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THE GRIDIRON — Most of us would agree that the ultimate role of defenders in a football game is to stop the offense from getting into the end zone. The faster they can force a punt, the better. In the best of times, they even take possession of the ball via an interception or fumble recovery.

Then you see something like this.

The defender in this high school game doesn't make a tackle. He doesn't force a fumble. He simply takes a pitch from the quarterback and runs, unscathed, for a touchdown.

You catch a quick glimpse of the offensive players' reactions before the defender leaves them in his dust. It's sheer confusion. It's almost as if the running back is asking the quarterback, "Wait, can he do that?"

It's a display of impeccable timing and a bit of luck, and it leaves you wondering what the sport would look like if defenders were able to pull tricks like this more often. I guess every team would basically be running an "option" offense if there's always the option that it might be a linebacker taking the pitch instead of the running back.

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Grant Olsen

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Grant Olsen joined the KSL.com contributor team in 2012. He covers outdoor adventures, travel, product reviews and other interesting things. He is also the author of the book “Rhino Trouble.”