‑yard strike remains one of the few bright spots from a quarterback who never established himself in the league after his brief Saints tenure. Appearing in only five games across two seasons, Nussmeier’s fleeting moment with New Orleans illustrates how quickly NFL history can forget a player’s lone big play. The play’s absence from mainstream highlight reels underscores the challenge of preserving obscure gems from football’s past.

While the Saints have since built a roster filled with stars, Nussmeier’s 57‑yard connection to Terry Guess endures as a nostalgic footnote for die‑hard fans. The rarity of such a long pass in 1996, combined with the lack of video coverage, makes this highlight a treasured find for anyone digging into early‑era Saints lore.

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This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Doug Nussmeier’s hard-to-find 57-yard TD is the Saints Play of the Day