Heath Pearce Does Best Randolph Childress, Barry Sanders Impersonation with Ankle-Breaking Dribble (Video)

If you think you know Heath Pearce, think again.

In Sunday’s MLS game between the New York Red Bulls and D.C. United, New York’s oft-maligned left back flipped the script with a bit of skill that no one could have seen coming.

Pearce spends most games trying to stay in front of opposing attackers — often to mixed results. However, in the 36th minute the defender decided to give United midfielder Danny Cruz a taste of his own medicine.

Receiving the ball on the left flank, Pearce went left, right, then finally left again; sending an embarrassed Cruz crashing to the ground, ankles thoroughly broken.

Pearce’s nifty dribble brings to mind some other great ankle-breakers. Randolph Childress‘s crossover in the 1995 ACC Tournament final proved that taunting does have a place in sports. Meanwhile, this shimmy by Barry Sanders actually tore the ACL of NFL Hall-of-Famer Rod Woodson.

Check out Pearce’s juke in the video below.

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Thumbnail photo via Flickr/aitch.bomb