What is an Octopus in football? Explaining NFL term behind the eight-point play

David Suggs

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What is an Octopus in football? Explaining NFL term behind the eight-point play image

Mollusks, this one's for you.

Football is filled with phrases and terms that would make those of previous generations contort their faces in disbelief. To the layman, quarterback could be considered a unit of measurement. Tight end means what exactly? Why are there not one but two safeties, one which spotlights the men who wade the water in the secondary, the other representing a two-point score?

The latest term added to the gridiron glossary is one you've heard in plenty of different contexts. Just not sports. At least until now.

Here's what you need to know about football's "Octopus," a label you could hear plenty more times in 2024.

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What is an Octopus in football?

An octopus is any of a genus of cephalopod mollusks that have eig— oh wait.

In football terms, an Octopus refers to when a player scores a touchdown, then follows it up by scoring a two-point conversion.

There are stipulations to the label, an Octopus is only valid if the same player carries the ball into the end zone on both the touchdown and the two-point conversion.

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The action of completing an Octopus has existed for time immemorial...or at least since the NFL introduced the two-point conversion in 1994. However, its origins as a part of the football lexicon didn't take shape until 2018. That's when former Ravens WR Torrey Smith, Sports Illustrated writer Mitch Goldich, and Goldich's friend, Michael Wallace (not that one), collaborated with one another to craft the term.

Smith scored an Octopus, prompting Goldich to ask his followers on X — the website formerly known as Twitter — for a title for the unique feat.

Wallace replied with Octopus. Within moments, a star was born, the new homonym becoming a fixture in the ever-expanding glossary of NFL-related diction.

How many times has an octopus happened in the NFL?

Octopuses have occurred fairly consistently since the NFL added two-point conversions in its official scoring system in 1994. As of Aug. 26, there have been 188 Octopuses scored.

Some of football's greatest talents appear on the Octopus list, including Patrick Mahomes (Week 9, 2022), Aaron Rodgers (Week 16, 2018), Calvin Johnson (Week 2, 2010) and Randy Moss (Week 17, 1998; Week 15, 2000; Week 9, 2009).

A complete list of NFL Octopuses is available to parse through on Pro-Football-Reference.

Who scored the first octopus in the NFL?

According to Pro-Football-Reference, the first-ever Octopuses in league history took place on Sept. 11, 1994. On that day, both Torrance Small and Rob Moore hit the mark. Curtis Conway added an Octopus of his own on Sept. 12, making Week 2 of the 1994 season one of the most prolific weeks in league history by way of Octopuses.

Has there ever been an octopus in the Super Bowl?

Jalen Hurts made history in Super Bowl 57, recording the game's first (and to date, only) Octopus. After scampering past the Chiefs defense for a two-yard score, Hurts proceeded to repeat the move on the ensuing two-point conversion.

Who knows who will be next to bring the mollusk to the biggest stage of American sport. People will certainly know what to call it when it does happen, however.

David Suggs

David Suggs Photo

David Suggs is a content producer at The Sporting News. A long-suffering Everton, Wizards and Commanders fan, he has learned to get used to losing over the years. In his free time, he enjoys skateboarding (poorly), listening to the likes of Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and D’Angelo, and penning short journal entries.