Super Bowl XXVIII
Encyclopedia
Super Bowl XXVIII was an American football
game played on January 30, 1994, at the Georgia Dome
in Atlanta, Georgia
, to decide the National Football League
(NFL) champion following the 1993 regular season
. The National Football Conference
(NFC) champion Dallas Cowboys
(15-4) defeated the American Football Conference
(AFC) champion Buffalo Bills
(14-5), 30–13. This was the first time in Super Bowl
history that the same two teams had met in two consecutive Super Bowls. The Cowboys won their fourth Super Bowl in team history, tying the Pittsburgh Steelers
and the San Francisco 49ers
for most Super Bowl wins, while the Bills became the first team to appear in 4 consecutive title games. Buffalo also joined the Minnesota Vikings
and the Denver Broncos
as the only teams to lose four, and garnered the dubious distinction of being the first and only team to lose four consecutive Super Bowls. This would be the last time in which both number 1 seeded playoff teams from each conference met in the Super Bowl until Super Bowl XLIV
.
Dallas scored 24 unanswered points in the second half. Cowboys running back Emmitt Smith
was named the Super Bowl MVP
, with 30 carries for 132 yards and 2 touchdowns, while also catching 4 passes for 26 yards.
was under construction at the time of the vote.
The Cowboys' journey to Super Bowl XXVIII proved more difficult than the previous contest. Pro Bowl running back Emmitt Smith
held out the first two regular season games over a contract dispute, and Dallas lost both of those contests. Pro Bowl quarterback Troy Aikman
, along with a few other key players, missed games due to injuries. Dallas still managed to finish with an NFC-best 12-4 record after defeating the New York Giants
in their final regular season game.
Though not as dynamic as the last year, Dallas' offense remained incredibly efficient. Led by Aikman who finished the regular season completing 271 out of 392 passes for 3,100 yards, 15 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions. Smith recorded 1,486 rushing yards and 9 touchdowns, while catching 57 passes for 414 yards and another touchdown, earning him the NFL Most Valuable Player Award
. Fullback Daryl Johnston
was also a realiable backfield threat, scoring four touchdowns and contributing a career high 50 receptions for 371 yards. Pro Bowler Michael Irvin
was once again the team's leading wide receiver with 88 catches for 1,330 yards and 7 touchdowns. Wide receiver Alvin Harper
had 36 catches for 777 yards and 5 touchdowns, while Pro Bowl tight end Jay Novacek
had 44 receptions for 445 yards and 1 touchdown. Pro Bowlers Mark Stepnoski
, Erik Williams
, and Nate Newton
anchored the offensive line.
The Cowboys' defense was anchored by such Pro Bowlers as lineman Russell Maryland
, linebacker Ken Norton Jr., along with defensive backs Thomas Everett
and Kevin Smith
, who picked off 6 passes during the season. Defensive end Tony Tolbert
led the team with 7.5 sacks.
once again led Buffalo's no-huddle offense by passing for 288 out of 470 regular season completions for 3,382 yards, 18 touchdowns, with 18 interceptions. Kelly was joining an elite class by starting this, his fourth Super Bowl. The only other quarterbacks to start four at the time were Roger Staubach
, Terry Bradshaw
and Joe Montana
, with John Elway
and Tom Brady
since joining this exclusive club. Kelly being the only one to start four consecutive Super Bowls.
Running back Thurman Thomas gained 1,315 rushing yards and 6 touchdowns, while also catching 48 passes for 387 yards. Running back Kenneth Davis rushed for 391 yards and 6 touchdowns, while also recording 21 receptions for 95 yards. Pro Bowl wide receiver Andre Reed
led the team with 52 receptions for 854 yards and 6 touchdowns; wide receiver Bill Brooks
had 60 receptions for 714 yards and 5 touchdowns; and wide receiver Don Beebe
recorded 31 receptions for 504 yards and 3 touchdowns. Also, Pete Metzelaars
led the Bills tight ends with 68 receptions for 609 yards and 4 touchdowns. And Pro Bowl offensive lineman Howard Ballard
anchored the line.
Buffalo's defense was still the team's weakness, ranking 28th (then-last) in the league, giving up 5,810 total yards. The defense did have a few good contributors such as Hall of Fame lineman Bruce Smith (14 sacks, 1 fumble recovery), Pro Bowl linebacker Cornelius Bennett
(5 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries), along with linebacker Darryl Talley
(101 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries, 3 interceptions) and cornerback Nate Odomes
, who led the NFL with 9 interceptions and recorded 1 fumble recovery.
, led by quarterback Jeff Hostetler
, who had led the New York Giants
to victory over the Bills in Super Bowl XXV
3 years earlier. In this game, the Raiders built up a 17-13 halftime lead, but Buffalo stormed back with 16 second half points. First they scored on Kelly's 25-yard touchdown pass to Brooks. Then on their next drive, kicker Steve Christie
made a 29-yard field goal to give the Bills a 23-17 lead. Los Angeles managed to respond with an 86-yard scoring strike from Hostetler to receiver Tim Brown, but Buffalo stormed right back with Brooks' 22-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter. The Bills ended up winning the game 29-23, having scored 16 points in a span of 6:18 in the second half. Kelly had a superb performance in the game, throwing for 287 yards and 2 touchdowns with no interceptions.
One week later, the Bills advanced to their fourth consecutive Super Bowl by blowing away the Kansas City Chiefs
30-13 in the AFC championship game. Thomas had a phenomenal performance in the game, rushing for 186 yards and 3 touchdowns, and catching 2 passes for 22 yards. On defense, the Bills limited Chiefs future hall of fame quarterback Joe Montana
to just 9 of 23 completions for 125 yards and no touchdowns, with 1 interception. In addition, Kansas City's future hall of fame running back Marcus Allen
was held to just 50 rushing yards on 18 carries.
In the NFC, Dallas' first opponent in the playoffs was the Green Bay Packers
, who were coming off a thrilling 28-24 win over the Detroit Lions in the wildcard round in which quarterback Brett Favre
had thrown the winning touchdown pass to Sterling Sharpe
with only 55 seconds left in the game. In this game, the Packers scored first with a field goal, but Dallas stormed back with 17 consecutive points in the second quarter. First Aikman threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Harper. Then with time running out the period, Dallas scored again on an Eddie Murray field goal. Green Bay then fumbled the ensuing kickoff, allowing the Cowboys to score again with Aikman's 6-yard pass to Novacek. The Cowboys went on to stave off an attempted Packers comeback in the second half and win the game 27-17. Aikman finished the game with 28 of 37 completions for 302 yards and 3 touchdowns, with 2 interceptions. Irvin recorded 9 catches for 126 yards and 2 touchdowns.
One week later, Dallas faced the San Francisco 49ers
in the NFC title game for the second year in a row in what was at the time the last NFL game to air on CBS
. The last time the 2 teams played, Dallas won when Aikman thwarted a 49ers attempted comeback with a touchdown drive late in the fourth quarter. But this time, the game was extremely one-sided. The Cowboys scored touchdowns on 4 of their 5 first half possessions. By the end of the half, Dallas had a commanding 28-7 lead and were on their way to a surprisingly easy 38-21 win. Although he missed most of the second half due to injury, Aikman had a superb performance in the game, completing 14 of 18 passes for 177 yards and 3 touchdowns with no interceptions, while also rushing for 25 yards. Smith was also a key contributor, rushing for 88 yards, catching 7 passes for 85 yards, and scoring 2 touchdowns.
Both Dallas and Buffalo were the top seeds in their respective conferences, earning homefield advantage throughout the playoffs. Until the New Orleans Saints
and Indianapolis Colts
qualified for Super Bowl XLIV
, this was the last time that both number one seeds advanced to the Super Bowl.
Therefore, the Super Bowl hype was more focused onto Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones
and head coach Jimmy Johnson. Although the two rebuilt the team with young talent that eventually won the previous year's Super Bowl, both men had huge egos that conflicted with each other. Both had different ideas on the future personnel plans for the Cowboys and both wanted equal credit for the team's recent success (eventually, Johnson would leave the team after the season).
This was the fourth rematch in Super Bowl history, and the first time that both teams met in consecutive years. The Dolphins and Redskins met twice (VII and XVII), as did the Steelers and Cowboys (X and XIII) and 49ers and Bengals (XVI and XXIII). The Steelers and the Cowboys would also meet again, in Super Bowl XXX.
by NBC
with play-by-play announcer Dick Enberg
and color commentator
Bob Trumpy
. Jim Lampley
hosted all the events with the help of analysts Mike Ditka
and Joe Gibbs
and sideline reporters O.J. Simpson (on Buffalo's sideline) and Will McDonough
(on Dallas' sideline).
It was the first time a network had held consecutive Super Bowls outright. The five-year NFL contract signed in 1989 had a provision where the last Super Bowl in the contract (XXVIII) would not be rotated, but would go to the highest bidder. NBC, which had held XXVII (according the original rotation, NBC would have had XXVI and CBS XXVII, but the NFL allowed the networks to switch the two games in order to allow CBS a significant lead-in to its coverage of the 1992 Winter Olympics
), was the only network to bid on XXVIII. Less than two weeks before the game was aired, NBC had shown a Peanuts
special, You're In the Super Bowl, Charlie Brown
, in which the character Melody-Melody wins the Punt, Pass & Kick contest wearing a Dallas Cowboys uniform. For this game, NBC introduced a new theme for NFL broadcasts by composer John Colby
that would be retained for the 1994 season
.
Previously, the league alternated the Super Bowl broadcast among its television networks, except for Super Bowl I
in which both NBC and CBS
televised it simultaneously. CBS broadcast Super Bowl II
, then the league rotated the broadcast between CBS and NBC until 1985 when ABC
entered the rotation when they broadcast Super Bowl XIX
.
NBC aired the premiere of The John Larroquette Show
following the game.
, the rock band
The Georgia Satellites, country
musician Charlie Daniels
, and the Morehouse College
Marching Band.
The United States Trampoline Association (USTA) performed on 4 trampolines during "Jump-Jump" performed by Kris Kross.
Later, singer Natalie Cole
, accompanied by the Atlanta University Center Chorus, sang the national anthem.
To honor the 25th anniversary of the New York Jets
' upset win in Super Bowl III
, that game's MVP, former Jets quarterback Joe Namath
joined the coin toss
ceremony.
, Tanya Tucker
, Travis Tritt
, Brooks & Dunn
, and Wynonna Judd
. The show's finale included a special appearance by Naomi Judd
, who joined Wynonna in performing The Judds
' single "Love Can Build a Bridge", to which everyone eventually joined in.
This was the first Super Bowl halftime show in which the main stadium lights were turned off for the performance. The show including dancers with yard-long light sticks.
Dallas kick returner Kevin Williams returned the opening kickoff 50 yards to the Buffalo 48-yard line. Then the Cowboys began the drive with quarterback Troy Aikman
's 20-yard pass to wide receiver Michael Irvin
. But with third down and six from 24-yard line, Aikman threw an incomplete pass and the Cowboys had to settle for kicker Eddie Murray
's 41-yard field goal.
The Bills then responded with a 7-play, 43 yard scoring drive. Quarterback Jim Kelly
's 24-yard pass to running back Thurman Thomas advanced the ball across the Dallas 40-yard line. After a 3-yard run by running back Kenneth Davis, however, Kelly threw two straight incompletions. The Bills then tied the game, 3-3, with Steve Christie
's 54 yard field goal, the longest field goal in Super Bowl history.
Buffalo then forced Dallas to punt, but on the first play of the Bills' ensuing possession Dallas safety James Washington
forced Thomas to fumble and safety Darren Woodson
recovered the ball at midfield. Aided by receiver Alvin Harper
's 24-yard reception, the Cowboys drove to the Bills' 7-yard line, but once again were forced to settle for a field goal; a 24-yarder by Murray to regain the lead, 6-3.
After receiving Murray's kickoff, the Bills could only reach their own 41-yard line before being forced to punt. However, Dallas cornerback Dave Thomas was penalized for running into the punter on the play, giving Buffalo a first down. Taking advantage of their second chance, Buffalo marched down the field with runs by Thomas and short completions by Kelly. Thomas eventually finished off the 17 play, 80-yard drive with a 4-yard touchdown run, giving the Bills a 10-6 lead early in the second quarter.
Dallas started out their ensuing drive with a 15-yard reception by Irvin and a 13-yard run by running back Emmitt Smith
to get to midfield. They were eventually forced to punt, but Cowboys defensive end Matt Vanderbeek
downed John Jett
's 43-yard punt at the Bills' 1-yard line. A 19-yard completion from Kelly to receiver Andre Reed
moved Buffalo out from the shadow of their own end zone, and they eventually reached the Cowboys 46-yard line, but they too were forced to punt. However, Chris Mohr
matched Jett's feat with a 45-yard punt that was downed at the Dallas 1-yard line by Buffalo special teams expert Steve Tasker
.
As the Bills had done, Dallas managed to get out of their own territory and advance to the Buffalo 47-yard line. However, Bills defensive back Nate Odomes
intercepted a pass intended for Irvin and returned it 41 yards to the Dallas 47-yard line with 1:03 left in the half. After a 1-yard run by Thomas, Kelly completed a pair of passes to Thomas and Reed for gains of 12 and 22 yards, respectively, to move the ball to the Cowboys 12-yard line. But the Dallas defense tightened up on the next 3 plays as Kelly threw a 3-yard completion to Thomas, an incomplete pass, and a completion to Thomas for no gain. Christie then kicked his second field goal as time expired in the half, increasing Buffalo's lead to 13-6.
Buffalo's command over the game proved short lived as the Cowboys dominated the second half. Forty-five seconds into the third quarter, Leon Lett
forced a Thurman Thomas fumble, which Washington returned 46 yards for a touchdown to tie the game.
Bills receiver Russell Copeland
then returned the ensuing kickoff 22 yards to the Buffalo 37-yard line, but on third down Cowboy linemen Jim Jeffcoat
and Charles Haley
shared a 13-yard sack on Kelly to force the Bills to punt. The Cowboys then scored on an 8-play, 64-yard drive in which Smith carried the ball on 7 of the 8 plays
, gaining all but 3 of the 64 yards himself, and finished the drive with a 15-yard touchdown run to take a 20-13 lead.
Meanwhile, Dallas' defense continued to stop Buffalo's offense throughout the second half. Washington intercepted a pass from Kelly on the first play of the fourth quarter and returned it 12 yards to the Bills' 34-yard line. A false start penalty on the next play moved the ball back to the 39, but on the next 3 plays, Smith ran twice for 10 yards and caught a screen pass for 9. Aikman then completed a 16-yard pass to Harper, giving Dallas a first and goal at the
6-yard line. The Bills managed to prevent a touchdown on the next 3 plays, but on fourth down and 1, Smith ran into the end zone for the score, giving the Cowboys a 27-13 lead.
The Bills started their ensuing drive from their own 22-yard line and managed to reach their own 36. Cowboy defensive lineman Jimmie Jones
made two key plays, however; a second down tackle on Thomas for a one yard loss and a 13-yard sack on third down; to push the ball back to the 22-yard line and force Buffalo to punt; a poor, 29 yard kick which the Cowboys recovered at their own 49 yard line. Dallas then put the game away with a 9 play, 49-yard scoring drive that took 4:10 off the clock. On the sixth play of the drive, Aikman completed a 35-yard pass to Harper to the Bills 1-yard line. After a false start penalty pushed them back to the 6-yard line, the Cowboys ran the ball on their next 3 plays to force Buffalo to use up all of their timeouts. Murray then kicked a 20-yard field goal with 2:50 left in the game, increasing the Cowboys lead to 30-13, and effectively ending any chance of a Bills comeback.
"This one is the worst," Reed said after the game, referring to the Bills' streak of four consecutive Super Bowl losses. "We should have won. Then they come up with 24 unanswered points. That last fumble was once in a million. These things always happen to the Bills. It rips the heart out of you." "Dallas didn't wear us down in the second half," added Thomas. "I fumbled. I cost us the game." However, Hull managed to find some consolation. "In the immediate future we'll be thought of as losers," he said. "But one day down the road, when I'm no longer playing, they'll say, 'Wow, they won four straight AFC championships. They must have been good.' "http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/features/superbowl/archives/28/
Troy Aikman was 19 out of 27 for 207 yards, with 1 interception while Alvin Harper was the team's top receiver with 3 catches for 75 yards. Emmitt Smith, still suffering the effects of a shoulder injury during the regular-season finale, became just the second player in Super Bowl history to run for 100 yards in back-to-back Super Bowls. (The other being Larry Csonka
who did it in Super Bowls VII and VIII. He became the fourth player to rush for touchdowns in back-to-back Super Bowls, joining Franco Harris
, John Riggins
and Thomas). Smith also became the first player to lead the league in rushing yards, win NFL Most Valuable Player Award
, and win Super Bowl MVP all in the same season. He was also the fourth player, after Bart Starr
(1966), Terry Bradshaw
(1978), and Joe Montana
(1989), to win both the NFL MVP and Super Bowl MVP during the same season. Defensively, James Washington, who began as the nickel-back to counter Buffalo's "no-huddle" and frequent use of three wide receivers, had a phenomenal game with his 46-yard touchdown on a fumble recovery, an interception, forcing a Thurman Thomas fumble that Darren Woodson recovered, and collecting 11 tackles.
Bills receiver Andre Reed finished the game with 6 receptions for 75 yards to lead Buffalo, with Don Beebe
catching 6 passes for 60 yards and returned 2 kickoffs for 63 yards. Thomas was limited to just 37 rushing yards, but he also caught 7 passes for 52 yards (Thomas became the first player in Super Bowl history to score touchdowns in four Super Bowls: he scored one TD in each of the Bills 4-straight appearances, XXV-XXVIII). Kenneth Davis was the Bills' top rusher with 38 yards. Kelly finished the game 31-of-50 for 260 yards and 1 interception. His 31 completions were a Super Bowl record. Kelly became the only player ever to throw 50 passes in 2 Super Bowls. In addition to his 50 passes in this game, he threw a Super Bowl record 58 passes in Super Bowl XXVI
.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
game played on January 30, 1994, at the Georgia Dome
Georgia Dome
The Georgia Dome is a domed stadium located in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, between downtown to the east and Vine City to the west. It is primarily the home stadium for the NFL Atlanta Falcons and the NCAA Division I FCS Georgia State Panthers football team. It is owned and operated by the...
in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, to decide the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL) champion following the 1993 regular season
1993 NFL season
The 1993 NFL season was the 74th regular season of the National Football League. For the first time in league history, all NFL teams played their 16-game schedule over a span of 18 weeks. After the success of expanding the regular season to a period of 17 weeks in 1990, the league hoped this new...
. The National Football Conference
National Football Conference
The National Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the American Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL.-Current teams:Since 2002, the NFC has comprised 16 teams,...
(NFC) champion Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
(15-4) defeated the American Football Conference
American Football Conference
The American Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the National Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL....
(AFC) champion Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
(14-5), 30–13. This was the first time in Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
history that the same two teams had met in two consecutive Super Bowls. The Cowboys won their fourth Super Bowl in team history, tying the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
and the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
for most Super Bowl wins, while the Bills became the first team to appear in 4 consecutive title games. Buffalo also joined the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
and the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
as the only teams to lose four, and garnered the dubious distinction of being the first and only team to lose four consecutive Super Bowls. This would be the last time in which both number 1 seeded playoff teams from each conference met in the Super Bowl until Super Bowl XLIV
Super Bowl XLIV
Super Bowl XLIV was an American football game between the American Football Conference champion Indianapolis Colts and the National Football Conference champion New Orleans Saints to decide the National Football League champion for the 2009 season. The Saints defeated the Colts by a score of...
.
Dallas scored 24 unanswered points in the second half. Cowboys running back Emmitt Smith
Emmitt Smith
Emmitt James Smith, III is a retired American football player who was a running back in the National Football League for fifteen seasons during the 1990s and 2000s. Smith played college football for the University of Florida, where he was an All-American; thereafter, he played professionally for...
was named the Super Bowl MVP
Super Bowl MVP
The Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award, or Super Bowl MVP, is an award presented annually to the most valuable player of the Super Bowl, the National Football League's championship game. The winner is chosen by a fan vote during the game and by a panel of 16 American football writers and...
, with 30 carries for 132 yards and 2 touchdowns, while also catching 4 passes for 26 yards.
Background
NFL owners voted to award Super Bowl XXVIII to Atlanta, Georgia, during their May 23, 1990, meeting. The Georgia DomeGeorgia Dome
The Georgia Dome is a domed stadium located in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, between downtown to the east and Vine City to the west. It is primarily the home stadium for the NFL Atlanta Falcons and the NCAA Division I FCS Georgia State Panthers football team. It is owned and operated by the...
was under construction at the time of the vote.
Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys' journey to Super Bowl XXVIII proved more difficult than the previous contest. Pro Bowl running back Emmitt Smith
Emmitt Smith
Emmitt James Smith, III is a retired American football player who was a running back in the National Football League for fifteen seasons during the 1990s and 2000s. Smith played college football for the University of Florida, where he was an All-American; thereafter, he played professionally for...
held out the first two regular season games over a contract dispute, and Dallas lost both of those contests. Pro Bowl quarterback Troy Aikman
Troy Aikman
Troy Kenneth Aikman is a former American football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League. The number one overall draft pick in 1989, Aikman played twelve consecutive seasons as quarterback with the Cowboys...
, along with a few other key players, missed games due to injuries. Dallas still managed to finish with an NFC-best 12-4 record after defeating the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in their final regular season game.
Though not as dynamic as the last year, Dallas' offense remained incredibly efficient. Led by Aikman who finished the regular season completing 271 out of 392 passes for 3,100 yards, 15 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions. Smith recorded 1,486 rushing yards and 9 touchdowns, while catching 57 passes for 414 yards and another touchdown, earning him the NFL Most Valuable Player Award
NFL Most Valuable Player Award
The National Football League Most Valuable Player Award is given by various entities, most notably the Associated Press , to the player who is considered most valuable in the league. When the award is referred to without mentioning the organization, it generally means the AP award. The AP NFL MVP...
. Fullback Daryl Johnston
Daryl Johnston
Daryl Peter "Moose" Johnston is a former National Football League fullback who played his entire career with the Dallas Cowboys from 1989 to 1999.-High school career:...
was also a realiable backfield threat, scoring four touchdowns and contributing a career high 50 receptions for 371 yards. Pro Bowler Michael Irvin
Michael Irvin
Michael Jerome Irvin is a former American football player for the Dallas Cowboys, and actor. He is also a former broadcaster for ESPN's NFL Countdown and currently an analyst for NFL Network. Irvin was self-nicknamed "The Playmaker" due to his penchant for making big plays in big games during his...
was once again the team's leading wide receiver with 88 catches for 1,330 yards and 7 touchdowns. Wide receiver Alvin Harper
Alvin Harper
Alvin Craig Harper is a former American football player in the National Football League. After going 1-15 in 1989 and 7-9 in 1990, the Dallas Cowboys were poised to capitalize on some key draft opportunities...
had 36 catches for 777 yards and 5 touchdowns, while Pro Bowl tight end Jay Novacek
Jay Novacek
Jay McKinley Novacek is a former American football tight end in the National Football League who played for the St. Louis/Phoenix Cardinals and the Dallas Cowboys . Novacek was a five-time Pro Bowler, who was selected to play each year from 1991 through 1995...
had 44 receptions for 445 yards and 1 touchdown. Pro Bowlers Mark Stepnoski
Mark Stepnoski
Mark Matthew Stepnoski is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League. He attended Cathedral Preparatory School in Erie, Pennsylvania, and went on to star at the University of Pittsburgh....
, Erik Williams
Erik Williams
Erik George Williams is a former American football offensive tackle in the National Football League who played most of his career with the Dallas Cowboys . He played college football at Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio, where he was an NAIA All-American offensive lineman. Williams was...
, and Nate Newton
Nate Newton
Nathaniel Newton is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League who played for the Dallas Cowboys and the Carolina Panthers . He also played for the Tampa Bay Bandits of the United States Football League, in 1984 and 1985...
anchored the offensive line.
The Cowboys' defense was anchored by such Pro Bowlers as lineman Russell Maryland
Russell Maryland
Russell James Maryland is a former professional American football player. He played defensive tackle for ten seasons for the Dallas Cowboys, Oakland Raiders and Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Cowboys first overall in the 1991 NFL Draft...
, linebacker Ken Norton Jr., along with defensive backs Thomas Everett
Thomas Everett
Thomas Gregory Everett is a former American football safety in the National Football League.He played nine seasons for three teams . He attended Baylor University where he won the Jim Thorpe Award as the top defensive back in college football...
and Kevin Smith
Kevin Smith (cornerback)
Kevin Rey Smith is a former professional American football player who played cornerback in the National Football League for nine seasons for the Dallas Cowboys.-High school career:...
, who picked off 6 passes during the season. Defensive end Tony Tolbert
Tony Tolbert
Anthony Lewis Tolbert is a former American football defensive end in the National Football League. He was raised in Englewood, New Jersey, and graduated from Dwight Morrow High School. Tolbert was drafted in 4th round of the 1989 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys...
led the team with 7.5 sacks.
Buffalo Bills
The Bills finished at the top of the AFC by clinching the conference's best regular season record at 12-4. Quarterback Jim KellyJim Kelly
James Edward Kelly is a former American football quarterback in the NFL for the Buffalo Bills and the USFL's Houston Gamblers....
once again led Buffalo's no-huddle offense by passing for 288 out of 470 regular season completions for 3,382 yards, 18 touchdowns, with 18 interceptions. Kelly was joining an elite class by starting this, his fourth Super Bowl. The only other quarterbacks to start four at the time were Roger Staubach
Roger Staubach
Roger Thomas Staubach is a businessman, Heisman Trophy winner and legendary Hall of Fame former quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys from 1969 until 1979. Staubach was instrumental in developing the Cowboys into becoming one of the best teams of the 1970s and led the team to nine of the Cowboys'...
, Terry Bradshaw
Terry Bradshaw
Terry Paxton Bradshaw is a former American football quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League . He played 14 seasons. He is a football analyst and co-host of Fox NFL Sunday...
and Joe Montana
Joe Montana
Joseph Clifford "Joe" Montana, Jr. , nicknamed Joe Cool, Golden Joe, The Golden Great and Comeback Joe, is a retired American football player. Montana started his NFL career in 1979 with the San Francisco 49ers, where he played quarterback for the next 14 seasons...
, with John Elway
John Elway
John Albert Elway, Jr. is a former American football quarterback and currently is the executive vice president of football operations for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League . He played college football at Stanford and his entire professional career with the Denver Broncos...
and Tom Brady
Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick "Tom" Brady, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.He has played in four Super Bowls,...
since joining this exclusive club. Kelly being the only one to start four consecutive Super Bowls.
Running back Thurman Thomas gained 1,315 rushing yards and 6 touchdowns, while also catching 48 passes for 387 yards. Running back Kenneth Davis rushed for 391 yards and 6 touchdowns, while also recording 21 receptions for 95 yards. Pro Bowl wide receiver Andre Reed
Andre Reed
Andre Darnell Reed is a former professional American football player. He played wide receiver in the National Football League for 16 seasons, 15 with the Buffalo Bills and one with the Washington Redskins .Reed ranks tenth in NFL history in total career receptions with 951.-Football career:Reed...
led the team with 52 receptions for 854 yards and 6 touchdowns; wide receiver Bill Brooks
Bill Brooks (American football)
William T. Brooks, Jr. is a former American football wide receiver who was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the fourth round of the 1986 NFL Draft. A 6'1",...
had 60 receptions for 714 yards and 5 touchdowns; and wide receiver Don Beebe
Don Beebe
Don Lee Beebe is a former American football wide receiver who played for the Buffalo Bills , Carolina Panthers and the Green Bay Packers of the NFL....
recorded 31 receptions for 504 yards and 3 touchdowns. Also, Pete Metzelaars
Pete Metzelaars
Peter Henry Metzelaars is a former American football tight end who played for the Seattle Seahawks, Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers, and Detroit Lions in a sixteen-year career in the National Football League...
led the Bills tight ends with 68 receptions for 609 yards and 4 touchdowns. And Pro Bowl offensive lineman Howard Ballard
Howard Ballard
Howard Louis Ballard is a former American football offensive tackle in the National Football League for the Buffalo Bills and Seattle Seahawks. Nicknamed "House" for his sturdy build, he played in four Super Bowls and was selected to two Pro Bowls while a member of the Bills. He played college...
anchored the line.
Buffalo's defense was still the team's weakness, ranking 28th (then-last) in the league, giving up 5,810 total yards. The defense did have a few good contributors such as Hall of Fame lineman Bruce Smith (14 sacks, 1 fumble recovery), Pro Bowl linebacker Cornelius Bennett
Cornelius Bennett
Cornelius O'Landa Bennett is a former American football linebacker who played for the Buffalo Bills from 1987 to 1995, Atlanta Falcons from 1996 to 1998, and the Indianapolis Colts from 1999 to 2000...
(5 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries), along with linebacker Darryl Talley
Darryl Talley
Darryl Victor Talley is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the second round of the 1983 NFL Draft. He played college football at West Virginia....
(101 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries, 3 interceptions) and cornerback Nate Odomes
Nate Odomes
Nathaniel Bernard Odomes is a former professional American football defensive back who played for the Buffalo Bills , Seattle Seahawks , and the Atlanta Falcons...
, who led the NFL with 9 interceptions and recorded 1 fumble recovery.
Playoffs
Buffalo's first opponent was the Los Angeles RaidersOakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, led by quarterback Jeff Hostetler
Jeff Hostetler
William Jeffrey Hostetler is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League for the New York Giants, Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders, and Washington Redskins. His nickname is "Hoss".-Penn State:...
, who had led the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
to victory over the Bills in Super Bowl XXV
Super Bowl XXV
Super Bowl XXV was an American football game played on January 27, 1991 at Tampa Stadium in Tampa, Florida to decide the National Football League champion following the 1990 regular season. The National Football Conference Champion New York Giants defeated the American Football Conference ...
3 years earlier. In this game, the Raiders built up a 17-13 halftime lead, but Buffalo stormed back with 16 second half points. First they scored on Kelly's 25-yard touchdown pass to Brooks. Then on their next drive, kicker Steve Christie
Steve Christie
Geoffrey Stephen Christie is a former Canadian American football placekicker in the National Football League, who, as a member of the Buffalo Bills, became known for his ability to kick clutch field goals, even in poor weather.-Early career:Christie, who grew up in nearby Oakville, Ontario,...
made a 29-yard field goal to give the Bills a 23-17 lead. Los Angeles managed to respond with an 86-yard scoring strike from Hostetler to receiver Tim Brown, but Buffalo stormed right back with Brooks' 22-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter. The Bills ended up winning the game 29-23, having scored 16 points in a span of 6:18 in the second half. Kelly had a superb performance in the game, throwing for 287 yards and 2 touchdowns with no interceptions.
One week later, the Bills advanced to their fourth consecutive Super Bowl by blowing away the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
30-13 in the AFC championship game. Thomas had a phenomenal performance in the game, rushing for 186 yards and 3 touchdowns, and catching 2 passes for 22 yards. On defense, the Bills limited Chiefs future hall of fame quarterback Joe Montana
Joe Montana
Joseph Clifford "Joe" Montana, Jr. , nicknamed Joe Cool, Golden Joe, The Golden Great and Comeback Joe, is a retired American football player. Montana started his NFL career in 1979 with the San Francisco 49ers, where he played quarterback for the next 14 seasons...
to just 9 of 23 completions for 125 yards and no touchdowns, with 1 interception. In addition, Kansas City's future hall of fame running back Marcus Allen
Marcus Allen
Marcus LeMarr Allen is a former American football player and, until recently, was affiliated with CBS as a game analyst. As a professional, Allen ran for 12,243 yards and caught 587 passes for 5,412 yards during his career for both the Los Angeles Raiders and the Kansas City Chiefs from 1982 to 1997...
was held to just 50 rushing yards on 18 carries.
In the NFC, Dallas' first opponent in the playoffs was the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
, who were coming off a thrilling 28-24 win over the Detroit Lions in the wildcard round in which quarterback Brett Favre
Brett Favre
Brett Lorenzo Favre is a former American football quarterback who spent the majority of his career with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He was a 20-year veteran of the NFL, having played quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons , Green Bay Packers , New York Jets and Minnesota...
had thrown the winning touchdown pass to Sterling Sharpe
Sterling Sharpe
Sterling Sharpe is a former American football wide receiver and an analyst for the NFL Network. He attended the University of South Carolina, and played from 1988 to 1994 with the Green Bay Packers.-Early life:...
with only 55 seconds left in the game. In this game, the Packers scored first with a field goal, but Dallas stormed back with 17 consecutive points in the second quarter. First Aikman threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Harper. Then with time running out the period, Dallas scored again on an Eddie Murray field goal. Green Bay then fumbled the ensuing kickoff, allowing the Cowboys to score again with Aikman's 6-yard pass to Novacek. The Cowboys went on to stave off an attempted Packers comeback in the second half and win the game 27-17. Aikman finished the game with 28 of 37 completions for 302 yards and 3 touchdowns, with 2 interceptions. Irvin recorded 9 catches for 126 yards and 2 touchdowns.
One week later, Dallas faced the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
in the NFC title game for the second year in a row in what was at the time the last NFL game to air on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
. The last time the 2 teams played, Dallas won when Aikman thwarted a 49ers attempted comeback with a touchdown drive late in the fourth quarter. But this time, the game was extremely one-sided. The Cowboys scored touchdowns on 4 of their 5 first half possessions. By the end of the half, Dallas had a commanding 28-7 lead and were on their way to a surprisingly easy 38-21 win. Although he missed most of the second half due to injury, Aikman had a superb performance in the game, completing 14 of 18 passes for 177 yards and 3 touchdowns with no interceptions, while also rushing for 25 yards. Smith was also a key contributor, rushing for 88 yards, catching 7 passes for 85 yards, and scoring 2 touchdowns.
Both Dallas and Buffalo were the top seeds in their respective conferences, earning homefield advantage throughout the playoffs. Until the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
and Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
qualified for Super Bowl XLIV
Super Bowl XLIV
Super Bowl XLIV was an American football game between the American Football Conference champion Indianapolis Colts and the National Football Conference champion New Orleans Saints to decide the National Football League champion for the 2009 season. The Saints defeated the Colts by a score of...
, this was the last time that both number one seeds advanced to the Super Bowl.
Super Bowl pregame news and notes
Many sports writers and fans were a bit upset that the Bills advanced to their fourth consecutive Super Bowl. They were distressed with Buffalo having lost the three previous Super Bowl games and did not want to see them lose again. Some Bills fans appeared to be defensive about their team's presence in the game; during Buffalo's victory in the AFC championship game a week earlier, one fan displayed a banner defiantly proclaiming, "We're back; deal with it, America!"Therefore, the Super Bowl hype was more focused onto Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones
Jerry Jones
Jerral "Jerry" Wayne Jones is the owner and general manager of the NFL team, the Dallas Cowboys.-Early life:Jones was born in Los Angeles, California. His family moved to North Little Rock, Arkansas when he was an infant. Jones was a star running back at North Little Rock High School...
and head coach Jimmy Johnson. Although the two rebuilt the team with young talent that eventually won the previous year's Super Bowl, both men had huge egos that conflicted with each other. Both had different ideas on the future personnel plans for the Cowboys and both wanted equal credit for the team's recent success (eventually, Johnson would leave the team after the season).
This was the fourth rematch in Super Bowl history, and the first time that both teams met in consecutive years. The Dolphins and Redskins met twice (VII and XVII), as did the Steelers and Cowboys (X and XIII) and 49ers and Bengals (XVI and XXIII). The Steelers and the Cowboys would also meet again, in Super Bowl XXX.
Television and entertainment
The game was broadcast in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
by NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
with play-by-play announcer Dick Enberg
Dick Enberg
Richard Alan "Dick" Enberg is an American sportscaster. He currently provides play-by-play for telecasts of San Diego Padres baseball on 4SD, following a long career calling various sports for such networks as NBC, CBS, and ESPN...
and color commentator
Color commentator
A color commentator is a sports commentator who assists the play-by-play announcer, often by filling in any time when play is not in progress. The color analyst and main commentator will often exchange comments freely throughout the broadcast, when the play-by-play announcer is not describing the...
Bob Trumpy
Bob Trumpy
Bob Trumpy is a former professional American Football tight end who played for the American Football League's Cincinnati Bengals from 1968 to 1969, and for the NFL Bengals from 1970 through 1977...
. Jim Lampley
Jim Lampley
James "Jim" Lampley is an American sportscaster, news anchor, movie producer, and restaurant owner. Lampley has anchored a record 14 Olympic Games U.S. television broadcasts, most recently the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China....
hosted all the events with the help of analysts Mike Ditka
Mike Ditka
Michael Keller Ditka, Jr. is a former American football NFL player, television commentator, and coach. Ditka coached the Chicago Bears for 11 years and New Orleans Saints for three years. Ditka and Tom Flores are the only two people to win Super Bowls as a player, an assistant coach, and a head...
and Joe Gibbs
Joe Gibbs
Joe Jackson Gibbs is a former American football coach, NASCAR Championship team owner, and two time NHRA Pro Stock team owner. He was the 20th and 26th head coach in the history of the Washington Redskins...
and sideline reporters O.J. Simpson (on Buffalo's sideline) and Will McDonough
Will McDonough
William "Will" McDonough was an American sportswriter for the Boston Globe.-Biography:McDonough attended the English High School of Boston, where he starred in baseball as a pitcher and in football as a quarterback...
(on Dallas' sideline).
It was the first time a network had held consecutive Super Bowls outright. The five-year NFL contract signed in 1989 had a provision where the last Super Bowl in the contract (XXVIII) would not be rotated, but would go to the highest bidder. NBC, which had held XXVII (according the original rotation, NBC would have had XXVI and CBS XXVII, but the NFL allowed the networks to switch the two games in order to allow CBS a significant lead-in to its coverage of the 1992 Winter Olympics
1992 Winter Olympics
The 1992 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVI Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 8 to 23 February 1992 in Albertville, France. They were the last Winter Olympics to be held the same year as the Summer Olympics, and the first where the Winter Paralympics...
), was the only network to bid on XXVIII. Less than two weeks before the game was aired, NBC had shown a Peanuts
Peanuts
Peanuts is a syndicated daily and Sunday American comic strip written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz, which ran from October 2, 1950, to February 13, 2000, continuing in reruns afterward...
special, You're In the Super Bowl, Charlie Brown
You're in the Super Bowl, Charlie Brown
You're in the Super Bowl, Charlie Brown is the 37th prime-time animated TV specials based upon the popular comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz. It first aired on January 18, 1994 on NBC, making it the first Peanuts special to air on a different network after 27 years on CBS...
, in which the character Melody-Melody wins the Punt, Pass & Kick contest wearing a Dallas Cowboys uniform. For this game, NBC introduced a new theme for NFL broadcasts by composer John Colby
John Colby
John Colby was an evangelist and itinerant preacher in the early Free Will Baptist movement in New England and various other American states....
that would be retained for the 1994 season
1994 NFL season
The 1994 NFL season was the 75th regular season of the National Football League. To honor the NFL's 75th season, a special anniversary logo was designed and each player wore a patch on their jerseys with this logo throughout the season...
.
Previously, the league alternated the Super Bowl broadcast among its television networks, except for Super Bowl I
Super Bowl I
The First AFL-NFL World Championship Game in professional American football, later known as Super Bowl I and referred to in some contemporary reports as the Supergame, was played on January 15, 1967 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California.The National Football League ...
in which both NBC and CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
televised it simultaneously. CBS broadcast Super Bowl II
Super Bowl II
The second AFL-NFL World Championship Game in professional American football, later to be known as Super Bowl II, was played on January 14, 1968 at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida....
, then the league rotated the broadcast between CBS and NBC until 1985 when ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
entered the rotation when they broadcast Super Bowl XIX
Super Bowl XIX
Super Bowl XIX was an American football game played on January 20, 1985 at Stanford Stadium, on the campus of Stanford University in Stanford, California, to decide the National Football League champion following the 1984 regular season...
.
NBC aired the premiere of The John Larroquette Show
The John Larroquette Show
The John Larroquette Show is a situation comedy that ran on the NBC network from 1993 to 1996. The show, created by Don Reo, was a vehicle for John Larroquette following his run as Dan Fielding on Night Court. The series took place in a seedy bus terminal in St. Louis, Missouri and focused on the...
following the game.
Pregame ceremonies
The pregame show held before the game was titled "Georgia Music Makers" and featured performances by the rap music duo Kris KrossKris Kross
Kris Kross was an American rap duo of the 1990s comprising Chris "Mac Daddy" Kelly and Chris "Daddy Mac" Smith. The duo are best known for their hit 1992 song "Jump", which was #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for eight weeks and was certified double platinum as a single...
, the rock band
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
The Georgia Satellites, country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
musician Charlie Daniels
Charlie Daniels
Charles Edward "Charlie" Daniels is an American musician known for his contributions to country and southern rock music. He is known primarily for his number one country hit "The Devil Went Down to Georgia", and multiple other songs he has performed and written. Daniels has been active as a singer...
, and the Morehouse College
Morehouse College
Morehouse College is a private, all-male, liberal arts, historically black college located in Atlanta, Georgia. Along with Hampden-Sydney College and Wabash College, Morehouse is one of three remaining traditional men's colleges in the United States....
Marching Band.
The United States Trampoline Association (USTA) performed on 4 trampolines during "Jump-Jump" performed by Kris Kross.
Later, singer Natalie Cole
Natalie Cole
Natalie Maria Cole , is an American singer, songwriter and performer. The daughter of jazz legend Nat King Cole, Cole rode to musical success in the mid-1970s as an R&B artist with the hits "This Will Be ", "Inseparable" and "Our Love"...
, accompanied by the Atlanta University Center Chorus, sang the national anthem.
To honor the 25th anniversary of the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
' upset win in Super Bowl III
Super Bowl III
Super Bowl III was the third AFL-NFL Championship Game in professional American football, but the first to officially bear the name "Super Bowl". This game is regarded as one of the greatest upsets in sports history...
, that game's MVP, former Jets quarterback Joe Namath
Joe Namath
Joseph William "Joe" Namath , nicknamed "Broadway Joe" or "Joe Willie", is a former American football quarterback. He played college football for the University of Alabama under coach Paul "Bear" Bryant and his assistant, Howard Schnellenberger, from 1962–1964, and professional football in the...
joined the coin toss
Coin flipping
Coin flipping or coin tossing or heads or tails is the practice of throwing a coin in the air to choose between two alternatives, sometimes to resolve a dispute between two parties...
ceremony.
Halftime show
The halftime show was titled "Rockin' Country Sunday" and featured country music stars Clint BlackClint Black
Clint Patrick Black is an American country music singer-songwriter, record producer, multi-instrumentalist and occasional actor. Signed to RCA Records in 1989, Black made his debut with his Killin' Time album, which produced four straight Number One singles on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country...
, Tanya Tucker
Tanya Tucker
Tanya Denise Tucker is a female American country music artist who had her first hit, "Delta Dawn", in 1972 at the age of 13...
, Travis Tritt
Travis Tritt
James Travis Tritt is an American country music singer from Marietta, Georgia. He signed to Warner Bros. Records in 1989, releasing seven studio albums and a greatest hits package for the label between then and 1999. In the 2000s, he released two albums on Columbia Records and one for the defunct...
, Brooks & Dunn
Brooks & Dunn
Brooks & Dunn was an American country music duo consisting of Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn, who were both vocalists and songwriters. They were paired by record producer Tim DuBois in 1990. Before the duo's foundation, both members of the duo were solo recording artists...
, and Wynonna Judd
Wynonna Judd
Wynonna Ellen Judd is an American country music singer. Her solo albums and singles are all credited to the singular name Wynonna. Wynonna first rose to fame in the 1980s alongside her mother, Naomi, in the country music duo The Judds...
. The show's finale included a special appearance by Naomi Judd
Naomi Judd
Naomi Judd is an American country music singer, songwriter, and activist.-Personal life:She was born Diana Ellen Judd to Charles Glen Judd and his wife Pauline Judd on January 11, 1946, in Ashland, Kentucky. Her father owned a gas station; her mother started out as a homemaker but later became a...
, who joined Wynonna in performing The Judds
The Judds
The Judds were an American country music duo composed of Naomi Judd and her daughter, Wynonna Judd. Signed to RCA Records in 1983, the duo released six studio albums between then and 1991. One of the most successful acts in country music history, The Judds won five Grammy Awards for Best Country...
' single "Love Can Build a Bridge", to which everyone eventually joined in.
This was the first Super Bowl halftime show in which the main stadium lights were turned off for the performance. The show including dancers with yard-long light sticks.
Game summary
Though the Bills had a lead at halftime, Super Bowl XXVIII would have an identical outcome to the 3 preceding games and end with a Buffalo loss.Dallas kick returner Kevin Williams returned the opening kickoff 50 yards to the Buffalo 48-yard line. Then the Cowboys began the drive with quarterback Troy Aikman
Troy Aikman
Troy Kenneth Aikman is a former American football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League. The number one overall draft pick in 1989, Aikman played twelve consecutive seasons as quarterback with the Cowboys...
's 20-yard pass to wide receiver Michael Irvin
Michael Irvin
Michael Jerome Irvin is a former American football player for the Dallas Cowboys, and actor. He is also a former broadcaster for ESPN's NFL Countdown and currently an analyst for NFL Network. Irvin was self-nicknamed "The Playmaker" due to his penchant for making big plays in big games during his...
. But with third down and six from 24-yard line, Aikman threw an incomplete pass and the Cowboys had to settle for kicker Eddie Murray
Eddie Murray (football)
Edward Peter Murray is a former National Football League kicker.Murray played college football at Tulane University and was drafted in the seventh round of the 1980 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions...
's 41-yard field goal.
The Bills then responded with a 7-play, 43 yard scoring drive. Quarterback Jim Kelly
Jim Kelly
James Edward Kelly is a former American football quarterback in the NFL for the Buffalo Bills and the USFL's Houston Gamblers....
's 24-yard pass to running back Thurman Thomas advanced the ball across the Dallas 40-yard line. After a 3-yard run by running back Kenneth Davis, however, Kelly threw two straight incompletions. The Bills then tied the game, 3-3, with Steve Christie
Steve Christie
Geoffrey Stephen Christie is a former Canadian American football placekicker in the National Football League, who, as a member of the Buffalo Bills, became known for his ability to kick clutch field goals, even in poor weather.-Early career:Christie, who grew up in nearby Oakville, Ontario,...
's 54 yard field goal, the longest field goal in Super Bowl history.
Buffalo then forced Dallas to punt, but on the first play of the Bills' ensuing possession Dallas safety James Washington
James Washington
James McArthur Washington is a former American football safety for the UCLA Bruins and in the National Football League. Currently he is a co-host of FOX Sports Radio's flagship morning show Out Of Bounds with Craig Shemon...
forced Thomas to fumble and safety Darren Woodson
Darren Woodson
Darren Ray Woodson is a former American football safety in the National Football League. He played his entire career for the Dallas Cowboys from 1992 to 2004...
recovered the ball at midfield. Aided by receiver Alvin Harper
Alvin Harper
Alvin Craig Harper is a former American football player in the National Football League. After going 1-15 in 1989 and 7-9 in 1990, the Dallas Cowboys were poised to capitalize on some key draft opportunities...
's 24-yard reception, the Cowboys drove to the Bills' 7-yard line, but once again were forced to settle for a field goal; a 24-yarder by Murray to regain the lead, 6-3.
After receiving Murray's kickoff, the Bills could only reach their own 41-yard line before being forced to punt. However, Dallas cornerback Dave Thomas was penalized for running into the punter on the play, giving Buffalo a first down. Taking advantage of their second chance, Buffalo marched down the field with runs by Thomas and short completions by Kelly. Thomas eventually finished off the 17 play, 80-yard drive with a 4-yard touchdown run, giving the Bills a 10-6 lead early in the second quarter.
Dallas started out their ensuing drive with a 15-yard reception by Irvin and a 13-yard run by running back Emmitt Smith
Emmitt Smith
Emmitt James Smith, III is a retired American football player who was a running back in the National Football League for fifteen seasons during the 1990s and 2000s. Smith played college football for the University of Florida, where he was an All-American; thereafter, he played professionally for...
to get to midfield. They were eventually forced to punt, but Cowboys defensive end Matt Vanderbeek
Matt Vanderbeek
Matthew James Vanderbeek is a former American football defensive end and linebacker in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins, Indianapolis Colts, and Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at Michigan State University....
downed John Jett
John Jett
John Jett is a former American football punter in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys and the Detroit Lions. He played college football for East Carolina University. Jett won two Super Bowl rings with the Cowboys in Super Bowl XXVIII and Super Bowl XXX...
's 43-yard punt at the Bills' 1-yard line. A 19-yard completion from Kelly to receiver Andre Reed
Andre Reed
Andre Darnell Reed is a former professional American football player. He played wide receiver in the National Football League for 16 seasons, 15 with the Buffalo Bills and one with the Washington Redskins .Reed ranks tenth in NFL history in total career receptions with 951.-Football career:Reed...
moved Buffalo out from the shadow of their own end zone, and they eventually reached the Cowboys 46-yard line, but they too were forced to punt. However, Chris Mohr
Chris Mohr
Christopher Garrett Mohr is a former American football punter. Mohr grew up in Thomson, Georgia, where he played football at Briarwood Academy. He was recruited by the University of Alabama, where he was the team's starting punter for three years...
matched Jett's feat with a 45-yard punt that was downed at the Dallas 1-yard line by Buffalo special teams expert Steve Tasker
Steve Tasker
Steven Jay Tasker is a broadcaster for CBS Sports, who previously was a wide receiver/gunner in the National Football League. He was drafted in the ninth round of the 1985 NFL Draft by the Houston Oilers. He played college football at Northwestern...
.
As the Bills had done, Dallas managed to get out of their own territory and advance to the Buffalo 47-yard line. However, Bills defensive back Nate Odomes
Nate Odomes
Nathaniel Bernard Odomes is a former professional American football defensive back who played for the Buffalo Bills , Seattle Seahawks , and the Atlanta Falcons...
intercepted a pass intended for Irvin and returned it 41 yards to the Dallas 47-yard line with 1:03 left in the half. After a 1-yard run by Thomas, Kelly completed a pair of passes to Thomas and Reed for gains of 12 and 22 yards, respectively, to move the ball to the Cowboys 12-yard line. But the Dallas defense tightened up on the next 3 plays as Kelly threw a 3-yard completion to Thomas, an incomplete pass, and a completion to Thomas for no gain. Christie then kicked his second field goal as time expired in the half, increasing Buffalo's lead to 13-6.
Buffalo's command over the game proved short lived as the Cowboys dominated the second half. Forty-five seconds into the third quarter, Leon Lett
Leon Lett
Leon Lett, Jr. , nicknamed The Big Cat, is a former American football defensive tackle in the National Football League who played for the Dallas Cowboys and the Denver Broncos , after playing college football at Emporia State University. Lett was a two-time Pro Bowler, with selections in 1994 and...
forced a Thurman Thomas fumble, which Washington returned 46 yards for a touchdown to tie the game.
Bills receiver Russell Copeland
Russell Copeland
Russell S. Copeland was an American football wide receiver in the National Football League for the Buffalo Bills, Green Bay Packers, and the Philadelphia Eagles. He played college football at the University of Memphis...
then returned the ensuing kickoff 22 yards to the Buffalo 37-yard line, but on third down Cowboy linemen Jim Jeffcoat
Jim Jeffcoat
James Wilson Jeffcoat, Jr. is a former American football defensive lineman who played fifteen seasons in the National Football League. From 2008 to 2010 he served as defensive line coach for the Houston Cougars football team...
and Charles Haley
Charles Haley
Charles Lewis Haley is a former American football linebacker and defensive end in the National Football League who played for the San Francisco 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys . He was drafted in the fourth round of the 1986 NFL Draft out of James Madison University...
shared a 13-yard sack on Kelly to force the Bills to punt. The Cowboys then scored on an 8-play, 64-yard drive in which Smith carried the ball on 7 of the 8 plays
Play from scrimmage
A play from scrimmage is the activity of the games of Canadian football and American football during which one team tries to advance the ball or to score, and the other team tries to stop them or take the ball away. Once a play is over, and before the next play starts, the football is considered...
, gaining all but 3 of the 64 yards himself, and finished the drive with a 15-yard touchdown run to take a 20-13 lead.
Meanwhile, Dallas' defense continued to stop Buffalo's offense throughout the second half. Washington intercepted a pass from Kelly on the first play of the fourth quarter and returned it 12 yards to the Bills' 34-yard line. A false start penalty on the next play moved the ball back to the 39, but on the next 3 plays, Smith ran twice for 10 yards and caught a screen pass for 9. Aikman then completed a 16-yard pass to Harper, giving Dallas a first and goal at the
6-yard line. The Bills managed to prevent a touchdown on the next 3 plays, but on fourth down and 1, Smith ran into the end zone for the score, giving the Cowboys a 27-13 lead.
The Bills started their ensuing drive from their own 22-yard line and managed to reach their own 36. Cowboy defensive lineman Jimmie Jones
Jimmie Jones
Jimmie Sims Jones is a former professional American football player who played defensive tackle in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys, the Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams, and the Philadelphia Eagles. He played in 121 games and had 32 sacks...
made two key plays, however; a second down tackle on Thomas for a one yard loss and a 13-yard sack on third down; to push the ball back to the 22-yard line and force Buffalo to punt; a poor, 29 yard kick which the Cowboys recovered at their own 49 yard line. Dallas then put the game away with a 9 play, 49-yard scoring drive that took 4:10 off the clock. On the sixth play of the drive, Aikman completed a 35-yard pass to Harper to the Bills 1-yard line. After a false start penalty pushed them back to the 6-yard line, the Cowboys ran the ball on their next 3 plays to force Buffalo to use up all of their timeouts. Murray then kicked a 20-yard field goal with 2:50 left in the game, increasing the Cowboys lead to 30-13, and effectively ending any chance of a Bills comeback.
"This one is the worst," Reed said after the game, referring to the Bills' streak of four consecutive Super Bowl losses. "We should have won. Then they come up with 24 unanswered points. That last fumble was once in a million. These things always happen to the Bills. It rips the heart out of you." "Dallas didn't wear us down in the second half," added Thomas. "I fumbled. I cost us the game." However, Hull managed to find some consolation. "In the immediate future we'll be thought of as losers," he said. "But one day down the road, when I'm no longer playing, they'll say, 'Wow, they won four straight AFC championships. They must have been good.' "http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/features/superbowl/archives/28/
Troy Aikman was 19 out of 27 for 207 yards, with 1 interception while Alvin Harper was the team's top receiver with 3 catches for 75 yards. Emmitt Smith, still suffering the effects of a shoulder injury during the regular-season finale, became just the second player in Super Bowl history to run for 100 yards in back-to-back Super Bowls. (The other being Larry Csonka
Larry Csonka
Larry Richard Csonka is a former collegiate and professional American football fullback.-Childhood:One of six children, Csonka was born in Stow, Ohio where he was raised on a farm by his Hungarian family...
who did it in Super Bowls VII and VIII. He became the fourth player to rush for touchdowns in back-to-back Super Bowls, joining Franco Harris
Franco Harris
Franco Harris is a former American football player. He played his NFL career with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Seattle Seahawks.In the 1972 NFL Draft he was chosen by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round, the 13th selection overall...
, John Riggins
John Riggins
Robert John Riggins, nicknamed "The Diesel", is a former American football running back in the National Football League for the New York Jets and Washington Redskins. Riggins was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1992....
and Thomas). Smith also became the first player to lead the league in rushing yards, win NFL Most Valuable Player Award
NFL Most Valuable Player Award
The National Football League Most Valuable Player Award is given by various entities, most notably the Associated Press , to the player who is considered most valuable in the league. When the award is referred to without mentioning the organization, it generally means the AP award. The AP NFL MVP...
, and win Super Bowl MVP all in the same season. He was also the fourth player, after Bart Starr
Bart Starr
Bryan Bartlett "Bart" Starr is a former professional American football player and coach. Wearing #15, he was the quarterback for the Green Bay Packers from 1956 to 1971 and head coach from 1975 to 1983, compiling a record of 52–76–3 ....
(1966), Terry Bradshaw
Terry Bradshaw
Terry Paxton Bradshaw is a former American football quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League . He played 14 seasons. He is a football analyst and co-host of Fox NFL Sunday...
(1978), and Joe Montana
Joe Montana
Joseph Clifford "Joe" Montana, Jr. , nicknamed Joe Cool, Golden Joe, The Golden Great and Comeback Joe, is a retired American football player. Montana started his NFL career in 1979 with the San Francisco 49ers, where he played quarterback for the next 14 seasons...
(1989), to win both the NFL MVP and Super Bowl MVP during the same season. Defensively, James Washington, who began as the nickel-back to counter Buffalo's "no-huddle" and frequent use of three wide receivers, had a phenomenal game with his 46-yard touchdown on a fumble recovery, an interception, forcing a Thurman Thomas fumble that Darren Woodson recovered, and collecting 11 tackles.
Bills receiver Andre Reed finished the game with 6 receptions for 75 yards to lead Buffalo, with Don Beebe
Don Beebe
Don Lee Beebe is a former American football wide receiver who played for the Buffalo Bills , Carolina Panthers and the Green Bay Packers of the NFL....
catching 6 passes for 60 yards and returned 2 kickoffs for 63 yards. Thomas was limited to just 37 rushing yards, but he also caught 7 passes for 52 yards (Thomas became the first player in Super Bowl history to score touchdowns in four Super Bowls: he scored one TD in each of the Bills 4-straight appearances, XXV-XXVIII). Kenneth Davis was the Bills' top rusher with 38 yards. Kelly finished the game 31-of-50 for 260 yards and 1 interception. His 31 completions were a Super Bowl record. Kelly became the only player ever to throw 50 passes in 2 Super Bowls. In addition to his 50 passes in this game, he threw a Super Bowl record 58 passes in Super Bowl XXVI
Super Bowl XXVI
Super Bowl XXVI was an American football game played on January 26, 1992 at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minnesota to decide the National Football League champion following the 1991 regular season...
.
Box score
Starting lineups
Source:| Dallas | Position | Buffalo |
|---|---|---|
| OFFENSE | ||
| Alvin Harper Alvin Harper Alvin Craig Harper is a former American football player in the National Football League. After going 1-15 in 1989 and 7-9 in 1990, the Dallas Cowboys were poised to capitalize on some key draft opportunities... |
WR | Bill Brooks Bill Brooks (American football) William T. Brooks, Jr. is a former American football wide receiver who was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the fourth round of the 1986 NFL Draft. A 6'1",... |
| Mark Tuinei Mark Tuinei Mark Pulemau Tuinei was an American football offensive tackle in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys... |
LT | John Fina John Fina John Joseph Fina is a former American football offensive lineman, who spent eleven years in the National Football League, ten of those with the Buffalo Bills, and a one-year stint with the Arizona Cardinals... |
| Nate Newton Nate Newton Nathaniel Newton is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League who played for the Dallas Cowboys and the Carolina Panthers . He also played for the Tampa Bay Bandits of the United States Football League, in 1984 and 1985... |
LG | John Davis |
| John Gesek John Gesek John Christian Gesek, Jr. is a former American football offensive lineman who played nine seasons in the National Football League for the Los Angeles Raiders, the Dallas Cowboys, and the Washington Redskins... |
C | Kent Hull |
| Kevin Gogan Kevin Gogan Kevin Patrick Gogan is a former professional American football player who played guard for 14 seasons in the National Football League from 1987 to 2000... |
RG | Glenn Parker Glenn Parker Glenn Andrew Parker is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League who played for the Buffalo Bills, the Kansas City Chiefs, and the New York Giants... |
| Erik Williams Erik Williams Erik George Williams is a former American football offensive tackle in the National Football League who played most of his career with the Dallas Cowboys . He played college football at Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio, where he was an NAIA All-American offensive lineman. Williams was... |
RT | Howard Ballard Howard Ballard Howard Louis Ballard is a former American football offensive tackle in the National Football League for the Buffalo Bills and Seattle Seahawks. Nicknamed "House" for his sturdy build, he played in four Super Bowls and was selected to two Pro Bowls while a member of the Bills. He played college... |
| Jay Novacek Jay Novacek Jay McKinley Novacek is a former American football tight end in the National Football League who played for the St. Louis/Phoenix Cardinals and the Dallas Cowboys . Novacek was a five-time Pro Bowler, who was selected to play each year from 1991 through 1995... |
TE | Pete Metzelaars Pete Metzelaars Peter Henry Metzelaars is a former American football tight end who played for the Seattle Seahawks, Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers, and Detroit Lions in a sixteen-year career in the National Football League... |
| Michael Irvin Michael Irvin Michael Jerome Irvin is a former American football player for the Dallas Cowboys, and actor. He is also a former broadcaster for ESPN's NFL Countdown and currently an analyst for NFL Network. Irvin was self-nicknamed "The Playmaker" due to his penchant for making big plays in big games during his... |
WR | Andre Reed Andre Reed Andre Darnell Reed is a former professional American football player. He played wide receiver in the National Football League for 16 seasons, 15 with the Buffalo Bills and one with the Washington Redskins .Reed ranks tenth in NFL history in total career receptions with 951.-Football career:Reed... |
| Troy Aikman Troy Aikman Troy Kenneth Aikman is a former American football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League. The number one overall draft pick in 1989, Aikman played twelve consecutive seasons as quarterback with the Cowboys... |
QB | Jim Kelly Jim Kelly James Edward Kelly is a former American football quarterback in the NFL for the Buffalo Bills and the USFL's Houston Gamblers.... |
| Emmitt Smith Emmitt Smith Emmitt James Smith, III is a retired American football player who was a running back in the National Football League for fifteen seasons during the 1990s and 2000s. Smith played college football for the University of Florida, where he was an All-American; thereafter, he played professionally for... |
RB | Thurman Thomas |
| Daryl Johnston Daryl Johnston Daryl Peter "Moose" Johnston is a former National Football League fullback who played his entire career with the Dallas Cowboys from 1989 to 1999.-High school career:... |
FB-WR | Don Beebe Don Beebe Don Lee Beebe is a former American football wide receiver who played for the Buffalo Bills , Carolina Panthers and the Green Bay Packers of the NFL.... |
| DEFENSE | ||
| Tony Tolbert Tony Tolbert Anthony Lewis Tolbert is a former American football defensive end in the National Football League. He was raised in Englewood, New Jersey, and graduated from Dwight Morrow High School. Tolbert was drafted in 4th round of the 1989 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys... |
LE | Phil Hansen Phil Hansen (American football) Phillip Allen Hansen is a former American football defensive end in the NFL for the Buffalo Bills, drafted in the second round, making the 1991 all-rookie team, and playing on three Super Bowl teams... |
| Leon Lett Leon Lett Leon Lett, Jr. , nicknamed The Big Cat, is a former American football defensive tackle in the National Football League who played for the Dallas Cowboys and the Denver Broncos , after playing college football at Emporia State University. Lett was a two-time Pro Bowler, with selections in 1994 and... |
LDT-NT | Jeff Wright Jeff Wright (defensive tackle) Jeffrey Dee Wright is a former American football nose tackle who had a seven-year career in the National Football League with the Buffalo Bills. He played in four Super Bowls for the Bills, all losing efforts... |
| Tony Casillas Tony Casillas Tony Steven Casillas is a former American football defensive lineman in the National Football League from 1986 through 1997. While at the University of Oklahoma he helped win the 1985 NCAA National Championship. He also won the Lombardi Award in 1985 and was the 1985 UPI Lineman of the Year... |
RDT-RE | Bruce Smith |
| Charles Haley Charles Haley Charles Lewis Haley is a former American football linebacker and defensive end in the National Football League who played for the San Francisco 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys . He was drafted in the fourth round of the 1986 NFL Draft out of James Madison University... |
RE-LOLB | Marvcus Patton Marvcus Patton Marvcus Raymond Patton is a former professional American football player who was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the 8th round of the 1990 NFL Draft. A 6'2", 239-lb. linebacker from UCLA, Patton played in 13 NFL seasons from 1990 to 2002 for the Bills, Washington Redskins, and Kansas City Chiefs... |
| Ken Norton, Jr. | LOLB-LILB | Mark Maddox Mark Maddox Mark Anthony Maddox is a former professional American football linebacker for ten seasons in the NFL for the Buffalo Bills and Arizona Cardinals. He played college football at Northern Michigan University.... |
| Darren Woodson Darren Woodson Darren Ray Woodson is a former American football safety in the National Football League. He played his entire career for the Dallas Cowboys from 1992 to 2004... |
NICKEL | Cornelius Bennett Cornelius Bennett Cornelius O'Landa Bennett is a former American football linebacker who played for the Buffalo Bills from 1987 to 1995, Atlanta Falcons from 1996 to 1998, and the Indianapolis Colts from 1999 to 2000... |
| Darrin Smith Darrin Smith Darrin Andrew Smith is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League who played for the Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, Seattle Seahawks and the New Orleans Saints. While with Dallas he won two Super Bowl rings. At different times in his pro career he has played all... |
ROLB | Darryl Talley Darryl Talley Darryl Victor Talley is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the second round of the 1983 NFL Draft. He played college football at West Virginia.... |
| Larry Brown Larry Brown (cornerback) Larry Brown, Jr. is a former American football cornerback in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys and the Oakland Raiders. He is mostly known for being named the MVP of Super Bowl XXX. Brown was a starting cornerback on all three Dallas Cowboys championship teams of the nineties... |
LCB | Mickey Washington Mickey Washington Mickey Lin Washington is a former professional American football player who played cornerback in the National Football League for eight seasons for the New England Patriots, Washington Redskins, Buffalo Bills, Jacksonville Jaguars, and New Orleans Saints.After leaving the NFL, Washington obtained... |
| Kevin Smith Kevin Smith (cornerback) Kevin Rey Smith is a former professional American football player who played cornerback in the National Football League for nine seasons for the Dallas Cowboys.-High school career:... |
RCB | Nate Odomes Nate Odomes Nathaniel Bernard Odomes is a former professional American football defensive back who played for the Buffalo Bills , Seattle Seahawks , and the Atlanta Falcons... |
| Thomas Everett Thomas Everett Thomas Gregory Everett is a former American football safety in the National Football League.He played nine seasons for three teams . He attended Baylor University where he won the Jim Thorpe Award as the top defensive back in college football... |
SS | Henry Jones |
| James Washington James Washington James McArthur Washington is a former American football safety for the UCLA Bruins and in the National Football League. Currently he is a co-host of FOX Sports Radio's flagship morning show Out Of Bounds with Craig Shemon... |
FS | Mark Kelso Mark Kelso Mark Alan Kelso is a former American football player who was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the tenth round of the 1985 NFL Draft. A 5'11", 177 lbs. safety from North Hills High School and the College of William & Mary, Kelso played in eight NFL seasons and his entire career with the... |
Officials
- Referee: Bob McElweeBob McElweeRobert T. "Bob" McElwee is a former American football official, who served for 41 years, with 27 of those years in the National Football League from 1976 to 2003...
(#95) - Umpire: Art DemmasArt DemmasArt Demmas was an American Professional Football on-field official for 28 seasons. He was in the American Football League in 1968 and 1969 and in the NFL from the 1970 to 1996 NFL season. During his career as a Professional Football official, Demmas was assigned to four Super Bowls , all as an...
(#78) - Head Linesman: Sid Semon (#109)
- Line Judge: Tom Barnes (#55)
- Field Judge: Don Orr (#77)
- Side Judge: Nate Jones (#97)
- Back Judge: Al JuryAl JuryAl Jury is a former American football official in the National Football League from 1978 to 2004. He started as a back judge, then switched to field judge after the league swapped position names in 1998. Over the course of his NFL career, Jury was selected to officiate in a record-tying five...
(#106) - Alternate: Jerry MarkbreitJerry MarkbreitJerry Markbreit is a former American football referee in the National Football League for 23 seasons and became one of the most recognizable referees in the game. Markbreit officiated football games for 43 seasons. From 1965 to 1975, Markbreit officiated college football games in the Big Ten...
(#9)