The ball skills of Derrick Mayes…
If someone were to mention “big play Notre Dame” wide receiver, my mind would immediately go to Mayes. It wasn’t that he would turn the routine into the spectacular. It was that he made the improbable a certainty. Throw it up in the air. Mayes was going to find it and he was going to reel it in. In 1993 as a sophomore against Boston College, Mayes had his “Welcome to the World” moment with a 50-yard reception from Kevin McDougal. It was both timely as it kept the game alive for an Irish team trying to stage a comeback and unbelievable due to the mid-air twisting of his body that needed to happen to complete the catch. This continued over the course of the next two seasons where he had at least 45 catches and 800 receiving yards averaging at least 18 yards per catch in both his junior and senior seasons. That his career capping two-touchdown Orange Bowl performance against Florida State included essentially an end zone prayer from backup quarterback Tom Krug that he won over future NFLer Samari Rolle was perfection. Though he may not have garnered the accolades that others in more high-powered passing attacks may have received, Mayes was certainly worthy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0UWqxt8wKY
Next: Contested Catch Ability