jeff heath-dallas cowboys-dan bailey

In the same way the baseball teams identify emergency catchers, in case of injury to their regulars, smart football teams know who to call on as an emergency kicker. Because you never know what will happen.

After Cowboys kicker Dan Bailey suffered a groin injury in the second quarter of Sunday’s game against the 49ers, Dallas was left without the only placekicker on their roster. Coach Jason Garrett called for a two-point conversion to avoid kicking an extra point on the team’s first score after the injury but still needed someone for the kickoff. The logical choice to replace Bailey in that role might have been punter Chris Jones, but Garrett instead opted for a wild card: safety Jeff Heath.

Heath’s kick was… about as good as you could ask for from a kicker, let alone a safety filling in.

Garrett and the Cowboys must have been impressed by Heath’s kickoff, because when Ezekiel Elliott took a screen pass 72 yards to the end zone, the safety got a chance at an extra point. It clanged off the goal post and…

IT IS GOOD!

Heath tried two more extra-points in the game, converting one and missing the other, as the Cowboys cruised to a 40-10 victory. Per NFL research, Heath became the first non-kicker/punter to make multiple extra points in a game since linebacker Ted Thompson (now the Packers general manager) did so for the Houston Oilers in 1980.

But maybe we shouldn’t be too surprised. According to writers covering the Cowboys, Heath was not only an accomplished kicker in high school, he was also a touted soccer player who could have played in Division I. ESPN reported last fall that he was Dallas’ backup kicker and had practiced in the role a bit because Garrett didn’t trust Jones, the punter, to handle it.

If Bailey is seriously hurt, the Cowboys will probably sign a real, professional kicker to fill in. But hey, Heath wasn’t so bad Sunday, with presumably little to no practice in the week leading up to game. Maybe he deserves a shot. And plus, he’s gotta be helpful on kick coverage.

About Alex Putterman

Alex is a writer and editor for The Comeback and Awful Announcing. He has written for The Atlantic, VICE Sports, MLB.com, SI.com and more. He is a proud alum of Northwestern University and The Daily Northwestern. You can find him on Twitter @AlexPutterman.