​Not many players can boast about having a takeway from both a Hall of Fame quarterback and a Hall of Fame running back in the same game, but former New Orleans Saints cornerback Fred Weary can make that claim. Weary’s 58-yard fumble return for a touchdown off Dallas Cowboys icon Emmitt Smith stands out as the Saints Play of the Day as we reach Day 58 of our countdown to this year’s season opener. You can watch the play for yourself right here.
We’ll circle back to the fumble return in a moment, but it’s also worth noting that Weary intercepted Troy Aikman earlier in the same contest. The Saints arrived on Christmas Eve in 1999 with a 2-12 record, and Jake Delhomme was making his first career start at quarterback. Mike Ditka’s team needed a win, yet they faced a Cowboys squad that had already clinched seven wins and was fighting for a playoff spot. Delhomme capably moved the offense on an early scoring drive that ended with a field goal, and on the next offensive snap Weary intercepted Aikman, returning it 22 yards to set up a Delhomme touchdown pass on the following drive.
From there, it was all Cowboys for most of the night. Dallas answered with 17 unanswered points until Delhomme connected on a 51-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Eddie Kennison late in the third quarter, and Aikman answered back with a score of his own. Delhomme then scampered for a four-yard touchdown to tie the game in the fourth quarter, and the Cowboys appeared poised to run out the clock on a victory.
But Weary had other ideas. Smith took a hard hit from Saints defensive tackle Robert Newkirk, causing the ball to come loose, and Weary sprinted to recover the fumble. He wasn’t done there—he raced down the sideline for a 58-yard return to give New Orleans a go-ahead touchdown. After that, the teams exchanged punts until Saints linebacker Mark Fields intercepted Aikman in the Saints’ end zone on a late goal-line stand, and the game finally ended with a punt return by Deion Sanders.
The upset was complete for New Orleans. Wins were scarce in those days, and beating a regional rival like the Dallas Cowboys offered a rare source of pride for Saints fans. This season stands out for Weary, who reached what would be the peak of his production in black and gold. He finished 1999 with a career-high 14 passes defensed (including 2 interceptions) and 4 fumble recoveries, along with 68 tackles and that memorable touchdown. The performance earned him his lone NFC Defensive Player of the Week award.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Fred Weary’s 58-yard fumble recovery TD is the Saints Play of the Day for better SEO. It marks Day 58 of the countdown to this year’s season opener.