NEW YORK — Before last night, not many people outside of Nacogdoches, Texas may have heard of Xavier Gipson of the New York Jets. Last night, the undrafted rookie from Stephen F. Austin ended the overtime thriller between New York and Buffalo.
With the score tied at 16, Gipson returned a Buffalo punt 65 yards for a touchdown that ended a wild back-and-forth game on Monday Night Football.
“They've given me the opportunity and given me the chance,” Gipson said. "I guess it was my time. My time came to light.”
With the return, Gipson joined some pretty elite company. The former Lumberjack ran back the third punt return for a TD in overtime in NFL history. Gipson joined Arizona's Patrick Peterson (2011) and Kansas City's Tamarick Vanover (1995).
After the game, Gipson described how he felt and what it means to make such an impact as an undrafted rookie.
Gipson is from Dallas and played his high school ball at Woodrow Wilson High School.
The Gipson highlight was a bright spot for New York, though the team did get bad news the following morning when an MRI confirmed what Jets’ fans had feared. Aaron Rodgers – in the fourth play of his Jets’ career – suffered a season-ending Achilles tear.
