Sports Reference Blog

Help Us Find Out Who Threw The Most Pick-Sixes

Posted by Jonah Gardner on January 20, 2016

UPDATE: Thanks so much for all your help! We have matched up every pick six that we were missing to a QB with 2 exceptions. The two missing games are:

Willie Buchanon's vs the Chargers on Sept. 24, 1978

Joe Beauchamp's vs the Broncos on Sept. 24, 1972

If you know who threw either of those pick-sixes, leave a comment here or hit us up on Twitter, Facebook, Reddit, or email!

The original post is below, but do not worry about the Google Sheet anymore. Thanks to everyone who submitted responses so far!

Like Matt Schaub and Jake Delhomme before us, Pro-Football-Reference wants to build a substantial library of pick-sixes. However, since we're not football players, we have to settle for the next best thing: creating a list of who threw every pick-six in the NFL since 1970. We have complete play-by-play starting 1994, so the last 21 years are all filled in. We also have box scores going back to 1960, so we have a list of every pick-six and who scored, but there's one problem: the box scores don't say who threw them.

In most cases, we can use the info that we do have to figure this out. For example, in this game from 1987, the Chargers had a pick-six. Since John Elway was the only QB to throw an INT in that game, we know that he was the culprit. However, not every game is that simple. More specifically, there are 159 games that aren't that simple.

For example, in this Lions-Vikings game from 1993, the Vikes had a 63-yard INT for a TD. But the Lions had 2 players who threw an INT in that game. Since we don't have information about who was playing QB at what point in that game, we can't know for sure whether the INT TD should be "credited" to Andre Ware or Rodney Peete.

This is where you come in. We've created a Google Form with all 159 where we're missing the data we need. Do you have a gamebook or old newspaper story that mentions who threw the INT that went for a TD? Were you at that game or watching it on TV? Just happen to have all of Kelly Stouffer's pick-sixes committed to memory? Whatever it is, any help that you can provide would be greatly appreciated!

You don't need to know or fill out all 159 on the form; even filling in one or two would be tremendously helpful! If you have any questions, don't hesitate to hit us up on e-mail, social media, or here in the comments. Thanks!

Again, here is the form! Let's go get some pick-sixes (said no coach, ever)

7 Responses to “Help Us Find Out Who Threw The Most Pick-Sixes”

  1. Brad O. Says:

    Terrific project, so glad someone is doing this. When might this information (complete or otherwise) be available on PFR?

  2. 270 Says:

    You should consider adding a field for sources if that's easy to do.

    Here's the two I just entered, I'll probably do a few more throughout the day.

    Bears-Packers 1980, David Whitehurst:

    "Thinking discretion was the better part of valor, Starr benched Dickey in favor of backup QB David Whitehurst. Starr might as well have put a giant target on the fresh quarterback with Buddy Ryan calling the defensive shots, and with Allan Page bearing down on him, he threw an easy pick to Len Walterscheid, who ran it back to give the Bears defense as many points as the Packers offense. 54-7. "

    http://www.windycitygridiron.com/2011/9/21/2441271/from-the-archive-december-7th-1980-vs-packers

    Colts-Pats 1980, Bert Jones:

    "the team also scored on a pair of fumbled kickoff returns and a 42-yard interception by linebacker Rod Shoate"

    "Jones, who has been shelved by shoulder injuries in the past, was hurt with 9:44 left in the second quarter when he was hit by linebacker Mike Hawkins.

    He reinjured the shoulder on the interception to Shoate, his first pass of the second half, and did not return."

    http://www.upi.com/Archives/1980/11/23/The-New-England-Patriots-rediscovered-their-rushing-game-Sunday/4285343803600/

  3. Jonah Gardner Says:

    Its hard to say when it will be live since it depends on how long it takes to get all the answers. But it should be soon!

  4. David Salituro Says:

    According to the book Game of My Life: Memorable Stories of Packer Football by Chuck Carlson, Buchanon's interception came off Cliff Olander with 2:16 left in the game.

    Excerpt from the book: "For whatever reason, the Chargers had no clue that day against the Packers. Starting quarterback James Harris threw two interceptions, forcing Prothro to insert the ailing Fouts, who fired two more interceptions of his own. Even the No. 3 quarterback, some guy by the name of Cliff Olander, got into the charity by throwing the fifth interception of the game. That last one went to Buchanon, who took it back 77 yards for the score with 2:16 to play.

  5. David Salituro Says:

    Here is the gamebook for the Broncos-Chargers game with the Beauchamp interception: http://media.denverbroncos.com/images/9008/1970s/2_Den_at_SD_09_24_1972_Gamebook.pdf

    Beauchamp's return came off Charley Johnson with 2:07 left in the 2nd quarter.

  6. Cam Says:

    http://www.packershistory.net/1978PACKERS/GAME4.html
    Willie Buchanon intercepted James Harris's pass for a pick six.

  7. Cam Says:

    Never mind