If you squint hard, Ravens tight end Phillip Supernaw really is kind of like Superman.
You never know when he's going to show up, but when he does, it's to swoop in and save the day when somebody is in trouble.
This time, the damsel in distress was rookie tight end Crockett Gillmore, who was sidelined by a back injury. Last week, Supernaw was re-signed to the practice squad, then brought up to the 53-man roster, then activated for Sunday's game in Miami.
And with the Ravens holding just a one-point fourth-quarter lead over the Dolphins, Supernaw made the biggest play of his young career.
Quarterback Joe Flacco ran a play-action fake, rolled to his left and found Supernaw open behind Miami's linebackers. Supernaw made the catch (just his second as a Raven and third of his career) and rumbled down to the 2-yard line.
How awesome would it have been if he had leapt into the end zone Superman-style? Supernaw said he was "sick" that he didn't get over the goal line, which was obviously laced with kryptonite.
Still, the Ravens scored a touchdown three plays later that gave a 21-13 lead and a little breathing room one week after the Chargers came from behind to beat Baltimore.
It just added to the legend of Supernaw, who was featured on Jimmy Fallon and is becoming a bit of a Baltimore fan favorite because he's bounced up and down between the practice squad and active roster – and because he has an awesome last name.
On Monday, Head Coach John Harbaugh mentioned how the role players contributed to the win and had a little laugh about Supernaw.
"An article somewhere I came across, a guy said, 'A human being named Phillip Supernaw caught a pass.' I had to chuckle," Harbaugh said.
"Phillip Supernaw is a football player! He's been in our program for a long time. There's nobody that works harder or has more enthusiasm for what he does. He's a darn good football player."
An undrafted Ouachita Baptist product, Supernaw been already cut seven times in three years. He's been signed to the Ravens practice squad four times and had a three-week stretch in Kansas City. He's been part of 22 transactions total.
"With all this stuff this season, going back and forth from other teams and everything, it felt good," Supernaw said of the 29-yard catch. "It kind of solidified the fact that I needed to be here. It was only one catch, but it felt good to get rolling and get that one off my back."
The catch has spawned plenty of Supernaw Internet fun:
