Lambeau Leap

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

The first Lambeau Leap occurred on December 26, 1993, in a historically cold game between the Green Bay Packers and the Los Angeles Raiders. With the Packers leading 14–0 in the fourth quarter, Raiders quarterback Vince Evans took the snap, rolled to his right, and completed a short pass to running back Randy Jordan. Jordan was immediately hit by Packers safety LeRoy Butler and fumbled the ball. The ball bounced directly into Packers defensive lineman Reggie White's hands; White turned around and tried to run to the end zone. However, Raiders guard Steve Wisniewski got a hold of White and slowly tackled him. As White was being tackled, he lateraled the ball to Butler, who ran the ball the rest of the way to the end zone for a touchdown. After Butler scored, he dropped the ball, pointed to the bleachers, and leaped into the first row of fans, who then proceeded to embrace him for a few seconds. Butler dropped back down to the field, recovered the ball, and celebrated the score with his teammates. The Packers went on to win the game 28–0. The win clinched the team's first playoff berth in 11 years. At the time, instant replay was not in use in the NFL. Broadcast replays clearly showed White lateraling the ball before stepping out of bounds. The Raiders also argued that Jordan never fully completed catching the football and the pass should have been ruled incomplete. Although other players would perform the Leap, it was popularized by wide receiver Robert Brooks, who would do it after every touchdown he scored. When the NFL updated rules regarding excessive celebrations in 2000 and 2014, the Lambeau Leap was grandfathered into the new rules, permitting it to continue, because it was an individual act of celebration that did not take on the form of taunting.

In Their Own Story

In the north end zone, breath plumed in the sub-zero air as a singular, deafening roar erupted from the crowd. The quarterback scrambled, slipping past a tackle that would have killed the drive, and lofted a spiral into the swirling snow. It landed perfectly in the hands of the receiver near the pylon. As he crossed the plane, he didn't sprint toward the sideline; instead, he pivoted, eyes locked on the sea of green-and-gold faces just feet away. With an adrenaline-fueled burst that defied the temperature, he launched himself upward. Arms shot out from the stands—a collective safety net of strangers who had known each other for decades—scooping him mid-air as the stadium shook with a roar that seemed to vibrate through the frozen earth.

Reader's Guide

The Lambeau Leap is performed by a player leaping into the bleachers behind the end zone after scoring a touchdown. The wall between the field and stands was lowered during a 2003 renovation of Lambeau Field, allowing for an easier leap. Players have noted safety concerns, including inappropriate touching by fans, drinks and food spilled on them, and difficulty completing the Leap (e.g., crashing into the wall or not jumping high enough). Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the NFL removed fans from the first six to eight rows of the stands during the 2020 NFL season, effectively banning the Leap for that season, though players could still leap into empty stands to reenact it. The celebration is now an expectation for all Packers players who score at Lambeau Field. Occasionally, an opposing player will attempt a Lambeau Leap, with mixed results.

Did You Know?

• The first Lambeau Leap was performed by LeRoy Butler on December 26, 1993, after a fumble recovery touchdown against the Los Angeles Raiders.
• The Lambeau Leap was grandfathered into NFL celebration rules in 2000 and 2014 because it was an individual act that did not taunt.
• A statue commemorating the Leap was unveiled outside Lambeau Field in 2015, featuring four Packers fans but no shortened replica of the end zone wall.