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          New York Jets WR Malachi Corley learns from touchdown blooper

          • Rich Cimini, ESPN Staff WriterNov 6, 2024, 06:20 PM ET
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              Rich Cimini is a staff writer who covers the New York Jets and the NFL at ESPN. Rich has covered the Jets for over 30 years, joining ESPN in 2010. Rich also hosts the Flight Deck podcast. He previously was a beat writer for the New York Daily News and is a graduate of Syracuse University. You can follow him via Twitter @RichCimini.
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          FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- New York Jets rookie Malachi Corley became a social media sensation last week, but not in a flattering way. On "Thursday Night Football," he wiped out what would've been his first NFL touchdown by dropping the ball a split second before crossing the goal line.

          "It's not a defining moment for me," Corley said Wednesday, commenting for the first time on his blooper.

          Corley, a wide receiver from Western Kentucky, said he's "grateful" the Jets won the game -- 21-13 over the Houston Texans -- because "it could've got really bad for me" if they had lost. The victory, which preserved the Jets' remote playoff chances, allowed Corley to laugh it off.

          He showed no remorse, saying it was a "great experience" even though he cost his team seven points and possession of the ball. He fumbled out of the end zone, resulting in a touchback.

          Nevertheless, Corley still is proud of what he accomplished, how he was able to buzz through the Houston defense on a jet sweep -- untouched -- for what turned out to be an 18-yard run on his first NFL rushing attempt.

          Problem was, he needed 19 for the touchdown. Thinking he had reached pay dirt, he released the ball to start his end zone celebration. A replay review confirmed his faux pas.

          An embarrassing moment?

          "No, not at all," he said. "You take things with a grain of salt. You play this game for a long time and you see a lot more and a lot less embarrassing things happen on the field. For me, it was a great learning experience overall. I was still extremely excited to run across the end zone line and be able to jet around the field and do all that type of stuff. So it was fun overall."

          Corley estimated that he has scored more than 200 touchdowns as a player, going back to his youth in Campbellsville, Kentucky (population 11,434). This was the first time he did anything like that, but he's not overthinking it. The only thing he needs to do better, he said, is hold on to the ball for another six inches.

          His teammates offered encouraging words. Davante Adams told Corley it almost happened to him a while back. Mike Williams, traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Tuesday, told him how former Philadelphia Eagles star DeSean Jackson once did the same thing in 2008.

          Corley didn't sound like he needed a lot of cheering up.

          "Unbelievable," he said, recalling the moment. "You wait your entire life to have an opportunity to score a touchdown in the NFL. For me to have an opportunity that came so easily because of the guys around me ... it was a great experience overall. I was relishing the moment. Even after it happened, it was such an elevated feeling for me that it was hard to [take away]."

          Despite the blunder, Corley could see an increased role Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals. Because of the Williams trade, the backup receivers will move up a notch on the depth chart. For Corley, a third-round pick who has played only a handful of snaps on offense, it could mean an opportunity for redemption.

          Corley knows how he will react if he scores touchdown. He will present it to interim coach Jeff Ulbrich, who told the rookie after last week's mistake that he owes him one.

          "I'm probably going to hold on to the ball all the way to the sideline and give it to Coach Brick and let him know that I owed him that one," Corley said.