In football who coined the phrase Hail Mary after throwing the football?

Answer 1

I believe it was Alfred Hitchcock who phrased Abraham Lincoln when he said "The quarterback throws on a prayer" later learning the quarterback was saying the Hail Mary prayer. After much use it came into the NFL in the early 1920s. you must love a lot of cahones for asking that hehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehe

Answer 2

The expression was made famous when it was used to describe the game-winning touchdown pass by Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach to Drew Pearson in a NFL 1975-76 divisional playoff game. Afterwards, it was reported that Staubach said, "I closed my eyes and said a "Hail Mary."