Most touchdowns scored in a game

Rick Stewart/Getty Images

Fifteen pro football players have scored five or more TDs in a single game. That includes the AFL, which gave us three of the members of the high-scoring fraternity. Who are they, and when did they do it? One oddity: It happened twice in one day in 1965.

Bob Shaw

Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

The date was Oct. 2, 1950. The site was Comiskey Park. Bob Shaw of the Chicago Cardinals caught eight passes for 165 yards. Five of those grabs went for touchdowns in a 55-13 shellacking of the Baltimore Colts.

Dub Jones

Tony Tomsic-USA TODAY NETWORK

A year and a month later, at Cleveland’s Municipal Stadium, Dub Jones (pictured, No. 40) of the Browns had nine carries for 116 yards and four touchdowns. He tacked on three receptions for 80 yards and two scores in a 42-21 victory over the Bears.

Jim Brown

Scott R. Galvin-USA TODAY Sports

Jim Brown had a lot of highlights in his career. One of them came Nov. 1, 1959, at Baltimore Memorial Stadium. The all-time great back had 32 carries for 178 yards and five scores in a 38-31 thriller over the Baltimore Colts.

Abner Haynes

AP Photo,File

A stop in the AFL in 1961, Nov. 26, saw the Dallas Texans and Oakland Raiders meet. Texans running back Abner Haynes had 14 carries for 158 yards and four rushing TDs. He added two catches for 80 yards and another score in a 43-11 Dallas victory at the Cotton Bowl.

Billy Cannon

Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Heisman winner Billy Cannon became a second AFL player to score five TDs in one game. The Houston Oilers thrashed the New York Titans, 48-21, at the Polo Grounds on Dec. 10, 1961. Cannon caught two TD passes from Hall of Famer George Blanda and rushed for another three. Cannon accounted for 330 yards on 30 touches.

Cookie Gilchrist

Dick Raphael-USA TODAY Sports

A big, bruising running back, Cookie Gilchrist, lit up the New York Jets on Dec. 8, 1963. Gilchrist rushed for 243 yards on 36 carries and scored five TDs in a 45-14 victory for the Bills.

Paul Hornung

Press Photo

“The Golden Boy” Paul Hornung was one of two players to have a remarkable day on Dec. 12, 1965. Hornung, who won the Heisman on a losing team at Notre Dame, caught two passes for 115 yards and touchdowns from Bart Starr. He also carried 15 times for 61 yards and three scores in a 42-27 victory over the Baltimore Colts.

Gale Sayers

Herb Weitman-USA TODAY Sports

On the same day, Hornung went for five touchdowns, “The Kansas Comet” Gale Sayers went one better. The Chicago Bears great scored six touchdowns in a 61-20 romp over the San Francisco 49ers at Wrigley Field on Dec. 12, 1965. Sayers scored four rushing TDs while carrying nine times for 113 yards. He had two catches for 89 yards and a score. Sayers added an 85-yard punt return to a touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Kellen Winslow

Rick Stewart/Getty Images

Kellen Winslow of the San Diego Chargers made 13 catches for 144 yards and five scores in a 55-21 victory at Oakland on Nov. 22, 1981.

Jerry Rice

 Getty Images

The G.O.A.T. Jerry Rice had many huge games in his Hall-of-Fame career. When it came to reaching the end zone, the top performance came on Oct. 14, 1990, when the 49ers outlasted the Atlanta Falcons, 45-35. Rice had five touchdown catches among his 13 grabs for 225 yards.

Ricky Watters


Getty Images

Another 49er in the five-TD club is running back Ricky Watters. The former Notre Dame star had 24 carries for 118 yards and a handful of scores in a 44-3 victory over the New York Giants at Candlestick Park on Jan. 15, 1994. This happened in a Divisional round playoff game, no less.

James Stewart

Michael C. Hebert-USA TODAY NETWORK

One name that is surprising on this list is James Stewart of the Jacksonville Jaguars. In a 38-21 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Oct. 12, 1997, Stewart rushed for 102 yards on 15 carries with five scores.

Shaun Alexander

Kevin Casey/NFLPhotoLibrary

Seattle RB Shaun Alexander went off at Seahawks Stadium on Sept. 29, 2002, against the  Minnesota Vikings. In a 48-23 victory, the former Alabama star rushed for 139 yards and four TDs on 24 carries. He added another score on a reception, part of his three grabs for 92 yards.

Clinton Portis

Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

Before going to Washington for Champ Bailey, Clinton Portis was a valuable Denver Broncos RB. Portis had 22 carries for 218 yards and five scores in a 45-27 victory over Kansas City at Mile High, Dec. 7, 2003.

Jamaal Charles

Scott Halleran/Getty Images

The last pro to score five TDs in an NFL game was Kansas City’s Jamaal Charles, who had eight carries for 20 yards and a score. Charles was devastating in the passing game, catching four TD passes from Alex Smith as part of his eight grabs for 195 yards in a 56-31 road win over Oakland.