Sam's catch at UF remains one of most memorable plays in FSU history
He didn't realize in the immediate aftermath that it was going to live forever.
P.K. Sam just knew it was the biggest play of his career and it helped the Seminoles beat the hated Florida Gators, 38-34, on that November evening in Gainesville.
But that 52-yard catch with 55 seconds left became legendary in an instant. Which is exactly what Sam's mom told him afterward, when she was congratulating her son on the game-winning touchdown.
"I was really an innocent, naive type of kid," Sam said. "I didn't really understand how big it was until after the game. Coach Daryl Dickey (FSU's quarterbacks coach at the time) was like, 'Did you keep the ball?' I was like, 'What do you mean did I keep it? ... No.' And he just kind of laughed and patted me on the back.
"And then my mom is the real emotional one. My dad is the tough guy. And my mom came to me and said, 'P.K. That's going to live forever. ... That's never going to die.' So she was the first one that really put it in my head."
She wasn't wrong. That Chris Rix-to-P.K. Sam touchdown in the final minute of the 2003 FSU-Florida game is still one of the most memorable plays in the storied rivalry.
But looking back, it was just the last in a long line of big plays -- by both teams -- on that memorable afternoon.
The Seminoles came into the game with a 9-2 record and were ranked No. 9 in the nation. Florida had the same record and was No. 11.
To Gator fans, the game came to be known as, "The Swindle in the Swamp," and led to UF athletics director Jeremy Foley demanding that the home team got its own conference officials each year.
But in reality, of the "controversial" calls that occurred in that game, there was only one -- the Antonio Cromartie fumble on the opening kickoff that wasn't called -- that was obviously incorrect. The refs got the rest right, at least according to all the available camera angles.
And as much as the Gators and their fans (and apparently their administrators) thought they were cheated out of a win, the reality is that they got beat by Chris Rix for a second straight season.
The junior quarterback finished 14-of-19 for 256 yards and three touchdowns. His first TD pass was a 35-yard strike to Dominic Robinson, the converted defensive back who stepped in for the injured Craphonso Thorpe.
Rix, who was one of the most polarizing quarterbacks in FSU history, also rushed for a touchdown in the fourth quarter, which gave the Seminoles a momentary 31-27 lead.
A long Leon Washington kick return in the first half led to another Rix TD pass -- a 20-yard pass to tight end Matt Henshaw. And Pat Watkins also had a fumble return for a touchdown.
Florida had its share of big plays as well. A Keiwan Ratliff fumble return started the Gators' scoring in the second half, and then freshman QB Chris Leak hit tight end Ben Troupe for a 25-yard TD pass with 2:50 left to give the Gators a 34-31 lead.
All that did was set the stage for Sam's heroics in the final minute.
Well, Sam's and Robinson's.
Because if the latter doesn't pick up a crucial fourth-and-14 with a twisting catch over the middle, then the former doesn't live on forever with his TD catch a play later.
"To be honest," Sam said, "every athlete says they felt like, 'Oh, we could do it.' But I felt like it was over. It was fourth-and-14. And there's no way with the play we called that it's going to work."
As Sam explained in the "War Chat" video above, that was because the play that ended up being called had just one of the eligible receivers running a route deep enough to get 14 yards. Sam was supposed to run a drag route about six yards past the line of scrimmage, but admitted he cut it short and didn't run full speed because he didn't want Rix to throw it him. He felt there was absolutely no way he could get the first down if he caught the ball at that depth.
When he saw Rix let loose a laser behind him, he turned around in time to see Robinson make the biggest catch of his life.
"And the next thing you know, D-Rob snags it and takes a shot and holds it," Sam said. "And I'm just like like a little kid at Christmas. That's my boy. That's my road roommate. So, I'm just going crazy.
"And so yeah, we're back in business. We got another four downs to try and do something."
As we all know, they only needed one down.
Rix rolled to his right on the next play, saw Sam downfield and let it fly as far as he could.
The route was only supposed to be about 25 yards, but when Rix didn't throw it on time -- and instead stepped to his right to avoid pressure -- Sam just kept running. And he ran right by Florida safety Gus Scott.
As he was running toward the end zone, Sam said, he heard the crowd made a sound. That's when he knew: "He friggin' threw the ball."
And everything slowed down. Everything went quiet.
"It's like a movie, when somebody hits slow motion," Sam said. "It's just hanging up there. Your adrenaline is so heightened you can't hear. It's just a weird feeling. Unless you've been through it, it's really hard to explain. ...
"And at that point, it's really luck of the draw. It missed his (Scott's) arm by probably an inch."
And it landed in Sam's hands. For one of the most memorable touchdowns in Florida State history.
"Really, 10 years (later) is when I realized this was a huge moment," Sam said. "I'm blessed to be a part of it. ... As a little boy, I would have never dreamt of being able to make a play like that.
"i hope it never dies."
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Talk about this story with other Florida State football fans in the Tribal Council