Video: 49ers’ rookie Brandon Aiyuk scores unbelievable touchdown

49ers rookie wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk put a new twist on the vertical route while scoring a touchdown in spectacular fashion Sunday night.

Aiyuk was racing down the sideline after receiving a quick. screen pass and, while measuring up fast-charging Marcus Epps, he leaped completely over the upright Eagles defender near the goal line for a meme-worthy score.

How improbable was Aiyuk’s score with 21 seconds left in the opening quarter? He had less than a 1 percent chance of scoring, according to ESPN’s NextGenStats.

The 38-yard touchdown injected life into a somewhat flat 49ers team that had been down 8-0 to winless Philadelphia. As stunning as Aiyuk’s leap may have been to a national television audience, it’s nothing he hasn’t done before.

He’s been avoiding tackles by leaping over them for years, beginning mostly when he was at Sierra College in Rocklin.

Aiyuk’s seemingly impossible leap also conjured up memories of another 49ers receiver known for his leaping ability.

It’s been nearly 35 years since Ronaldo Nehemiah, a world-record hurdler-turned football player, was the 49ers’ secret weapon at receiver. But Nehemiah, Bill Walsh’s pet project, had a minimal impact during his short-lived career from 1982-84. (Perhaps the best thing Nehemiah did was convince Walsh to trade up and select Jerry Rice in the 1985 draft).

Aiyuk’s impressive leaping ability may not quite measure up to vintage Nehemiah, but he’s already proven to be more than just an athletic specimen for Kyle Shanahan. Aiyuk’s touchdown Sunday marked the second consecutive game he’s delivered a touchdown on a running play.

The Rocklin-born Aiyuk scored his first NFL touchdown last week on a 19-yard run during a 36-9 win over the New York Giants. But, the 49ers took the former Arizona State star with the 25th pick mostly with his receiving abilities in mind. He came into Sunday’s game with seven catches for 91 yards.