Big Ten Network
Minnesota wide receiver Tyrone Tracy returns a punt against the Akron Zips.
If you’re not familiar with Minnesota Golden Gophers wide receiver Javon Tracy, you might want to hurry up and get familiar.
The fifth-year player and younger brother of New York Giants running back Tyrone Tracy is one of the best return men in college football and would have had his third return touchdown of the 2026 season on Saturday against Akron if not for a mistake that he won’t soon forget.
The Golden Gophers led the Zips 10-0 early in the second quarter when Tracy fielded a punt at his own 29-yard line. He quickly made a would-be Akron tackler miss and then took off down the middle of the field.
After stepping out of a low tackle attempt, it looked certain that Tracy was destined for the end zone. But it wasn’t to be…
Minnesota punt returner 💀 don’t know that I’ve ever seen this before 🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/uFXtQSWabV
— Amy (@amyknowsball) September 19, 2026
What Was Javon Tracy Thinking?!
Instead, out of either celebration or concern that he would be caught, Tracy continued to look back toward the Akron coverage team. Unfortunately, while he did so, he ran directly out of bounds at the 8-yard line with nothing else between him and the end zone but green grass.
Thankfully for Tracy, who transferred to Minnesota from the University of Miami (Ohio) two years ago, the Golden Gophers would score three plays later. They went on to win the game 41-7, and his blunder was nothing more than a footnote.
But that doesn’t mean the internet was going to let him get away with it.
“Dude literally zoned out like us driving down the road sometimes!” former Georgia and ESPN star David Pollack said on X.
“No shot dude from Minnesota had a brain freeze I don’t think I’ve ever seen something like that before,” wrote Nick Perkins.
Listen, we all have our moments. Unfortunately for Tracy, his moment was broadcast live on national television. Hopefully he can at least look back on it now and laugh with the rest of us.