Super Bowl XXI
Encyclopedia
Super Bowl
XXI was an American football
game played on January 25, 1987 at the Rose Bowl
in Pasadena, California
to decide the National Football League
(NFL) champion following the 1986 regular season
. The National Football Conference
(NFC) champion New York Giants
(17–2) won their first Super Bowl
by defeating the American Football Conference
(AFC) champion Denver Broncos
(13–6), 39–20. The Giants scored 26 consecutive points during the second, third, and fourth quarters, and a Super Bowl record 30 points in the second half.
New York quarterback
Phil Simms
was named the Super Bowl MVP
, finishing the game with 22 of 25 passes completed for 268 yards and three touchdowns. Simms also had 25 rushing yards on 3 carries. His 22 out of 25 (88%) completion percentage not only set a Super Bowl record, but also an NFL postseason record for 21 years.
, XXIII
, and XXIV
). The bidding cities included: Anaheim
, Detroit
, Houston
, Jacksonville
, Miami
, Minneapolis
, New Orleans
, Pasadena
, Philadelphia
, San Francisco, San Diego
, Seattle
, Tampa, and Tempe
. The Philadelphia host committee assembled what was considered a strong, but long-shot bid, hoping to win the first outdoor Super Bowl in a cold weather city.
The balloting for XXI took 13 ballots and over two hours to complete, with Pasadena finally receiving the winning bid. XXII was also voted on, but the voting for XXIII and XXIV was postponed. This was the fourth time that Pasadena hosted the game, and the sixth time it was held in the Greater Los Angeles Area
.
in the 1963 NFL Championship Game. The Giants were led by quarterback Phil Simms
, who threw for 3,487 yards and 21 touchdowns (but also 22 interceptions). Simms' main target was tight end Mark Bavaro
, who caught 66 passes for 1,001 yards and 4 touchdowns. Although the Giants did not have one great wide receiver, they did have several good ones. Receivers Stacy Robinson
, Bobby L. Johnson
, and Phil McConkey
combined for 76 receptions and 1,307 yards.
However, running the ball was the Giants' primary offensive attack. Running back Joe Morris finished the regular season with a then franchise record 1,516 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns, while also catching 21 passes for 223 yards and another touchdown. One reason for his success was fullback Maurice Carthon
, who provided Morris with excellent blocking and was the team's second leading rusher with 260 yards. Another reason was the play of their offensive line, led by Pro Bowl tackles Brad Benson
and Karl Nelson
.
The Giants also had a lot of weapons on their defense, nicknamed The "Big Blue Wrecking Crew
". After giving up 31 points in their opening day regular season loss to the Dallas Cowboys
, the Giants had not given up more than 20 points in a game until the last game of the season, in a 55–24 win over the Green Bay Packers
. The Giants' defensive leader was Hall of Fame
outside linebacker Lawrence Taylor
who led the league with 20½ sacks during the regular season, won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award
for the third time in his career, and became just the second defensive player to ever win the NFL Most Valuable Player Award
. At 6′3″ and 245 pounds, Taylor was big enough to break through the offensive lines of many teams, but he still had enough speed to chase down running backs. The Giants' other starting linebackers, Gary Reasons
, Carl Banks
, and Harry Carson
, did not get as much media attention as Taylor, but both Reasons and Carson had been selected to play in the Pro Bowl, while Banks recorded 6.5 sacks and 2 fumble recoveries. Nose tackle Jim Burt
and right end Leonard Marshall
, who were also both selected to the Pro Bowl, anchored the defensive line. Marshall recorded 12 sacks, 3 fumble recoveries, and 1 interception during the season.
With the play of their defense, the running attack led by Morris, and Simms' passing game, the Giants earned a 14–2 regular season record.
with an 11–5 regular season record, largely through the play of their quarterback John Elway
. In just his fourth season in the league, Elway made an impact to the team with his ad-libbing skills. During the regular season, he had thrown for 3,480 yards and 19 touchdowns, while also rushing for 257 yards, the third leading rusher on the team.
Elway did not really have a particular receiver who caught the most of his passes during the regular season, but wide receivers Mark Jackson, Vance Johnson
, Steve Watson
, and tight end Orson Mobley all combined for 136 receptions and 2,132 yards. Pro Bowl running back Sammy Winder
was the Broncos' top rusher with 789 yards and 9 touchdowns, while also catching 26 passes for another 171 yards and 5 touchdowns. Fullback Gerald Willhite
also contributed by rushing for 365 yards and 5 touchdowns, while also leading the team in receptions with 64, good for 529 yards and 3 touchdowns. The Broncos also had a powerful offensive line, led by Pro Bowl guard Keith Bishop.
The Broncos also led the AFC
with the fewest rushing yards allowed (1,651). The defensive line was anchored by Pro Bowl defensive end Rulon Jones
, who recorded 13.5 sacks and a fumble recovery. Denver's linebacking core, led by three time Pro Bowler Tom Jackson
and Karl Mecklenburg
, who recorded 9.5 sacks, was viewed as comparable to the Giants' Pro Bowl linebackers. Their secondary was led by Pro Bowl cornerbacks Dennis Smith and Louis Wright, along with Mike Harden
, who intercepted 6 passes and returned them for 179 yards and 2 touchdowns. Louis Wright, Steve Foley, and Tom Jackson, the last remnants of Denver's Orange Crush Defense of the 1970s, all retired after this Super Bowl.
, 22–17, and the Cleveland Browns
, 23–20, in the AFC Championship Game. The AFC Championship Game against the Browns was particular significant because Elway displayed why many NFL experts thought Super Bowl XXI would be the first of many Super Bowls for him. In what became known as The Drive
, the Broncos started from their own 2-yard line, trailing 20-13, with 5:32 left to play. But in 15 plays, Elway led Denver 98 yards for a game-tying touchdown pass with 39 seconds left. The Broncos then won in overtime after Elway's led them 60 yards in 9 plays to set up kicker Rich Karlis
' game winning field goal.
Meanwhile, the Giants went on to only allow a combined total of 3 points in their playoff victories over the San Francisco 49ers
, 49-3, and the Washington Redskins
, 17-0, respectively. Such a dominating performance by the Giants' defense gave the team a lot of confidence going into the Super Bowl match-up versus the Broncos.
by CBS
and featured the broadcast team of play-by-play announcer Pat Summerall
and color commentator
John Madden. Brent Musburger
of The NFL Today
anchored the pregame, halftime and postgame coverage. Helping Musburger were reporters Irv Cross
and Will McDonough
and analysts Jimmy "The Greek" Snyder, Terry Bradshaw
, Joe Theismann
and Dan Dierdorf
(in his final CBS assignment before moving on to ABC
's Monday Night Football
for the following season
). The game was also the first NFL game to be broadcast in Dolby Surround
sound and in stereo
. The game was also broadcast in Canada
on CTV
and in the United Kingdom
on Channel 4
.
Nationally, the game was carried over the NBC Radio Network
. Don Criqui
served as play-by-play with Bob Trumpy
his color commentator. This was the last Super Bowl called by Criqui, as NBC Radio lost NFL rights following the season and he returned to his secondary play-by-play role on NBC television. Trumpy would call two more Super Bowls for NBC television (Super Bowl XXVII
and Super Bowl XXVIII
) as part of the network's #1 broadcast team. In the teams' local markets, the game was carried on WNEW-AM
and KOA-AM.
The pregame show was a salute to California
and featured the pop music
group The Beach Boys
. Singer Neil Diamond
performed the national anthem. The coin toss
ceremony featured Pro Football Hall of Fame
defensive lineman Willie Davis.
The halftime show was a "Salute to Hollywood's 100th Anniversary" featuring an introduction by George Burns
(who was only nine years younger than Hollywood at the time) and a performance by the Southern California
high school drill teams and dancers.
Super Bowl XXI MVP Phil Simms was the first athlete to appear in a "I'm going to Disney World!
" television ad.
As had been their tradition all season, upon securing their victory, Giants players celebrated by dumping a Gatorade
cooler on head coach Bill Parcells
. The 1986 Giants were the first team to initiate what has now become a standard post-game celebration, and the Super Bowl telecast enabled a large, national audience to first witness what has become commonplace.
The postgame show was supposed to feature the song "One Shining Moment
" but due to postgame interviews taking so long, CBS
never aired it. They ultimately changed the lyrics from "The ball is kicked" to "The ball is tipped", and the song is now played at the end of the network's NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
coverage. CBS also debuted the theme music that would later be used for their college football coverage
during this game, as well as its open that was used through 1990.
This Super Bowl is featured in NFL's Greatest Games
under the title Land of the Giants.
faked a handoff, then spun around and ran in the opposite direction for a 10-yard gain to the Denver 34-yard line. Then on third down, his 24-yard completion to receiver Mark Jackson advanced the ball to the New York 39-yard line. However, the Giants' defense tighened up and halted the drive at the 30-yard line, forcing Denver to settle for Rich Karlis
's 48-yard field goal to give them a 3-0 lead.
The Giants then took the ensuing kickoff and stormed right back on a 9-play, 78-yard drive. First quarterback Phil Simms
completed a 17-yard pass to receiver Lionel Manuel
. Then, running back Joe Morris ran for 11 yards to the Denver 41-yard line. The Giants then marched to the Denver 6-yard line with Simms' 18-yard pass to receiver Stacy Robinson
, and then a 17-yard completion to tight end Mark Bavaro
two plays later. Finally, Simms threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to tight end Zeke Mowatt
, giving the Giants a 7-3 lead.
Denver kick returner Ken Bell
gave his team great field position by returning the ensuing kickoff 28 yards to the Broncos 42-yard line. Then, Elway completed 3 consecutive passes: a 14-yard completion to running back Sammy Winder
, an 11-yard completion to tight end Orson Mobley
, and a 9-yard screen pass
to Winder. On Winder's play, the Giants were flagged for two 15-yard penalties. The first was a personal foul called on Harry Carson
, who was penalized for hitting Winder out of bounds. The second penalty was an unsportsmanlike conduct foul on Lawrence Taylor
, who picked up the first penalty marker and threw it. The penalties moved the ball to the Giants' six-yard line, and three plays later Elway scored on a 4-yard touchdown run to give the Broncos a 10–7 lead.
On Denver's first drive of the second quarter, Elway dropped back to pass from his own 18-yard line on third down. The Giants' pass rush forced him to scramble out of the pocket, but it gave him time to find receiver Vance Johnson
, who was wide open, for a 54-yard completion. Several plays later, the Broncos drove to a first down at the New York's 1-yard line, but Giants defense made a key defensive stand. First, Elway tried a run-pass option, but linebacker Lawrence Taylor
broke through the line and tackled him for a 1-yard loss. Then, fullback Gerald Willhite
tried to run through the middle, but linebacker Harry Carson
tackled him for no gain. On third down, Elway pitched the ball to Winder, who tried to score on a run to the outside, but linebacker Carl Banks
tackled him for a 4-yard loss. In total, the Broncos had run 3 plays from the 1-yard line and lost 5 yards. Denver tried to salvage the drive with a 23-yard field goal attempt, but Karlis' kick was no good, making it the shortest missed field goal in Super Bowl history.
The first use of instant replay
in a Super Bowl game came with approximately three minutes to play in the half. Bronco tight end Clarence Kay
caught a pass from Elway for a 25-yard gain, but after the officials conferred the pass was ruled incomplete. The replay booth, headed by director of officiating Art McNally
, took a look at the play and confirmed the ruling on the field. On the next play George Martin sacked Elway in the end zone for a safety, cutting Denver's lead to 10-9. Toward the end of the first half, CBS broadcast a reverse angle replay that the officials were unable to see and showed that they had missed the call, clearly showing a reception by Kay.
With less than a minute remaining in the half, Elway completed 31-yard pass to receiver Steve Watson
and an 11-yard pass to Willhite, giving the Broncos a first down at the Giants 20-yard line. But the Giants defense forced 3 consecutive incompletions, and Denver ended the drive with no points after Karlis missed another field goal, this time from 34 yards. Karlis, who had made 11 of 12 field goals from under 40 yards during the season, later admitted his misses in the first half were devastating to the Broncos. "Both times I didn't get my hips all the way through the kicks. I was steering the ball, and I know better than that. I felt the team unravel after that. I really hurt them."
In the second half, the Giants dominated the Broncos, outscoring them 30-10 with four touchdowns and a field goal on their first five possessions.
The Giants took the opening kickoff in the third quarter, but faced fourth down after their first 3 plays. Instead of kicking the ball to Denver, they ran a successful fake punt. Playing from the blocking back position on the punt formation, backup quarterback Jeff Rutledge
took the snap and ran to the Giants 48-yard line for a first down. On the next play, Simms completed a 12-yard pass to Morris, and then followed it up with a 23-yard completion to running back Lee Rouson
. Two plays later, Simms finished the drive with a 13-yard touchdown pass to Bavaro to give the Giants a 16-10 lead. The Broncos were forced to punt on their next drive, and receiver Phil McConkey
returned the punt 25 yards to Denver's 36-yard line. The Broncos managed to keep the Giants out of the endzone, but New York kicker Raul Allegre
kicked a 21-yard field goal to increase their lead to 19-10.
Denver was again forced to punt on their ensuing possession. Afterwards, Simms completed a 17-yard pass to Manuel at the Broncos 45-yard line. Then the Giants fooled Denver on a flea flicker
play: Morris took a handoff from Simms and ran up to the line of scrimmage as if it were a run play. But before he crossed the line, Morris pitched the ball back to Simms, who then passed the ball to McConkey, who was wide open at the 20-yard line. After catching the pass, McConkey ran all the way to the 1-yard line before being tackled. Morris then scored on a 1-yard touchdown run on the next play, increasing New York's lead to 26-10.
Elway barely avoided a turnover by recovering his own fumble on the last play of the third quarter, but on the first play of the fourth quarter, he threw an interception to Giants defensive back Elvis Patterson
. After that, Simms completed a 36-yard pass to Robinson. Two plays later from Denver's 6-yard line, Simms threw a pass to Bavaro in the endzone. The pass bounced off Bavaro's fingertips, but fell right into the arms of McConkey for a touchdown, making the Giants lead 33-10
The Broncos finally managed to get a good drive going on their next possession, advancing the ball 74 yards in 13 plays. Elway completed 5 of 6 passes for 46 yards and rushed for 14, while Karlis finished it off with a 28-yard field goal, cutting their deficit to 33-13. But the Giants recovered Denver's ensuing onside kick attempt and stormed right back for another touchdown. On the drive, Rouson ran twice for 21 yards and then Simms ran for a 22-yard gain. Running back Ottis Anderson
finished the drive off with a 2-yard touchdown run to make the score 39-13 after Allegre's extra point attempt failed.
Denver later managed to cut their deficit to 39-20 with Elway's 47-yard touchdown pass to Vance Johnson (the 100th TD in Super Bowl history), but by then there was only a little more than two minutes left in the game.
As the final seconds of the game ticked away Harry Carson
, continuing the recent trend started by the Giants, gave head coach Bill Parcells
a Gatorade shower
, going as far as to take off his jersey and pads and sneak behind Parcells with a Rose Bowl security team shirt on. Thanks in large part to this particular Gatorade dunking, a tradition of sorts was formed that continues to this day. In addition Brad Benson
and Bart Oates
drenched Simms with a cooler of ice water; "I think it was very appropriate to cool the guy down," Oates explained, "as hot as he was in the game."
Morris was the top rusher of the game, gaining 67 yards, and added another 20 yards on 4 receptions. Robinson was the Giants top receiver with 3 catches for 62 yards. Bavaro caught 4 passes for 51 yards and a touchdown. McConkey caught 2 passes for 50 yards and a touchdown, and returned a punt for 25 yards. Defensively; while the Broncos managed to bottle up Lawrence Taylor, Carl Banks had 14 tackles, 10 of which were unassisted and four of those for negative yardage, while Leonard Marshall
had two sacks and forced a fumble. Elway finished the game with 22 out of 37 pass completions for 304 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception. He also was the Broncos' leading rusher in the game, with 27 rushing yards and a touchdown on 6 carries. Denver's Vance Johnson was the top receiver of the game, with 5 receptions for 121 yards, an average of 24.2 yards per catch, and a touchdown.
The Giants' victory in Super Bowl XXI marked the second time in four months that the New York metropolitan area
had won a championship in a major professional sport; three months before, the New York Mets
had won the 1986 World Series
.
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...
XXI was an American football
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 25, 1987 at the Rose Bowl
Rose Bowl (stadium)
The Rose Bowl is an outdoor athletic stadium in Pasadena, California, U.S., in Los Angeles County. The stadium is the site of the annual college football bowl game, the Rose Bowl, held on New Year's Day. In 1982, it became the home field of the UCLA Bruins college football team of the Pac-12...
in Pasadena, California
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
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 1986 regular season
1986 NFL season
The 1986 NFL season was the 67th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXI when the New York Giants defeated the Denver Broncos to win their first league title in 30 years.-Major rule changes:...
. 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 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...
(17–2) won their first 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...
by defeating 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 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...
(13–6), 39–20. The Giants scored 26 consecutive points during the second, third, and fourth quarters, and a Super Bowl record 30 points in the second half.
New York quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Phil Simms
Phil Simms
Phillip Martin "Phil" Simms is a former American football quarterback, and currently a television sportscaster for the CBS network. After a standout career at Morehead State University, Simms was drafted in the first round by the New York Giants of the National Football League with the number...
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...
, finishing the game with 22 of 25 passes completed for 268 yards and three touchdowns. Simms also had 25 rushing yards on 3 carries. His 22 out of 25 (88%) completion percentage not only set a Super Bowl record, but also an NFL postseason record for 21 years.
Background
NFL owners voted to award Super Bowl XXI to Pasadena, California during their May 23–25, 1984 meetings. Fourteen cities were part of the bidding process, which was scheduled to award four Super Bowls (XXI, XXIISuper Bowl XXII
Super Bowl XXII was an American football game played on January 31, 1988 at Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 1987 regular season...
, XXIII
Super Bowl XXIII
Super Bowl XXIII was an American football game played on January 22, 1989 at Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami, Florida to decide the National Football League champion following the 1988 regular season. This was the first Super Bowl hosted in the Miami area in 10 years, and the first in Miami not held...
, and XXIV
Super Bowl XXIV
Super Bowl XXIV was an American football game played on January 28, 1990 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 1989 regular season...
). The bidding cities included: Anaheim
Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Angel Stadium of Anaheim is a modern-style ballpark located in Anaheim, California. It is the home ballpark to Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim of the American League, and was previously home to the NFL's Los Angeles Rams...
, Detroit
Pontiac Silverdome
The Silverdome is a domed stadium located in the city of Pontiac, Michigan, USA, which sits on . It was the largest stadium in the National Football League until FedEx Field in suburban Washington, D.C...
, Houston
Reliant Astrodome
Reliant Astrodome, also known as the Houston Astrodome or simply the Astrodome, is the world's first multi-purpose, domed sports stadium, located in Houston, Texas, USA. The stadium is part of the Reliant Park complex...
, Jacksonville
Gator Bowl Stadium
Gator Bowl was an American football stadium in Jacksonville, Florida. Originally built in 1927, it was radically reconstructed in 1994 in preparation for the Jacksonville Jaguars inaugural season and became Jacksonville Municipal Stadium, now EverBank Field. It is most notable for hosting the Gator...
, Miami
Dolphin Stadium
Sun Life Stadium is an American football stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, a suburb of Miami. It is the home stadium of the Miami Dolphins National Football League team, and the University of Miami Hurricanes football team. It also hosts the Orange Bowl, an annual college football bowl game. It...
, Minneapolis
Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, commonly called the Metrodome, is a domed sports stadium in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Opened in 1982, it replaced Metropolitan Stadium, which was on the current site of the Mall of America in Bloomington and Memorial Stadium on the University...
, New Orleans
Louisiana Superdome
The Mercedes-Benz Superdome, previously known as the Louisiana Superdome and colloquially known as the Superdome, is a sports and exhibition arena located in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana, USA...
, Pasadena
Rose Bowl (stadium)
The Rose Bowl is an outdoor athletic stadium in Pasadena, California, U.S., in Los Angeles County. The stadium is the site of the annual college football bowl game, the Rose Bowl, held on New Year's Day. In 1982, it became the home field of the UCLA Bruins college football team of the Pac-12...
, Philadelphia
Veterans Stadium
Philadelphia Veterans Stadium was a professional-sports, multi-purpose stadium, located at the northeast corner of Broad Street and Pattison Avenue, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex...
, San Francisco, San Diego
Qualcomm Stadium
Qualcomm Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, in San Diego, California, in the Mission Valley area....
, Seattle
Kingdome
The Kingdome was a multi-purpose stadium located in Seattle's SoDo neighborhood. Owned and operated by King County, the Kingdome opened in 1976 and was best known as the home stadium of the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League , the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball , and the...
, Tampa, and Tempe
Sun Devil Stadium
Sun Devil Stadium is an outdoor football stadium, located on the campus of Arizona State University, in Tempe, Arizona, United States. The stadium's current seating capacity is 71,706 and the playing surface is natural grass...
. The Philadelphia host committee assembled what was considered a strong, but long-shot bid, hoping to win the first outdoor Super Bowl in a cold weather city.
The balloting for XXI took 13 ballots and over two hours to complete, with Pasadena finally receiving the winning bid. XXII was also voted on, but the voting for XXIII and XXIV was postponed. This was the fourth time that Pasadena hosted the game, and the sixth time it was held in the Greater Los Angeles Area
Greater Los Angeles Area
The Greater Los Angeles Area, or the Southland, is a term used for the Combined Statistical Area sprawled over five counties in the southern part of California, namely Los Angeles County, Orange County, San Bernardino County, Riverside County and Ventura County...
.
New York Giants
The Giants advanced to their first Super Bowl in team history, and were playing for their first league championship since they lost to the Chicago BearsChicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the 1963 NFL Championship Game. The Giants were led by quarterback Phil Simms
Phil Simms
Phillip Martin "Phil" Simms is a former American football quarterback, and currently a television sportscaster for the CBS network. After a standout career at Morehead State University, Simms was drafted in the first round by the New York Giants of the National Football League with the number...
, who threw for 3,487 yards and 21 touchdowns (but also 22 interceptions). Simms' main target was tight end Mark Bavaro
Mark Bavaro
Mark Bavaro is a former American football tight end who played for the New York Giants , Cleveland Browns , and Philadelphia Eagles in the National Football League...
, who caught 66 passes for 1,001 yards and 4 touchdowns. Although the Giants did not have one great wide receiver, they did have several good ones. Receivers Stacy Robinson
Stacy Robinson
Stacy Laddell Robinson is a former professional American football wide receiver in the NFL for the New York Giants. Perhaps his finest game came in week 13 of the 1986 season, when the Giants were playing the 49ers. The Giants trailed 17-0 at halftime, but scored three touchdowns in the third...
, Bobby L. Johnson
Bobby Johnson (American football)
Bobby Lee Johnson is a former professional American football wide receiver in the National Football League for three seasons for the New York Giants. He played college football at the University of Kansas....
, and Phil McConkey
Phil McConkey
Philip Joseph McConkey attended Canisius High School where he played wide receiver for the varsity football team and graduated in the class of 1975, is a former American football wide receiver who played for the New York Giants , Green Bay Packers , Phoenix Cardinals , and San Diego Chargers of...
combined for 76 receptions and 1,307 yards.
However, running the ball was the Giants' primary offensive attack. Running back Joe Morris finished the regular season with a then franchise record 1,516 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns, while also catching 21 passes for 223 yards and another touchdown. One reason for his success was fullback Maurice Carthon
Maurice Carthon
Maurice Carthon is a National Football League coach as well as a former professional football running back.Carthon is currently an assistant head coach for the Kansas City Chiefs...
, who provided Morris with excellent blocking and was the team's second leading rusher with 260 yards. Another reason was the play of their offensive line, led by Pro Bowl tackles Brad Benson
Brad Benson
Brad William Benson is a former professional American football player. He was an offensive lineman with the New York Giants of the National Football League from 1978 to 1988. He was a pivotal member of the 1986 Giants team that defeated the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXI...
and Karl Nelson
Karl Nelson
Karl Stuart Nelson was an American football offensive tackle in the National Football League for the New York Giants. He was a member of the 1986 Giants team that won Super Bowl XXI. He missed the 1987 season due to illness . Nelson played college football at Iowa State University...
.
The Giants also had a lot of weapons on their defense, nicknamed The "Big Blue Wrecking Crew
Big Blue Wrecking Crew
The Big Blue Wrecking Crew is a nickname used to refer to the defense for the New York Giants during the 1980s that won two Super Bowl Championships, the first in Super Bowl XXI in 1986 and the other in Super Bowl XXV in 1990...
". After giving up 31 points in their opening day regular season loss to the 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...
, the Giants had not given up more than 20 points in a game until the last game of the season, in a 55–24 win over 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...
. The Giants' defensive leader was Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
outside linebacker Lawrence Taylor
Lawrence Taylor
Lawrence Julius Taylor , nicknamed "L.T.", is a Hall of Fame former American football player. Taylor played his entire professional career as a linebacker for the New York Giants in the National Football League...
who led the league with 20½ sacks during the regular season, won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award
NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award
The NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award is given by the Associated Press to the league's most outstanding defensive player at the end of every NFL season since 1971. Multiple-award winners include Lawrence Taylor, who won it three times, and Joe Greene, Mike Singletary, Bruce Smith, Reggie...
for the third time in his career, and became just the second defensive player to ever win 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...
. At 6′3″ and 245 pounds, Taylor was big enough to break through the offensive lines of many teams, but he still had enough speed to chase down running backs. The Giants' other starting linebackers, Gary Reasons
Gary Reasons
Gary Phillip Reasons is a former American football linebacker for the New York Giants of the National Football League, winning Super Bowl XXI and Super Bowl XXV as a member of the team.-Biography:...
, Carl Banks
Carl Banks
Carl E. Banks is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League from 1984 to 1995 for the New York Giants, the Washington Redskins and the Cleveland Browns. He made the Pro Bowl in 1987, had 39.5 career quarterback sacks, and was a member of the NFL's 1980's All-Decade Team...
, and Harry Carson
Harry Carson
Harold Donald Carson is a former American football inside linebacker who played his entire professional career for the NFL's New York Giants...
, did not get as much media attention as Taylor, but both Reasons and Carson had been selected to play in the Pro Bowl, while Banks recorded 6.5 sacks and 2 fumble recoveries. Nose tackle Jim Burt
Jim Burt (football player)
James P. Burt is a former American football player who played for the New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers in the National Football League...
and right end Leonard Marshall
Leonard Marshall
Leonard Allen Marshall Jr. is a former American football defensive lineman who played twelve seasons in the National Football League . Marshall played defensive end for the New York Giants for ten seasons, then played a season each as a defensive tackle for the New York Jets and Washington Redskins...
, who were also both selected to the Pro Bowl, anchored the defensive line. Marshall recorded 12 sacks, 3 fumble recoveries, and 1 interception during the season.
With the play of their defense, the running attack led by Morris, and Simms' passing game, the Giants earned a 14–2 regular season record.
Denver Broncos
The Broncos won the AFC WestAFC West
The AFC West is a division of the National Football League's American Football Conference, currently comprising the Denver Broncos, San Diego Chargers, Kansas City Chiefs, and the Oakland Raiders.-History:...
with an 11–5 regular season record, largely through the play of their quarterback 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...
. In just his fourth season in the league, Elway made an impact to the team with his ad-libbing skills. During the regular season, he had thrown for 3,480 yards and 19 touchdowns, while also rushing for 257 yards, the third leading rusher on the team.
Elway did not really have a particular receiver who caught the most of his passes during the regular season, but wide receivers Mark Jackson, Vance Johnson
Vance Johnson
Vance Edward Johnson , is a former professional American football player who was selected by the Denver Broncos in the second round of the 1985 NFL Draft. A 5'11", 174 lb...
, Steve Watson
Steve Watson (American football)
Steve Ross Watson is a former American football wide receiver and current wide receivers coach.After high school at St. Mark's High School in Wilmington, Delaware, Watson attended Temple University and entered the National Football League as an undrafted free agent in 1979...
, and tight end Orson Mobley all combined for 136 receptions and 2,132 yards. Pro Bowl running back Sammy Winder
Sammy Winder
Sammy Winder is a former professional American football running back who spent his entire professional career playing for the Denver Broncos, from 1982 to 1990....
was the Broncos' top rusher with 789 yards and 9 touchdowns, while also catching 26 passes for another 171 yards and 5 touchdowns. Fullback Gerald Willhite
Gerald Willhite
Gerald William Willhite is a former professional American football player who was selected by the Denver Broncos in the first round of the 1982 NFL Draft. A 5'10", 210-lb. running back from San José State University, Willhite played for the Broncos from 1982 to 1988...
also contributed by rushing for 365 yards and 5 touchdowns, while also leading the team in receptions with 64, good for 529 yards and 3 touchdowns. The Broncos also had a powerful offensive line, led by Pro Bowl guard Keith Bishop.
The Broncos also led the AFC
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....
with the fewest rushing yards allowed (1,651). The defensive line was anchored by Pro Bowl defensive end Rulon Jones
Rulon Jones
Rulon Jones is a retired American football defensive lineman.Jones was drafted out of the Utah State University in the 1980 NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos. He played his entire career in Denver. During his career, Jones played in 129 games and recorded 52.5 official quarterback sacks...
, who recorded 13.5 sacks and a fumble recovery. Denver's linebacking core, led by three time Pro Bowler Tom Jackson
Tom Jackson (American football)
Thomas Louie "Tom" Jackson, also referred to as "TJ" or "Tommy", is an NFL analyst for ESPN and a former Pro Bowl linebacker for the Denver Broncos.-College:...
and Karl Mecklenburg
Karl Mecklenburg
Karl Mecklenburg is a former American football player for the Denver Broncos in the National Football League.-National Football League:...
, who recorded 9.5 sacks, was viewed as comparable to the Giants' Pro Bowl linebackers. Their secondary was led by Pro Bowl cornerbacks Dennis Smith and Louis Wright, along with Mike Harden
Mike Harden
Michael Harden is a former professional American football player who played safety from 1980 to 1990 for the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Raiders. Harden was selected by the Broncos in the 5th round of the 1980 NFL Draft. During his 11-year NFL career, he intercepted 38 passes for 663 yards and...
, who intercepted 6 passes and returned them for 179 yards and 2 touchdowns. Louis Wright, Steve Foley, and Tom Jackson, the last remnants of Denver's Orange Crush Defense of the 1970s, all retired after this Super Bowl.
Playoffs
Elway's ability to improvise on the fly, in part, helped Denver to make it through the playoffs, narrowly defeating the New England PatriotsNew England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
, 22–17, and the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, 23–20, in the AFC Championship Game. The AFC Championship Game against the Browns was particular significant because Elway displayed why many NFL experts thought Super Bowl XXI would be the first of many Super Bowls for him. In what became known as The Drive
The Drive
The Drive refers to an offensive series in the fourth quarter of the AFC Championship Game played on January 11, 1987, between the Denver Broncos and the Cleveland Browns. Broncos quarterback John Elway, in a span of 5 minutes and 2 seconds, led his team 98 yards to tie the game with 37 seconds...
, the Broncos started from their own 2-yard line, trailing 20-13, with 5:32 left to play. But in 15 plays, Elway led Denver 98 yards for a game-tying touchdown pass with 39 seconds left. The Broncos then won in overtime after Elway's led them 60 yards in 9 plays to set up kicker Rich Karlis
Rich Karlis
Richard John Karlis is a former American Football placekicker who played nine seasons for the Denver Broncos, the Minnesota Vikings, and the Detroit Lions in the National Football League from 1982 to 1990...
' game winning field goal.
Meanwhile, the Giants went on to only allow a combined total of 3 points in their playoff victories over 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...
, 49-3, and the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
, 17-0, respectively. Such a dominating performance by the Giants' defense gave the team a lot of confidence going into the Super Bowl match-up versus the Broncos.
Super Bowl pregame news
Much of the pregame hype centered around the confrontation between Elway and Taylor, and whether or not Taylor would be able to hurry Elway's throws or sack him. The Giants had narrowly defeated Denver during the regular season, forcing four turnovers in a 19-16 win despite being outgained in total yards 405 to 262.Television, radio, 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 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...
and featured the broadcast team of play-by-play announcer Pat Summerall
Pat Summerall
George Allen "Pat" Summerall is a former American football player and television sportscaster, having worked at CBS, Fox, and ESPN.Summerall is best known for his work with John Madden on NFL telecasts for CBS and Fox.-High school:...
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...
John Madden. Brent Musburger
Brent Musburger
Brent Woody Musburger is an American sportscaster for the ESPN and ABC television networks. Formerly with CBS Sports and one of the original members of their legendary program The NFL Today, Musburger has covered NASCAR, NBA, MLB, NCAA football and basketball games. Musburger has also served as a...
of The NFL Today
The NFL Today
The NFL Today is an American sports series that precedes the American football program The NFL on CBS on CBS Sports. The program usually airs at noon on Sundays of the National Football League regular season...
anchored the pregame, halftime and postgame coverage. Helping Musburger were reporters Irv Cross
Irv Cross
Irvin Acie "Irv" Cross is a former professional American football cornerback and sportscaster.-Playing career:Cross was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the seventh round of the 1961 NFL Draft. In 1966 he was traded to the Los Angeles Rams. Then in 1969, he returned to the Eagles and became...
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...
and analysts Jimmy "The Greek" Snyder, 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...
, Joe Theismann
Joe Theismann
Joseph Robert "Joe" Theismann is a former quarterback in the National Football League and Canadian Football League . He achieved his most enduring fame in his 12 seasons playing for the Washington Redskins, where he was a two-time Pro Bowler and quarterback of the winning team in Super Bowl XVII...
and Dan Dierdorf
Dan Dierdorf
Daniel Lee "Dan" Dierdorf is a former American football player and current television sportscaster. He played 13 NFL seasons and has worked for ABC's Monday Night Football and CBS as a color commentator since retiring from football....
(in his final CBS assignment before moving on to 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...
's Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
for the following season
1987 NFL season
The 1987 NFL season was the 68th regular season of the National Football League. A 24-day players' strike reduced the 16-game season to 15. The games that were scheduled for the third week of the season were canceled, but the games for weeks 4–6 were played with replacement players...
). The game was also the first NFL game to be broadcast in Dolby Surround
Dolby Surround
Dolby Surround was the earliest consumer version of Dolby's multichannel analog film sound decoding format Dolby Stereo introduced to the public in 1982 during the time home video recording formats were introducing Stereo and HiFi capability...
sound and in stereo
STEREO
STEREO is a solar observation mission. Two nearly identical spacecraft were launched into orbits that cause them to respectively pull farther ahead of and fall gradually behind the Earth...
. The game was also broadcast in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
on CTV
CTV television network
CTV Television Network is a Canadian English language television network and is owned by Bell Media. It is Canada's largest privately-owned network, and has consistently placed as Canada's top-rated network in total viewers and in key demographics since 2002, after several years trailing the rival...
and in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
on Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
.
Nationally, the game was carried over the NBC Radio Network
NFL on NBC Radio
From 1985-1986, the NBC Radio Network was the official, national radio provider for National Football League games. The program succeeded the CBS Radio Network's package.-Background:...
. Don Criqui
Don Criqui
Don Criqui is an American sportscaster, currently employed as a play-by-play announcer for CBS Sports. Criqui's duties include occasional television coverage of National Football League games, women's and men's college basketball, occasional college football and radio play-by-play of ISP Sports'...
served as play-by-play with 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...
his color commentator. This was the last Super Bowl called by Criqui, as NBC Radio lost NFL rights following the season and he returned to his secondary play-by-play role on NBC television. Trumpy would call two more Super Bowls for NBC television (Super Bowl XXVII
Super Bowl XXVII
Super Bowl XXVII was a football game played on January 31, 1993 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 1992 regular season. The National Football Conference champion Dallas Cowboys defeated the American Football Conference champion...
and Super Bowl XXVIII
Super Bowl XXVIII
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 champion following the 1993 regular season. The National Football Conference champion Dallas Cowboys defeated the American Football...
) as part of the network's #1 broadcast team. In the teams' local markets, the game was carried on WNEW-AM
WBBR
WBBR is a radio station broadcasting at 1130 AM in New York City. It airs Bloomberg Radio, a service of Bloomberg L.P. WBBR's format is general and financial news, offering local, national and international news reports along with financial market updates and interviews with corporate executives,...
and KOA-AM.
The pregame show was a salute to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and featured the pop music
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
group The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys are an American rock band, formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California. The group was initially composed of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Managed by the Wilsons' father Murry, The Beach Boys signed to Capitol Records in 1962...
. Singer Neil Diamond
Neil Diamond
Neil Leslie Diamond is an American singer-songwriter with a career spanning over five decades from the 1960s until the present....
performed the national anthem. 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 featured Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
defensive lineman Willie Davis.
The halftime show was a "Salute to Hollywood's 100th Anniversary" featuring an introduction by George Burns
George Burns
George Burns , born Nathan Birnbaum, was an American comedian, actor, and writer.He was one of the few entertainers whose career successfully spanned vaudeville, film, radio, television and movies, with and without his wife, Gracie Allen. His arched eyebrow and cigar smoke punctuation became...
(who was only nine years younger than Hollywood at the time) and a performance by the Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
high school drill teams and dancers.
Super Bowl XXI MVP Phil Simms was the first athlete to appear in a "I'm going to Disney World!
I'm Going to Disney World!
"I'm going to Disney World!" and "I'm going to Disneyland!" are advertising slogans used in a series of television commercials by The Walt Disney Company that began airing in 1987...
" television ad.
As had been their tradition all season, upon securing their victory, Giants players celebrated by dumping a Gatorade
Gatorade
Gatorade is a brand of sports-themed food and beverage products, built around its signature product: a line of sports drinks. Gatorade is currently manufactured by PepsiCo, distributed in over 80 countries...
cooler on head coach Bill Parcells
Bill Parcells
Duane Charles "Bill" Parcells is a former American football head coach, most recently with the Dallas Cowboys from 2003 to 2006...
. The 1986 Giants were the first team to initiate what has now become a standard post-game celebration, and the Super Bowl telecast enabled a large, national audience to first witness what has become commonplace.
The postgame show was supposed to feature the song "One Shining Moment
One Shining Moment
"One Shining Moment" is a song written by David Barrett about the NCAA Men's College Basketball Championship. One Shining Moment is traditionally played at the end of CBS Sports' coverage of the championship game of the tournament...
" but due to postgame interviews taking so long, 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...
never aired it. They ultimately changed the lyrics from "The ball is kicked" to "The ball is tipped", and the song is now played at the end of the network's NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
coverage. CBS also debuted the theme music that would later be used for their college football coverage
SEC on CBS
The SEC on CBS is a presentation of the college football television package owned by CBS Sports...
during this game, as well as its open that was used through 1990.
This Super Bowl is featured in NFL's Greatest Games
NFL's Greatest Games
NFL's Greatest Games is a series of 90-minute television programs that air on NFL Network, ESPN and related networks. They are condensed versions of some of the most famous games in the history of the National Football League, using footage and sound captured by NFL Films, as well as original...
under the title Land of the Giants.
Game summary
On the Broncos' first play after receiving the opening kickoff, quarterback John ElwayJohn 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...
faked a handoff, then spun around and ran in the opposite direction for a 10-yard gain to the Denver 34-yard line. Then on third down, his 24-yard completion to receiver Mark Jackson advanced the ball to the New York 39-yard line. However, the Giants' defense tighened up and halted the drive at the 30-yard line, forcing Denver to settle for Rich Karlis
Rich Karlis
Richard John Karlis is a former American Football placekicker who played nine seasons for the Denver Broncos, the Minnesota Vikings, and the Detroit Lions in the National Football League from 1982 to 1990...
's 48-yard field goal to give them a 3-0 lead.
The Giants then took the ensuing kickoff and stormed right back on a 9-play, 78-yard drive. First quarterback Phil Simms
Phil Simms
Phillip Martin "Phil" Simms is a former American football quarterback, and currently a television sportscaster for the CBS network. After a standout career at Morehead State University, Simms was drafted in the first round by the New York Giants of the National Football League with the number...
completed a 17-yard pass to receiver Lionel Manuel
Lionel Manuel
Lionel Manuel, Jr. is a former professional American football player who was selected by the New York Giants in the seventh round of the 1984 NFL Draft. A 5'11", 180-lb. wide receiver from the University of the Pacific, Manuel played in seven NFL seasons, and spent his entire career with the Giants...
. Then, running back Joe Morris ran for 11 yards to the Denver 41-yard line. The Giants then marched to the Denver 6-yard line with Simms' 18-yard pass to receiver Stacy Robinson
Stacy Robinson
Stacy Laddell Robinson is a former professional American football wide receiver in the NFL for the New York Giants. Perhaps his finest game came in week 13 of the 1986 season, when the Giants were playing the 49ers. The Giants trailed 17-0 at halftime, but scored three touchdowns in the third...
, and then a 17-yard completion to tight end Mark Bavaro
Mark Bavaro
Mark Bavaro is a former American football tight end who played for the New York Giants , Cleveland Browns , and Philadelphia Eagles in the National Football League...
two plays later. Finally, Simms threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to tight end Zeke Mowatt
Zeke Mowatt
Ezekiel Mowatt is a former American football tight end in the National Football League who played for the New York Giants and the New England Patriots. He played college football at Florida State University...
, giving the Giants a 7-3 lead.
Denver kick returner Ken Bell
Ken Bell
Ken Bell was a Canadian photographer who served with the Canadian armed forces during the Second World War. As a lieutenant in the Canadian Army Film and Photo Unit, he participated in the Normandy Landings, photographing and recording the liberation of France, Belgium and Holland, and finally...
gave his team great field position by returning the ensuing kickoff 28 yards to the Broncos 42-yard line. Then, Elway completed 3 consecutive passes: a 14-yard completion to running back Sammy Winder
Sammy Winder
Sammy Winder is a former professional American football running back who spent his entire professional career playing for the Denver Broncos, from 1982 to 1990....
, an 11-yard completion to tight end Orson Mobley
Orson Mobley
Orson Odell Mobley is a former professional American football player who played tight end for five seasons for the Denver Broncos after being drafted in the sixth round. He played in three Super Bowls, and started in two of them...
, and a 9-yard screen pass
Screen pass
A screen pass is a type of play in American football. During a screen pass, a number of things happen concurrently in order to fool the defense into thinking a long pass is being thrown, when in fact the pass is merely a short one, just beyond the defensive linemen. Screens are usually deployed...
to Winder. On Winder's play, the Giants were flagged for two 15-yard penalties. The first was a personal foul called on Harry Carson
Harry Carson
Harold Donald Carson is a former American football inside linebacker who played his entire professional career for the NFL's New York Giants...
, who was penalized for hitting Winder out of bounds. The second penalty was an unsportsmanlike conduct foul on Lawrence Taylor
Lawrence Taylor
Lawrence Julius Taylor , nicknamed "L.T.", is a Hall of Fame former American football player. Taylor played his entire professional career as a linebacker for the New York Giants in the National Football League...
, who picked up the first penalty marker and threw it. The penalties moved the ball to the Giants' six-yard line, and three plays later Elway scored on a 4-yard touchdown run to give the Broncos a 10–7 lead.
On Denver's first drive of the second quarter, Elway dropped back to pass from his own 18-yard line on third down. The Giants' pass rush forced him to scramble out of the pocket, but it gave him time to find receiver Vance Johnson
Vance Johnson
Vance Edward Johnson , is a former professional American football player who was selected by the Denver Broncos in the second round of the 1985 NFL Draft. A 5'11", 174 lb...
, who was wide open, for a 54-yard completion. Several plays later, the Broncos drove to a first down at the New York's 1-yard line, but Giants defense made a key defensive stand. First, Elway tried a run-pass option, but linebacker Lawrence Taylor
Lawrence Taylor
Lawrence Julius Taylor , nicknamed "L.T.", is a Hall of Fame former American football player. Taylor played his entire professional career as a linebacker for the New York Giants in the National Football League...
broke through the line and tackled him for a 1-yard loss. Then, fullback Gerald Willhite
Gerald Willhite
Gerald William Willhite is a former professional American football player who was selected by the Denver Broncos in the first round of the 1982 NFL Draft. A 5'10", 210-lb. running back from San José State University, Willhite played for the Broncos from 1982 to 1988...
tried to run through the middle, but linebacker Harry Carson
Harry Carson
Harold Donald Carson is a former American football inside linebacker who played his entire professional career for the NFL's New York Giants...
tackled him for no gain. On third down, Elway pitched the ball to Winder, who tried to score on a run to the outside, but linebacker Carl Banks
Carl Banks
Carl E. Banks is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League from 1984 to 1995 for the New York Giants, the Washington Redskins and the Cleveland Browns. He made the Pro Bowl in 1987, had 39.5 career quarterback sacks, and was a member of the NFL's 1980's All-Decade Team...
tackled him for a 4-yard loss. In total, the Broncos had run 3 plays from the 1-yard line and lost 5 yards. Denver tried to salvage the drive with a 23-yard field goal attempt, but Karlis' kick was no good, making it the shortest missed field goal in Super Bowl history.
The first use of instant replay
Instant replay in American football
In American and Canadian football, instant replay is a method of reviewing a play using cameras at various angles to determine the accuracy of the initial call of the officials...
in a Super Bowl game came with approximately three minutes to play in the half. Bronco tight end Clarence Kay
Clarence Kay
Clarence Hubert Kay is a former professional American football player. A 6'2", 237-lb. tight end from the University of Georgia, Kay was selected by the Denver Broncos in the 7th round of the 1984 NFL Draft. Kay played in 9 NFL seasons from 1984–1992, all with the Broncos.Between 1984 and 2006 Kay...
caught a pass from Elway for a 25-yard gain, but after the officials conferred the pass was ruled incomplete. The replay booth, headed by director of officiating Art McNally
Art McNally
Art McNally is a former Director of Officiating for the National Football League from 1968 to 1990. Before becoming Director of Officiating, McNally served as a field judge and referee in the NFL for nine years from 1959 to 1967...
, took a look at the play and confirmed the ruling on the field. On the next play George Martin sacked Elway in the end zone for a safety, cutting Denver's lead to 10-9. Toward the end of the first half, CBS broadcast a reverse angle replay that the officials were unable to see and showed that they had missed the call, clearly showing a reception by Kay.
With less than a minute remaining in the half, Elway completed 31-yard pass to receiver Steve Watson
Steve Watson (American football)
Steve Ross Watson is a former American football wide receiver and current wide receivers coach.After high school at St. Mark's High School in Wilmington, Delaware, Watson attended Temple University and entered the National Football League as an undrafted free agent in 1979...
and an 11-yard pass to Willhite, giving the Broncos a first down at the Giants 20-yard line. But the Giants defense forced 3 consecutive incompletions, and Denver ended the drive with no points after Karlis missed another field goal, this time from 34 yards. Karlis, who had made 11 of 12 field goals from under 40 yards during the season, later admitted his misses in the first half were devastating to the Broncos. "Both times I didn't get my hips all the way through the kicks. I was steering the ball, and I know better than that. I felt the team unravel after that. I really hurt them."
In the second half, the Giants dominated the Broncos, outscoring them 30-10 with four touchdowns and a field goal on their first five possessions.
The Giants took the opening kickoff in the third quarter, but faced fourth down after their first 3 plays. Instead of kicking the ball to Denver, they ran a successful fake punt. Playing from the blocking back position on the punt formation, backup quarterback Jeff Rutledge
Jeff Rutledge
Jeffrey Ronald Rutledge is an American football coach and former professional quarterback. He is currently the head football coach at Pope John Paul II High School in Hendersonville, Tennessee.-Early years:...
took the snap and ran to the Giants 48-yard line for a first down. On the next play, Simms completed a 12-yard pass to Morris, and then followed it up with a 23-yard completion to running back Lee Rouson
Lee Rouson
Lee Rouson is a former professional American football running back in the NFL for the New York Giants. NFL Special teams player of the year in 1986. He attended University of Colorado and was awarded Freshman All Big Eight, All Big Eight Honorable Mention and Blue/Grey All Star Classic...
. Two plays later, Simms finished the drive with a 13-yard touchdown pass to Bavaro to give the Giants a 16-10 lead. The Broncos were forced to punt on their next drive, and receiver Phil McConkey
Phil McConkey
Philip Joseph McConkey attended Canisius High School where he played wide receiver for the varsity football team and graduated in the class of 1975, is a former American football wide receiver who played for the New York Giants , Green Bay Packers , Phoenix Cardinals , and San Diego Chargers of...
returned the punt 25 yards to Denver's 36-yard line. The Broncos managed to keep the Giants out of the endzone, but New York kicker Raul Allegre
Raul Allegre
Raul Enrique Allegre is a former football placekicker in the National Football League. In his career he kicked for the Baltimore Colts, Indianapolis Colts, New York Giants, and the New York Jets. Although he was not known for a having a strong leg, he was a clutch kicker for the Giants from...
kicked a 21-yard field goal to increase their lead to 19-10.
Denver was again forced to punt on their ensuing possession. Afterwards, Simms completed a 17-yard pass to Manuel at the Broncos 45-yard line. Then the Giants fooled Denver on a flea flicker
Flea flicker (American football)
A flea flicker is an unorthodox play in American football designed to fool the defensive team into thinking that a play is a run instead of a pass...
play: Morris took a handoff from Simms and ran up to the line of scrimmage as if it were a run play. But before he crossed the line, Morris pitched the ball back to Simms, who then passed the ball to McConkey, who was wide open at the 20-yard line. After catching the pass, McConkey ran all the way to the 1-yard line before being tackled. Morris then scored on a 1-yard touchdown run on the next play, increasing New York's lead to 26-10.
Elway barely avoided a turnover by recovering his own fumble on the last play of the third quarter, but on the first play of the fourth quarter, he threw an interception to Giants defensive back Elvis Patterson
Elvis Patterson
Elvis Vernell "Toast" Patterson is a former American football defensive back who played ten seasons in the National Football League, mainly for the New York Giants. He played in Super Bowl XXI for the Giants. He then played for the San Diego Chargers, Los Angeles Raiders and Dallas Cowboys...
. After that, Simms completed a 36-yard pass to Robinson. Two plays later from Denver's 6-yard line, Simms threw a pass to Bavaro in the endzone. The pass bounced off Bavaro's fingertips, but fell right into the arms of McConkey for a touchdown, making the Giants lead 33-10
The Broncos finally managed to get a good drive going on their next possession, advancing the ball 74 yards in 13 plays. Elway completed 5 of 6 passes for 46 yards and rushed for 14, while Karlis finished it off with a 28-yard field goal, cutting their deficit to 33-13. But the Giants recovered Denver's ensuing onside kick attempt and stormed right back for another touchdown. On the drive, Rouson ran twice for 21 yards and then Simms ran for a 22-yard gain. Running back Ottis Anderson
Ottis Anderson
Ottis Jerome "O.J." Anderson is a former American football running back. He was named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year by the Associated Press with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1979, and the MVP of Super Bowl XXV in 1991 when playing with the New York Giants...
finished the drive off with a 2-yard touchdown run to make the score 39-13 after Allegre's extra point attempt failed.
Denver later managed to cut their deficit to 39-20 with Elway's 47-yard touchdown pass to Vance Johnson (the 100th TD in Super Bowl history), but by then there was only a little more than two minutes left in the game.
As the final seconds of the game ticked away Harry Carson
Harry Carson
Harold Donald Carson is a former American football inside linebacker who played his entire professional career for the NFL's New York Giants...
, continuing the recent trend started by the Giants, gave head coach Bill Parcells
Bill Parcells
Duane Charles "Bill" Parcells is a former American football head coach, most recently with the Dallas Cowboys from 2003 to 2006...
a Gatorade shower
Gatorade shower
The Gatorade shower, also known as the Gatorade dunk and the Gatorade bath, is a sports tradition that involves dumping a cooler full of liquid over a coach's head following a meaningful win, like the Super Bowl. The tradition began with the New York Giants football team in the mid-1980s...
, going as far as to take off his jersey and pads and sneak behind Parcells with a Rose Bowl security team shirt on. Thanks in large part to this particular Gatorade dunking, a tradition of sorts was formed that continues to this day. In addition Brad Benson
Brad Benson
Brad William Benson is a former professional American football player. He was an offensive lineman with the New York Giants of the National Football League from 1978 to 1988. He was a pivotal member of the 1986 Giants team that defeated the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXI...
and Bart Oates
Bart Oates
Bart Steven Oates is a former American football player in the National Football League for the New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers. He played center for the Giants from 1985-93 and with the 49ers from 1994-95...
drenched Simms with a cooler of ice water; "I think it was very appropriate to cool the guy down," Oates explained, "as hot as he was in the game."
Morris was the top rusher of the game, gaining 67 yards, and added another 20 yards on 4 receptions. Robinson was the Giants top receiver with 3 catches for 62 yards. Bavaro caught 4 passes for 51 yards and a touchdown. McConkey caught 2 passes for 50 yards and a touchdown, and returned a punt for 25 yards. Defensively; while the Broncos managed to bottle up Lawrence Taylor, Carl Banks had 14 tackles, 10 of which were unassisted and four of those for negative yardage, while Leonard Marshall
Leonard Marshall
Leonard Allen Marshall Jr. is a former American football defensive lineman who played twelve seasons in the National Football League . Marshall played defensive end for the New York Giants for ten seasons, then played a season each as a defensive tackle for the New York Jets and Washington Redskins...
had two sacks and forced a fumble. Elway finished the game with 22 out of 37 pass completions for 304 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception. He also was the Broncos' leading rusher in the game, with 27 rushing yards and a touchdown on 6 carries. Denver's Vance Johnson was the top receiver of the game, with 5 receptions for 121 yards, an average of 24.2 yards per catch, and a touchdown.
The Giants' victory in Super Bowl XXI marked the second time in four months that the New York metropolitan area
New York metropolitan area
The New York metropolitan area, also known as Greater New York, or the Tri-State area, is the region that composes of New York City and the surrounding region...
had won a championship in a major professional sport; three months before, the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
had won the 1986 World Series
1986 World Series
The 1986 World Series pitted the New York Mets against the Boston Red Sox. It was cited in the legend of the "Curse of the Bambino" to explain the error by Bill Buckner in Game 6 that allowed the Mets to extend the series to a seventh game...
.
Box score
Starting lineups
Source:| Denver | Position | N.Y. Giants |
|---|---|---|
| OFFENSE | ||
| Vance Johnson Vance Johnson Vance Edward Johnson , is a former professional American football player who was selected by the Denver Broncos in the second round of the 1985 NFL Draft. A 5'11", 174 lb... |
WR | Lionel Manuel Lionel Manuel Lionel Manuel, Jr. is a former professional American football player who was selected by the New York Giants in the seventh round of the 1984 NFL Draft. A 5'11", 180-lb. wide receiver from the University of the Pacific, Manuel played in seven NFL seasons, and spent his entire career with the Giants... |
| Dave Studdard Dave Studdard David Studdard is a former tackle in the National Football League for the Denver Broncos Dave has opened a sports restaurant in Centennial, CO, Studdley's . His son Kasey Studdard followed his father's footsteps to Texas. Kasey currently plays for Houston Texans-References:... |
LT | Brad Benson Brad Benson Brad William Benson is a former professional American football player. He was an offensive lineman with the New York Giants of the National Football League from 1978 to 1988. He was a pivotal member of the 1986 Giants team that defeated the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXI... |
| Keith Bishop | LG | Billy Ard Billy Ard William Donovan "Billy" Ard is a former American football guard in the National Football League for the New York Giants and Green Bay Packers... |
| Billy Bryan Billy Bryan Billy Bryan is a former American football center in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the 4th round of the 1977 NFL Draft out of Duke University. He went on to play for the Broncos from 1977–1988 and was All-Pro in 1985.... |
C | Bart Oates Bart Oates Bart Steven Oates is a former American football player in the National Football League for the New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers. He played center for the Giants from 1985-93 and with the 49ers from 1994-95... |
| Mark Cooper | RG | Chris Godfrey Chris Godfrey Christopher James Godfrey is a former American football guard in the National Football League, primarily for the New York Giants. He started in Super Bowl XXI. Godfrey played college football at the University of Michigan. He also played with the Michigan Panthers of the USFL... |
| Ken Lanier Ken Lanier Kenneth Lanier is a former tackle in the National Football League who played 14 seasons, 13 of those for the Denver Broncos.... |
RT | Karl Nelson Karl Nelson Karl Stuart Nelson was an American football offensive tackle in the National Football League for the New York Giants. He was a member of the 1986 Giants team that won Super Bowl XXI. He missed the 1987 season due to illness . Nelson played college football at Iowa State University... |
| Clarence Kay Clarence Kay Clarence Hubert Kay is a former professional American football player. A 6'2", 237-lb. tight end from the University of Georgia, Kay was selected by the Denver Broncos in the 7th round of the 1984 NFL Draft. Kay played in 9 NFL seasons from 1984–1992, all with the Broncos.Between 1984 and 2006 Kay... |
TE | Mark Bavaro Mark Bavaro Mark Bavaro is a former American football tight end who played for the New York Giants , Cleveland Browns , and Philadelphia Eagles in the National Football League... |
| Steve Watson Steve Watson (American football) Steve Ross Watson is a former American football wide receiver and current wide receivers coach.After high school at St. Mark's High School in Wilmington, Delaware, Watson attended Temple University and entered the National Football League as an undrafted free agent in 1979... |
WR | Stacy Robinson Stacy Robinson Stacy Laddell Robinson is a former professional American football wide receiver in the NFL for the New York Giants. Perhaps his finest game came in week 13 of the 1986 season, when the Giants were playing the 49ers. The Giants trailed 17-0 at halftime, but scored three touchdowns in the third... |
| 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... |
QB | Phil Simms Phil Simms Phillip Martin "Phil" Simms is a former American football quarterback, and currently a television sportscaster for the CBS network. After a standout career at Morehead State University, Simms was drafted in the first round by the New York Giants of the National Football League with the number... |
| Sammy Winder Sammy Winder Sammy Winder is a former professional American football running back who spent his entire professional career playing for the Denver Broncos, from 1982 to 1990.... |
RB | Joe Morris Joe Morris (American football) Joseph Edward Morris is a former American football running back in the National Football League who played for the New York Giants from 1982 to 1988. Initially noted for his diminutive stature — 5' 7", Morris was a key member of the Giants team that won Super Bowl XXI in 1987... |
| Gerald Willhite Gerald Willhite Gerald William Willhite is a former professional American football player who was selected by the Denver Broncos in the first round of the 1982 NFL Draft. A 5'10", 210-lb. running back from San José State University, Willhite played for the Broncos from 1982 to 1988... |
FB | Maurice Carthon Maurice Carthon Maurice Carthon is a National Football League coach as well as a former professional football running back.Carthon is currently an assistant head coach for the Kansas City Chiefs... |
| DEFENSE | ||
| Andre Townsend Andre Townsend Andre Townsend is a former defensive end who played 7 seasons for the Denver Broncos in the National Football League. He started in Super Bowl XXI and Super Bowl XXII.... |
LE | George Martin George Martin (American football) George Dwight Martin is a former American football defensive end who played his entire career in the National Football League for the New York Giants... |
| Greg Kragen Greg Kragen Gregory John Kragen is a former American football defensive lineman in the National Football League including three Super Bowls and five championship games. He was selected for the Pro Bowl in 1989 and made the All-Madden team twice... |
NT | Jim Burt |
| Rulon Jones Rulon Jones Rulon Jones is a retired American football defensive lineman.Jones was drafted out of the Utah State University in the 1980 NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos. He played his entire career in Denver. During his career, Jones played in 129 games and recorded 52.5 official quarterback sacks... |
RE | Leonard Marshall Leonard Marshall Leonard Allen Marshall Jr. is a former American football defensive lineman who played twelve seasons in the National Football League . Marshall played defensive end for the New York Giants for ten seasons, then played a season each as a defensive tackle for the New York Jets and Washington Redskins... |
| Jim Ryan | LOLB | Carl Banks Carl Banks Carl E. Banks is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League from 1984 to 1995 for the New York Giants, the Washington Redskins and the Cleveland Browns. He made the Pro Bowl in 1987, had 39.5 career quarterback sacks, and was a member of the NFL's 1980's All-Decade Team... |
| Karl Mecklenburg Karl Mecklenburg Karl Mecklenburg is a former American football player for the Denver Broncos in the National Football League.-National Football League:... |
LILB | Gary Reasons Gary Reasons Gary Phillip Reasons is a former American football linebacker for the New York Giants of the National Football League, winning Super Bowl XXI and Super Bowl XXV as a member of the team.-Biography:... |
| Ricky Hunley Ricky Hunley Ricky Hunley is an American football coach and former linebacker. He is currently the assistant linebackers coach for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League.-College career:... |
RILB | Harry Carson Harry Carson Harold Donald Carson is a former American football inside linebacker who played his entire professional career for the NFL's New York Giants... |
| Tom Jackson Tom Jackson (American football) Thomas Louie "Tom" Jackson, also referred to as "TJ" or "Tommy", is an NFL analyst for ESPN and a former Pro Bowl linebacker for the Denver Broncos.-College:... |
ROLB | Lawrence Taylor Lawrence Taylor Lawrence Julius Taylor , nicknamed "L.T.", is a Hall of Fame former American football player. Taylor played his entire professional career as a linebacker for the New York Giants in the National Football League... |
| Louis Wright | LCB | Elvis Patterson Elvis Patterson Elvis Vernell "Toast" Patterson is a former American football defensive back who played ten seasons in the National Football League, mainly for the New York Giants. He played in Super Bowl XXI for the Giants. He then played for the San Diego Chargers, Los Angeles Raiders and Dallas Cowboys... |
| Mike Harden Mike Harden Michael Harden is a former professional American football player who played safety from 1980 to 1990 for the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Raiders. Harden was selected by the Broncos in the 5th round of the 1980 NFL Draft. During his 11-year NFL career, he intercepted 38 passes for 663 yards and... |
RCB | Perry Williams Perry Williams (cornerback) Perry Lamar Williams is a former American football cornerback in the National Football League. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the seventh round of the 1983 NFL Draft. He played college football at North Carolina State.Williams won two Super Bowls with the Giants.... |
| Steve Foley Steve Foley (defensive back) Stephen James Foley is a former American football safety in the National Football League. He played his entire 11-year NFL career with the Denver Broncos after one year with the Jacksonville Express of the World Football League.As a member of the Broncos, Foley played in the Super Bowl twice... |
SS | Kenny Hill Kenny Hill (American football) Kenneth Wayne Hill is the second of ten children born to former teachers Charley Joseph and Katie Mae Lewis-Hill. A former American football defensive back, he played nine seasons in the National Football League... |
| Dennis Smith | FS | Herb Welch Herb Welch Herbert Doyan Welch, Jr. is a former American football defensive back in the National Football League for the New York Giants, Washington Redskins, and the Detroit Lions. He started in Super Bowl XXI for the Giants... |
Officials
- Referee: 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 - Umpire: Bob Boylston #101
- Head Linesman: Terry GierkeTerry GierkeTerry Gierke was an American football official in the National Football League for 21 seasons as a head linesman from 1981 to 2001. During his NFL career, Gierke officiated in the playoffs for 19 seasons which included Super Bowl XXI in 1987 and 3 conference championship games...
#72 - Line Judge: Bob Beeks #59
- Field Judge: Pat Mallette #82
- Side Judge: Gil Mace #90
- Back Judge: Jim Poole #92
Sources
- Super Bowl official website
- http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/198701250den.htm Super Bowl XXI box score and Large online database of NFL data and statistics
- Super Bowl play-by-plays from USA TodayUSA TodayUSA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
(Last accessed September 28, 2005) - All-Time Super Bowl Odds from The Sports Network (Last accessed October 16, 2005)