Every year, the NFL features some quality moments in the regular season and the playoffs. There's a great amount of plays coming from all sides of the field and features some of the most shocking plays from punt and kick returns to some ultimate defensive plays. From Drew Brees and Chris Johnson setting records to some amazing plays like Jerome Simpson's front flip and DeSean Jackson's walkoff punt return for a touchdown, these are the Cleats Worn for the 25 Most Defining NFL Moments of the Past 5 Years.
Rafael Canton is a freelance writer from Queens, NY and contributor to Sneaker Report. Anytime there is a conversation about the NBA, music, or nutella, he can be found in the thick of the discussion. He can be found on Twitter @RafelitoC7.
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No. 25 - Under Armour Nitro Diablo MC
Worn By: Torrey Smith for the Baltimore Ravens
Year: 2012
24 hours after his brother passed away in a motorcycle accident, Torrey Smith responded to the unfortunate accident with a spirited performance against the New England Patriots. The Baltimore Ravens wide receiver said that he only got one hour of sleep, but still put his game face on and toughed it out. Smith finished the game with a strong stat line of 127 receiving yards and two touchdowns including one late in the 31-30 victory for the Ravens.
No. 24 - Nike Vapor Jet
Worn By: Brad Smith for the New York Jets
Year: 2010
It's hard to return a kickoff for a touchdown, but imagine returning one while missing one shoe. Brad Smith of the New York Jets was able to do that rather easily as he returned a kickoff 89 yards for a touchdown to extend the Jets' lead over the Bengals 24-10. The Jets would add two more points to win the game 26-10.
No. 23 - Nike Alpha Speed D
Worn By: Jerome Simpson for the Cincinnati Bengals
Year: 2011
We thought we saw everything in the NFL, until we saw Jerome Simpson convert a successful front flip into a touchdown. The Bengals wide receiver scored to make the game 16-0 and would prove to be valuable as the Bengals ended up winning only 23-16.
No. 22 - Nike Air LT 2.1 TD
Worn By: Chris Johnson for the Tennessee Titans
Year: 2010
No. 21 - Reebok NFL U-Form 4 Speed Mid M4
Worn By: Roddy White for the Atlanta Falcons
Year: 2010
No. 20 - Nike Air Zoom Merciless
Worn By: Michael Vick for the Philadelphia Eagles
Year: 2010
Michael Vick has seen better days lately with the Philadelphia Eagles, but he can always reminisce on November 15th, 2010. Vick became the first player in NFL history with at least 300 yards passing, 50 yards rushing, four passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns in a game. Even better, the Eagles won the game 59-28. The main highlight has to be this fantastic 88-yard pass from Vick to Desean Jackson to start the game.
No. 19 - Nike Vapor Talon Elite
Worn By: Mario Manningham for the New York Giants
Year: 2012
The Super Bowl is all about making the clutch play to help your team to victory and Mario Manningham did just that. With the Giants down 17-15, Manningham caught a 39-yard pass from Eli Manning while staying inbounds barely. The pass would prove to be big as the Giants would score with 57 seconds left to make the final score 21-17.
No. 18 - Nike Speed TD
Worn By: Leon Washington for the Seattle Seahawks
Year: 2010
It's hard enough to return one kickoff for a touchdown, but to return two kickoff for touchdowns is pretty spectacular. The Seahawks return man Leon Washington was able to return the football 101, and 99 yards on two separate occasions. Those two kickoffs were important as they helped the Seahawks defeat the Chargers 27-20. One of them was the final touchdown of the game.
No. 17 - Nike Zoom Vapor Carbon Fly
Worn By: Kyle Williams for the San Francisco 49ers
Year: 2012
In a night to forget, Kyle Williams fumbled twice for the 49ers on punt returns during their game against the New York Giants. Williams was returning punts because of an injury to Ted Ginn, Jr.. He fumbled for a second time in overtime on the San Francisco 24-yard line which led directly to a Giants score.
No. 16 - Nike Super Speed D 3/4
Worn By: James Harrison for the Pittsburgh Steelers
Year: 2009
No. 15 - Nike Vapor Talon Elite
Worn By: Karlos Dansby for the Arizona Cardinals
Year: 2010
Karlos Dansby made an important fumble return to help lead the Cardinals to a 51-45 victory over the Packers. Many people consider this one of the best playoff games ever and it ended on a fumble by Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The overtime affair was a high-scoring and wild game.
No. 14 - adidas adiZero 5-Star
Worn By: Robert Griffin III for the Washington Redskins
Year: 2012
RG III put his adidas adiZero 5-Star on display during a great Thanksgiving performance against the Dallas Cowboys last year. Griffin threw for 311 yards and four touchdowns. Washington built a 28-3 lead at halftime and ended up winning 38-31 in the Thanksgiving special.
No. 13 - Nike Vapor Jet 4.2
Worn By: Tracy Porter for the New Orleans Saints
Year: 2010
The New Orleans Saints Super Bowl matchup with the Indianapolis Colts was expected to be a very enticing matchup. The game featured a head-to-head battle between elite quarterbacks in Peyton Manning and Drew Brees. Wildly viewed as underdogs, the Saints were able to take a lead behind an onside kick which was a gutty call in its own right. The Saints sealed the victory thanks to Tracy Porter's interception return for a touchdown to end the game 31-17 in the favor of the Saints.
No. 12 - Reebok Zig Blaze Mid SD4
Worn By: Peyton Manning for the Denver Broncos
Year: 2013
Peyton Manning broke an NFL record with seven touchdowns in the opening game of the season against the Baltimore Ravens. Manning became the sixth player to throw for that many touchdowns and he was the first player since Joe Kapp on Sept. 28, 1969. Manning was fantastic going 27-of-42 for 462 yards with no interceptions with a quarterback rating of 141.1.
No. 11 - Nike Zoom Vapor Carbon Fly
Worn By: Desean Jackson for the Philadelphia Eagles
Year: 2010
Desean Jackson proved how important Special teams is in winning a football game. With a matchup between the Eagles and the New York Giants all tied up 31 all and 12 seconds left, Jackson returned a punt for 65 yards to cap off a comeback by the Eagles in which they scored 21 unanswered with 5:32 left in the fourth quarter. Jackson had the Giants Special Teams looking foolish with his blazing speed.
No. 10 - Nike Alpha Talon Elite 3/4
Worn By: Tim Tebow for the Denver Broncos
Year: 2012
Tebowmania was in full force during the 2011 NFL season. Tim Tebow became the starting quarterback of the Denver Broncos and led them to a playoff appearance with some solid play. Tebow showed out in the Broncos Wild Card victory against the Pittsburgh Steelers with an 80-yard pass to Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas in overtime to move the Broncos to the first round.
No. 9 - Nike Vapor Talon Elite 3/4 Blackout
Worn By: Adrian Peterson for the Minnesota Vikings
Year: 2012
Adrian Peterson's return from a torn MCL and ACL is the stuff made of legends. Peterson became just the seventh running back in NFL history to pass 2,000 yards rushing and he only fell nine yards shy of Eric Dickerson's current rushing record. Even more important, the Vikings made the playoffs with the 37-34 victory over the Green Bay Packers.
No. 8 - Nike CJ81 Elite TD
Worn By: Calvin Johnson for the Detroit Lions
Year: 2012
Calvin Johnson was pretty much unstoppable during the 2012 NFL season. Johnson was one of the elite wide receivers and put up one of the more fantastic seasons from a wide receiver in recent memory. Even though the Lions lost to the Atlanta Falcons 31-18, Johnson had 11 receptions for 225 yards, giving him 1,892 receiving yards for the season which broke Jerry Rice's record from 1995. Megatron also became the first player with 100 yards receiving in eight straight games and the first with 10 receptions in four games in a row in league history.
No. 7 - Nike Air Zoom Super Bad II
Worn By: Randy Moss for the New England Patriots
Year: 2010
Randy Moss is known for his great athletic ability, and he showed those amazing capabilities when he made a fantastic one-handed catch against the New York Jets. Matched up against one of the best cornerback in the NFL Darrelle Revis, Moss beat Revis down field and made a tough catch look like clockwork in his Nike Air Zoom Super Bad II's.
No. 6 - Nike Zoom Alpha Talon
Worn By: Ndamukong Suh for the Detroit Lions
Year: 2011
Ndamukong Suh has established himself as a high-talent defensive lineman, but on Thanksgiving 2011, his reputation took a turn for the worst when he stomped on Green Bay Packers offensive lineman Evan Dietrich-Smith. Suh's placement of his Nike Zoom Alpha Talon caused his ejection in the Lions 27-15 loss against the Packers and he was suspended for two games after the incident.
No. 5 - Nike Air Zoom Super Bad 3
Worn By: Drew Brees for the New Orleans Saints
Year: 2012
Drew Brees has had a phenomenal career, and his success culminated last year when he broke Johnny Unitas' 52-year record of 47-straight games with a touchdown pass. Brees accomplished the feat all while wearing the Nike Air Zoom Super Bad 3. Even more important, the Saints got the win 31-24 behind four touchdown passes from Brees.
No. 4 - Nike Speed TD
Worn By: Marshawn Lynch for the Seattle Seahawks
Year: 2011
The run by Marshawn Lynch effectively known as "Beast Mode" was an awe-inspiring performance in the Seahawks playoff matchup with the New Orleans Saints. Lynch broke tackle after tackle on his way to a 67-yard touchdown run. The run clinched the 41-36 win for the Seahawks and literally made the ground shake.
No. 3 - Nike Lunar Superbad Pro TD
Worn By: Mark Sanchez for the New York Jets
Year: 2012
The "Butt Fumble" will go down in NFL history as one of the most embarrassing and funny moments in NFL history. While on the run, New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez took a wrong turn and his face met guard Brandon Moore's backside. The Butt Fumble was a perfect example for how bad the Jets were in their 49-19 loss to the New England Patriots. Unfortunately for Sanchez, the Butt Fumble will go on his highlight (or lowlight) reel. If you ever want to see the science behind the infamous Butt Fumble, check this out.
No. 2 - Nike Super Speed D 3/4
Worn By: Mike Thomas for the Jacksonville Jaguars
Year: 2010
The Nike Super Speed D 3/4 features a zero space anatomical liner for custom fit, protective toe bumper, vented ankle window for breathability, EVA sockliner with Poron forefoot, and a seven-studded outsole design. The Super Speed must've helped Mike Thomas after he made this shocking 50-yard touchdown catch to win the game for the Jacksonville Jaguars against the Houston Texans 31-24. Jaguars quarterback David Garrard threw a hail mary that was tipped in the air by Texans defensive back Glover Quin and simply fell into Thomas' hands. Thomas had just two touchdowns in his career before the miraculous touchdown catch.
No. 1 - Nike Vapor Talon Elite
Worn By: Golden Tate for the Seattle Seahawks
Year: 2012
Seattle and the Green Bay Packers played a pretty ugly game but the ending added to the ugliness. Golden Tate and Packers defensive back M.D. Jennings went up for a Hail Mary Pass, and confusion ensued. What seemed like a Packers interception was ruled a Seahawks touchdown leading to the Seattle victory. The Golden Tate Touchception play is special not specifically because of Tate, but it encapsulated the replacement referee problem that was going on at the time of the NFL-Referees lockout impasse. After the game, it would take only a couple of days before the NFL and the referees reached an agreement to end the referee lockout.
Rafael Canton is a freelance writer from Queens, NY and contributor to Sneaker Report. Anytime there is a conversation about the NBA, music, or nutella, he can be found in the thick of the discussion. He can be found on Twitter @RafelitoC7.
RELATED: The Sneakers Worn for the 50 Best Basketball Performances in NCAA History
RELATED: The Most Popular Cleats of the 2013 NFL Pre-Season