TEMPE, Ariz. — On Oct. 5, the high school coach watched Arizona Cardinals running back Emari Demercado drop the ball just before reaching the goal line, an easy touchdown wiped away, an embarrassing brain lapse that would produce national ridicule.
At 4:51 p.m., Jack Williams, who had coached Demercado at Downey High School in California, grabbed his phone and sent a text message.
Keep your head up. You can’t change it. Learn from it. Run to the end of the end zone next time. We both know you’re better than that. Believe in yourself. When you go home and see your family, this is what you’re doing it for. I love you, man.
An NFL season is ultimately defined by its highlights, viral moments that lead to the playoffs and beyond. Certain mishaps, however, can have similar shelf lives. Demercado’s 72-yard, fourth-quarter sprint to the end zone could have secured a win against the Tennessee Titans. Instead, it triggered a Tennessee rally that led to a devastating 22-21 loss.
NOT AGAIN!
For the second week in a row, a player has dropped the ball before crossing the end zone.
Cardinals RB Emari Demercado is responsible for this mistake.
🎥 @NFL pic.twitter.com/sTNLP0RgkA
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) October 5, 2025
Williams was stunned. He never would have guessed Demercado would have made such a mistake. The running back had come so far in his football journey, cleared one hurdle after another. Multiple injuries in high school. Waiting his turn in college.
Years ago, Williams was not even fully aware of Demercado’s talent. Every year, the Downey coaching staff picked the fastest player at each position. Ten players then lined up to run a 50-yard dash to determine the team’s fastest player. Entering his junior season, Demercado approached Williams.
“You don’t think I’m fast?” he said.
“You’re fast, but you’re not this kind of fast,” Williams said.
Demercado convinced Williams to let him race.
And he won easily.
Still, Demercado struggled to attract big-time college attention. Cal Poly offered a scholarship that Williams said would have covered 85-90 percent of his tuition. UC Davis and the military academies had reported interest. Demercado asked Williams if he thought he could play power-conference football. Williams told him yes, but only if he stayed healthy. The head coach suggested junior college. Demercado said he was interested.
Williams called Mark McElroy.
On Oct. 5, McElroy wasn’t watching when Demercado dropped the ball. He didn’t get the Arizona-Tennessee game in Southern California. But it didn’t take long for him to hear about it.
His reaction: “What?”
McElroy coached for 22 years at Saddleback College, a two-year school in Mission Viejo. He calls Demercado one of his all-time favorites, not just because of how the running back played on the field, but for how he handled himself and worked off it.
After watching video of Demercado breaking through the line, sprinting into open space only to drop the football, McElroy texted his former player.
This is going to be around you for a while. Unless you decide to let it go, it’s going to keep going. But one mistake will not define you.
Emari Demercado had nothing but grass in front of him on Oct. 5 when he committed one of the most infamous mistakes in football — dropping the ball before crossing the goal line. (Matt Kartozian / Imagn Images)
McElroy noticed how left tackle Paris Johnson had consoled Demercado on the sideline. He had heard quarterback Kyler Murray tell reporters that Demercado was among his closest friends in the locker room. This told McElroy that Demercado had the respect of his teammates.
At Saddleback, Demercado had rushed for 1,026 yards and 15 touchdowns. He also caught 54 passes for 443 yards. After one season, he earned a scholarship to TCU, where he spent five seasons, always contributing but also always next in line. He saved his best for last, rushing for a career-best 150 yards in a College Football Playoff semifinals win over Michigan. A first-team Academic All-Big 12 selection, Demercado earned a master’s degree in business analytics and graduated with a 3.74 grade-point average.
“He was never probably the main guy, but he was always the most steady guy,” said Anthony Jones, Jr., who was Demercado’s position coach his senior season. “That’s who he’s been for many years. He helped TCU win a lot of games. We would not have played in the (2022) national championship game if it wasn’t for him. He’s the ultimate teammate. And at the end of the day, I think he just wants to help his team win.”
On the plane ride home from Monday night’s win over the Dallas Cowboys, Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett was talking to offensive coordinator Drew Petzing when he recalled a play that had unfolded late in Arizona’s 27-17 win.
“How about Emari going down inbounds?” Brissett said.
After the Tennessee loss, Demercado hurt an ankle the next week against Indianapolis. The injury kept him out of Arizona’s Oct. 19 home loss to Green Bay, but after a bye week, Demercado returned against the Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. He played a big role, rushing 14 times for 79 yards, but it was the fourth-quarter play that impressed everyone.
With Arizona leading 27-17 with 4 minutes left, Demercado cut outside, following the lead of center Hjalte Froholdt and tight end Trey McBride. The third-year running back stiff-armed a Dallas defender as he was pushed to the sideline. Before running out of bounds, Demercado dropped to the turf. Two Arizona staffers waved their arms, a referee’s signal to keep the clock running. Head coach Jonathan Gannon, who had been fined $100,000 for striking Demercado on the sideline after his Tennessee gaffe, clenched his fists and yelled.
“That’s big-time right there,” Brissett said.
The Cardinals (3-5) have struggled closing all season. Yet, in Monday’s final minutes, the poster child of their ineptness made the game’s smartest play.
“That’s a testament to someone’s true character — how can you battle back from any mistake?” receiver Marvin Harrison, Jr. said. “I kind of had to go through that myself. I’ve been right there with him, through all the ups and downs, all the mistakes you make, it’s part of playing football at this level. Obviously, there’s always a spotlight, especially in losses. He’s done a good job of bouncing back.”
On Wednesday, Demercado stood in the Arizona locker room, sharing with reporters what the past month had been like. It got pretty bad, he said. He turned off his social-media notifications so he would not be alerted every time someone had something nasty to say.
The best advice he received: “The ones that love you won’t judge you, and the ones that judge you don’t love you.”
Demercado didn’t run from the mistake. Like he had done after the game, he said he had made a “bone-headed” play, gotten too caught up in the celebration. But he realized quickly that this would not define him. He had overcome too much to get here.
“That’s what helped me this time,” Demercado said. “Spending time with my family, my son, my girlfriend. When you know who you are outside of football, it helps when you don’t have football. Everybody’s kind of — what word do I want to use? — crapping on you. I just had to separate myself from that. It was real nice, though, just to settle down, get support from my family and friends. It really shows if you be genuine to people, people will be genuine to you.”