Brandt, who was a running back in college at Princeton, and Jones-Drew, who was a Pro Bowl running back with the Jacksonville Jaguars, decided to include the 96-yard game-winning touchdown gallop by former 49ers running back Garrison Hearst against the New York Jets in 1998 as their second favorite in league history. The run took place in the 1998 season opener on September 6 and sent the 49ers out on top 36-30 in overtime.
Hearst's run took place with just over 11 minutes left in overtime, not long after the Jets tied the game with a field goal at the end of regulation. Hearst took the handoff from quarterback Steve Young, then fought off a couple tackles before breaking into the open field. He ran down the sidelines, eventually accompanied by some blocks by wide receiver Terrell Owens and offensive lineman Dave Fiore, then held on as Jets linebacker Mo Lewis jumped on his back and tried to knock the ball free just before the goal line.
Click here for a look at the run on YouTube.
The play was originally intended to simply help move the 49ers out of bad field position after a Jets punt pinned them at their own 4-yard line. But Hearst gave them much more than they expected.
"We were getting to a point where we were repeating runs," then-49ers head coach Steve Mariucci said after the game, per SFGate.com. "It was just one play we pulled out of a hat. It was not divine intervention. It was one of four choices we had. I was hoping to get 4 yards or so."
Hearst's run may not even be the greatest in 49ers history (Steve Young's legendary game-winner against the Vikings in 1988 is a play many would choose), but it's certainly deserving of inclusion in this discussion, nonetheless. Brandt and Jones-Drew ranked the run behind Bo Jackson's famous 91-yard touchdown against the Seahawks on Monday Night Football in 1987. Take a look at the choices that the NFL Network show made below, with the Hearst run being featured just past the 6:30 mark.
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