Cromwell, a Wishbone quarterback at Kansas, was also a holder for most of his 11-year career (1977-87). During a December 1979 game vs. the Minnesota Vikings, he scored touchdown on a fake field goal in overtime to give the Rams a 27-21 victory which clinched the NFC West championship. Other responsibilities During a "fake field goal" attempt the holder may pick the ball up and either throw a forward pass or run with the ball (i.e., act as the quarterback would on a standard play). In addition, the holder may attempt a run or pass if the snap is botched and a successful kick is unlikely. However, this rarely succeeds; the holder is usually tackled promptly. There can also be a holder during kickoffs and free kicks, but this is reserved for when the ball tee cannot keep the ball up by itself, usually due to wind. In such a case, the holder can be of any position and, because kickoffs involve a much higher risk of being involved in a tackling play, is usually a defensive player of some sort. Awards Given the trivial nature of the position, no award for holders existed until 2015 when Peter Mortell, then a senior punter and holder for the Minnesota Golden Gophers and known for his humor, created a tongue-in-cheek "Holder of the Year" Award for the best holder in college football, named it after himself, and made himself its first recipient. ESPN recognized the award at their yearly ESPY Awards ceremony (alongside more serious, major position awards), with Mortell accepting via pre-recorded video. The award subsequently continued and was awarded in 2016 to senior quarterback/holder Garrett Moores of Michigan. In 2017, the award was given to Connor McGinnis of Oklahoma. References American football positions