Pee Wee Football Team Pulls off One of the Cutest Trick Plays

Don't let how cute these pee wee football players look fool you -- they're play-executing machines.

The Miami Suniland Sundevils ran a perfect Statue of Liberty trick play against their opponents during a weekend match.

To even see the play in action, you have to watch closely.

After the snap (around 10 seconds into the video), the quarterback (#2) switched the ball from his throwing hand into his left. He pretended though to still be throwing the ball with his empty right hand.

The quarterback fakes a pass while the ball all the while is in his non-throwing hand. (Image source: YouTube)

All the while, he put the ball behind his back, handing it off to #5 who ran it into the endzone for a touchdown.

The QB then hands off the ball behind his back to another player who runs it into the endzone. (Image source: YouTube)

Watch the footage of the stunning play pulled by boys likely no older than 7:

Barry Popik, an etymologist, recorded some of the earliest times the play was used in American football on his website:

26 November 1916, Los Angeles Times, pg. VI19:

POMONA, Nov. 25 - Older than the pyramids of Cheops, even so old that it was new, the time honored Statue of Liberty play which was famed in football nearly a quarter of a century ago was responsible for the defeat of the San Bernardino High School football team on the Pomona High School field this afternoon.

5 November 1922, New York Times, pg. 25:

Paves Way for Second Tally by "Statue of Liberty" Play (...)

In fact, this particular piece of trickery, which they called the "Statue of Liberty" play out in the wilds of Pennsylvania, is so hoary that it is almost moss-bound, like the old oaken bucket. Glenn Warner used it away back in the days of the Carlisle Indians, and it still goes on fooling the best defenses.

(It was used by Lafayette College in this article -- ed.)

6 November 1927, New York Times, pg. 52:

It was the ancient "Statue of Liberty" play, with McPhail faking a pass and Marsters coming around to take the ball from his over-stretched hand and continuing on around left end for the score.

But Boise State made it famous in more recent history, winning the Fiesta Bowl in 2007 with the trick play:

(H/T: Deadspin)

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