Super Bowl XXIX
Encyclopedia
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 29, 1995 at Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
(now part of the suburb of Miami Gardens
Miami Gardens, Florida
Miami Gardens is a Miami suburban city located in Miami-Dade County, Florida. The city name comes from one of the major roadways through the area, Miami Gardens Drive. According to the 2010 U.S...
) 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 1994 regular 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...
(the 75th season of the NFL). 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 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...
(16–3) 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 San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
(13–6), 49–26. The 49ers became the first team to win five 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...
s while the Chargers were making their first Super Bowl appearance. The combined aggregate score of 75 and the ten total touchdowns both remain Super Bowl records. This is the first time that both teams scored in all four quarters of a Super Bowl.
This marked the first time that two teams who played their home games in the same state played in the Super Bowl. 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 ...
(also aired on ABC) between 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...
and 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...
was the first Super Bowl to feature teams merely representing the same state (New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
) - the Giants actually play their home games in East Rutherford
East Rutherford, New Jersey
East Rutherford is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 8,913. It is an inner-ring suburb of New York City, located west of Midtown Manhattan....
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
.
49ers quarterback Steve Young threw a record 6 touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
passes en route to 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...
award. (His four TDs in a half tied Doug Williams from 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,...
). He also completed 24 out of 36 passes for 325 yards, and was the top rusher of the game with 49 rushing yards (the first time both top passer and rusher were the same person). This game is regarded as Young's final leap out of the shadow of his predecessor, 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...
, who had won four Super Bowls with the 49ers, two with Young as the backup quarterback. Young became the 5th player to win both 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...
and Super Bowl MVP during the same season. He follows 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 ....
in 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...
in 1978, 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...
in 1989, and 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...
in 1993.
Background
NFL owners voted to award Super Bowl XXIX to Miami, Florida during their May 23, 1991 meeting. This was the seventh time that Miami hosted the game.For the first time in five years, the 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...
would not be representing the AFC in the Super Bowl. They had collapsed during the second half of the season, losing 6 of their last 8 games and finishing the season with a 7-9 record.
San Francisco 49ers
From the 19881988 NFL season
The 1988 NFL season was the 69th regular season of the National Football League. The Cardinals relocated from St. Louis, Missouri to the Phoenix, Arizona area becoming the Phoenix Cardinals but remained in the NFC East division....
to the 1993
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...
seasons, the 49ers played in 5 out of 6 NFC Championship Games, winning Super Bowls 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...
. But after coach George Seifert
George Seifert
George Seifert is a former NFL head coach of the San Francisco 49ers and the Carolina Panthers. Seifert joined the 49ers' coaching staff under Bill Walsh in 1980 as defensive backs coach and served as the team's defensive coordinator from 1983–1988.As a 49er assistant, his defenses finished...
's team lost 2 consecutive NFC Championship Games 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...
in 1992
1992 NFL season
The 1992 NFL season was the 73rd regular season of the National Football League.Due to the damage caused by Hurricane Andrew, the New England Patriots–Miami Dolphins game that was scheduled for September 6 at Joe Robbie Stadium was rescheduled to October 18. Both teams originally had that...
and 1993, San Francisco brought in several veteran free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
s to strengthen their defense. Among the players signed were defensive lineman Richard Dent
Richard Dent
Richard Lamar Dent is a former American football defensive end, who played primarily for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was the MVP of Super Bowl XX...
(the MVP of Super Bowl XX
Super Bowl XX
Super Bowl XX was an American football championship game played on January 26, 1986 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 1985 regular season...
), Charles Mann, and Rickey Jackson
Rickey Jackson
Rickey Anderson Jackson is a former American football linebacker in the NFL for the New Orleans Saints and the San Francisco 49ers . In 1997, Jackson was inducted into the New Orleans Saints Hall of Fame. Jackson won a Super Bowl ring with the 49ers in Super Bowl XXIX one year before retiring...
, linebackers Ken Norton Jr. and Gary Plummer
Gary Plummer (American football)
Gary Plummer is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League and the United States Football League. He was signed by the San Diego Chargers as a free agent in 1986 after playing three years in the USFL...
, and cornerback Deion Sanders
Deion Sanders
Deion Luwynn Sanders , nicknamed "Prime Time" and "Neon Deion", is a former National Football League cornerback and Major League Baseball outfielder who currently works as an NFL Network analyst...
.
The free agents enabled the 49ers to jump from the 18th ranked defense in the league to the 8th, and to jump from the league's 16th best defense against the run to the 2nd. Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
defensive lineman Dana Stubblefield
Dana Stubblefield
Dana William Stubblefield is a former American football defensive tackle in the National Football League. After graduating from Taylor High School in North Bend, Ohio, Stubblefield attended the University of Kansas....
led the team with 8.5 sacks. Rookie defensive tackle Bryant Young
Bryant Young
Bryant Colby Young is an American football coach serving as defensive line coach for the University of Florida and former NFL player for the San Francisco 49ers...
was also a big threat to opposing quarterbacks and rushers, recording 42 tackles, 6 sacks, and a fumble recovery. Behind them, Norton played very effectively at the middle linebacker position, leading the team with 77 tackles and recording an interception. Pro Bowl safety Merton Hanks
Merton Hanks
Merton Edward Hanks is a former safety in the National Football League.Hanks attended Lake Highlands High School, where he was a district track and field champion. He went on to the University of Iowa, earning all-Big Ten honors at cornerback...
led the team with 7 interceptions for 93 return yards, while Sanders had 6 interceptions for 303 return yards and 3 touchdowns, earning him 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...
. His 303 return yards was the third highest total in NFL history, while his touchdown returns of 74, 93, and 90 yards made him the first player ever to have two 90-yard interception returns in one season. Pro Bowl safety Tim McDonald
Tim McDonald
Tim McDonald is a former professional American football player who played strong safety in the NFL.-High school:McDonald played high school football at Edison High School in Fresno....
was also a big contributor, recording 2 interceptions for 79 yards and 1 touchdown.
The 49ers offense was led by quarterback Steve Young, who replaced future hall of famer
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...
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...
as the starter in 1991
1991 NFL season
The 1991 NFL season was the 72nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXVI when the Washington Redskins defeated the Buffalo Bills....
and 1992
1992 NFL season
The 1992 NFL season was the 73rd regular season of the National Football League.Due to the damage caused by Hurricane Andrew, the New England Patriots–Miami Dolphins game that was scheduled for September 6 at Joe Robbie Stadium was rescheduled to October 18. Both teams originally had that...
due to injuries. But after Young led the league in passing in both 1991 and 1992, Montana was traded to 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...
, leaving Young as the undisputed starter in 1993. But even with his impressive passing statistics, Young was criticized as "not being able to win the big games" as Montana had done in leading the 49ers to Super Bowl victories in XVI
Super Bowl XVI
Super Bowl XVI was an American football game played on January 24, 1982, at the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan to decide the National Football League champion following the 1981 regular season. It marked the first time that a Super Bowl was held at a cold-weather city...
and 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...
, XXIII, and XXIV.
Still, Young again led the league in passing during the 1994 regular season with a passer rating
Passer rating
Passer rating is a measure of the performance of quarterbacks or any other passers in American football and Canadian football. There are at least two formulae currently in use: one officially used by the National Football League and the Canadian Football League, and one used in college football...
of 112.8, breaking Montana's record for the highest regular season rating in NFL history. Young recorded 324 out of 461 completions for 3,969 yards, 35 touchdowns, with just 10 interceptions. He also had 58 rushes for 293 yards and 7 touchdowns, and earned 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...
.
With Young at the helm, the 49ers led the league in total points scored (505) and helped them earn a league best 13-3 regular season record. Pro Bowl running back Ricky Watters
Ricky Watters
Richard "Ricky" James Watters is a former American football running back who played for the San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles, and the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. Watters played college football at the University of Notre Dame where he played wide receiver on the...
was the team's leading rusher with 877 yards and 6 touchdowns, while also recording 66 receptions for 719 yards and 5 touchdowns. Rookie fullback William Floyd was the team's second leading rusher with 305 yards and 6 touchdowns, while also having 19 receptions for 145 yards. The team's leading receiver was Pro Bowl wide receiver Jerry Rice
Jerry Rice
Jerry Lee Rice is a retired American football wide receiver. He is generally regarded as the greatest wide receiver of all time and one of the greatest players in National Football League history...
who had 112 catches for 1,499 yards and 13 touchdowns, while also gaining 93 yards and two more touchdowns rushing the ball. Receiver John Taylor was also a reliable target, catching 41 passes for 531 yards and 5 touchdowns. Pro Bowl tight end Brent Jones
Brent Jones
Brent Michael Jones is a former American Football tight end who played almost his entire career with the San Francisco 49ers from 1987 to 1997. He was selected in the 5th round by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1986 NFL Draft...
added 49 receptions for 670 yards and 9 touchdowns. The offensive line was led by Pro Bowlers 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...
and Jesse Sapolu
Jesse Sapolu
Manase Jesse Sapolu Manase Jesse Sapolu Manase Jesse Sapolu (born March 10, 1961, Apia, Western Samoa, is a former football player in the National Football League. Sapolu played both center and offensive guard, and spent his entire career in a San Francisco 49ers uniform....
.
Meanwhile, running back Dexter Carter
Dexter Carter
Dexter Anthony Carter is a former running back who played for the San Francisco 49ers and the New York Jets in the National Football League. He was drafted in the first round in the 1990 NFL Draft...
was a superb returner on special teams, gaining a combined total of 1,426 yards and a touchdown returning both punts and kickoffs.
San Diego Chargers
The Chargers were the surprise winners of the 1994 season, with very few expecting them to even reach the playoffs, let alone the Super Bowl.San Diego suffered losing seasons in the 1980s until former 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,...
General Manager Bobby Beathard
Bobby Beathard
Bobby Beathard is a former general manager in the National Football League. Over the course of his 38 years in the NFL, his teams competed in seven Super Bowls , beginning with the Kansas City Chiefs in 1966, Miami Dolphins in 1972 and 1973, Washington Redskins in 1982, 1983, and 1987, and the San...
joined the team in 1990. Beathard decided to rebuild the Chargers using the same model that he used to build the Redskins into Super Bowl contenders during the 1980s – a powerful running game built around big lineman, a passing game that helped sustain extremely long drives, and a bending but steady defense. After former Georgia Tech
Georgia Institute of Technology
The Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States...
head coach Bobby Ross
Bobby Ross
Robert Joseph Ross is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at The Citadel , the University of Maryland, College Park , the Georgia Institute of Technology , and the United States Military Academy , compiling a career college football record of 103–101–2...
was hired by the Chargers in 1992, the team advanced to the playoffs winning the AFC West
AFC 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. But in 1993, they went 8-8 and missed the playoffs.
Before the start of the 1994 season, San Diego was not expected to be a winning team because they brought in 10 new starters and 22 new players. However, they ended up winning their first 6 regular season games en route to an 11-5 record, the AFC West championship and the #2 AFC playoff seed. The Chargers went into the final game of the season vs. the Steelers needing a win to get the #2 seed, which came with a first round bye and a home game in the divisional round of the playoffs. Backup QB Gale Gilbert
Gale Gilbert
Gale Reed Gilbert is a former American football quarterback who played eight seasons in the NFL for the Seattle Seahawks, Buffalo Bills, and the San Diego Chargers.-Early life:...
, subbing for injured starter Humphries, led the Chargers to a come from behind 37-34 win, with John Carney kicking a game winning field goal in the game's final seconds.
The Chargers offense was led by quarterback Stan Humphries
Stan Humphries
William Stanley "Stan" Humphries is a former professional American football quarterback. He played for the Washington Redskins and San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. He played college football at Northeast Louisiana...
, who was the Redskins' backup to Mark Rypien
Mark Rypien
Mark Robert Rypien is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League. He is the first Canadian-born quarterback to start in the NFL.-Biography:...
during the 1991 season when they won 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...
. During the 1994 season for San Diego, Humphries completed 264 out of 453 attempts for 3,209 yards and 17 touchdowns, with 12 interceptions. Wide receiver Mark Seay
Mark Seay
Mark Edward Seay is a former professional American football wide receiver in the National Football League for the San Francisco 49ers, San Diego Chargers and Philadelphia Eagles. He played college football at Long Beach State University...
was the team's leading receiver with 58 receptions for 645 yards and 6 touchdowns. Wide receiver Tony Martin had 50 catches for 885 yards and 7 touchdowns, wide receiver Shawn Jefferson
Shawn Jefferson
Shawn Jefferson , is a former professional American football player who was selected by the Houston Oilers in the 9th round of the 1991 NFL Draft...
recorded 43 catches for 627 yards and 3 touchdowns, and tight end Alfred Pupunu
Alfred Pupunu
Alfred Sione Pupunu is a former professional American football tight end who played nine seasons in the National Football League from 1992 to 2000.-High school career:...
had 21 receptions for 214 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Running back Natrone Means led the team in rushing with 1,350 yards and 12 touchdowns. He also recorded 39 receptions for 235 yards, and was named to the Pro Bowl. Third-down back Ronnie Harmon
Ronnie Harmon
Ronnie Keith Harmon is a former professional American football player. After a standout career at the University of Iowa in the Big Ten Conference, he played for 12 seasons in the NFL. A 6", 220-lb...
was also a big contributor, catching 58 passes for 615 yards and a touchdown. Meanwhile, the Chargers special teams was also a major threat with Andre Coleman
Andre Coleman
Andre Clintonian Coleman is a former professional American football wide receiver in the National Football League. He attended Hickory High School in Hermitage, Pennsylvania playing on the AAA state championship team. He played collegiately at Kansas State University...
, who returned 49 kickoffs for 1,293 yards (26.4 average yards per kickoff) and 2 touchdowns.
The Chargers had an excellent defensive line, anchored by Pro Bowl lineman Leslie O'Neal
Leslie O'Neal
Leslie O'Neal is a former football defensive end who played 13 years in the National Football League for the San Diego Chargers, St. Louis Rams, and the Kansas City Chiefs from 1986 to 1999....
, who led the team with 12.5 sacks and forced four fumbles, Defensive tackle Chris Mims
Chris Mims
Christopher Eddie Mims was an American football defensive end in the National Football League who played seven seasons for the San Diego Chargers and one season with the Washington Redskins. Mims retired in 2000 after being cut by the Chicago Bears in training camp that same year...
, who recorded 11 sacks, and Shawn Lee, who added 6.5 sacks and a fumble recovery. Their linebacking corps was led by Junior Seau
Junior Seau
Tiaina Baul "Junior" Seau is a former American football linebacker. He was drafted fifth overall by the San Diego Chargers during the 1990 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Southern California and was the progenitor of the "NFL-USC linebacker".A ten-time All-Pro and...
, who was a pro bowl selection for the fourth consecutive year, recording 123 tackles, 5.5 sacks, and 3 fumble recoveries. Defensive back Stanley Richard
Stanley Richard
Stanley Palmer Richard is a retired American football safety in the National Football League. Richard played at the University of Texas from 1987–90, where he was an All-American safety in 1990. He was drafted 9th overall by the San Diego Chargers in the 1991 NFL Draft and played with the Chargers...
was a major weapon in the secondary, recording 4 interceptions, 224 return yards, and 2 touchdowns. Defensive back Darrien Gordon
Darrien Gordon
Darrien Jamal Gordon was born November 14, 1970 in Shawnee, Oklahoma) to James and Goldia Gordon. He graduated from Shawnee High School in 1989 where he was an All-State football player and two-time state champion wrestler as well as an honor student....
was also a major asset to the team, recording 4 interceptions and 32 return yards, while also adding another 475 yards and 2 touchdowns returning punts. Safety Rodney Harrison
Rodney Harrison
Rodney Scott Harrison is a retired professional football player of the National Football League. Harrison played safety for the San Diego Chargers and New England Patriots...
was a rookie on the team.
49ers
The 49ers first defeated 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...
, 44-15, in the NFC Divisional Playoffs. Although Chicago scored first with a field goal, San Francisco scored 37 unanswered points to put the game out of reach by the end of the third quarter. Floyd scored three rushing touchdowns, while Young rushed for a touchdown and threw for another.
San Francisco then defeated their arch-nemesis, 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...
, 38-28, in the NFC Championship Game. Expected to be a close game, the 49ers converted 3 Dallas turnovers into 21 points in the first quarter. On the third play of the game, cornerback Eric Davis returned an interception from Cowboys 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...
for a touchdown. 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...
lost a fumble on Dallas' next drive, setting up Young's 29-yard touchdown pass to Watters. Then Cowboys returner Kevin Williams lost a fumble on the ensuing kickoff, and it was recovered by kicker Doug Brien
Doug Brien
Douglas Robert Zachariah Brien is a former American football placekicker. He played twelve seasons for seven teams in the National Football League:...
at Dallas' 35-yard line. Several plays later, Floyd scored on a 1-yard touchdown run to give San Francisco a 21-0 lead less than 8 minutes into the game. With the score 24-14 in the closing minutes of the first half, Aikman threw 3 straight incompletions, and a short punt by the Cowboys set up Young's 28-yard touchdown completion to Rice with 8 seconds remaining in the first half. The Cowboys eventually cut their deficit to 38-28 with a touchdown run by 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...
and Aikman's 10-yard touchdown pass to Irvin in the final period, but they were unable to score again. Although the Cowboys outgained the 49ers in total offensive yards (451-294), Aikman broke an NFC Championship Game record with 380 yards passing, and Irvin also broke an NFC Championship Game record with 192 receiving yards, Dallas was ultimately unable to overcome their first quarter turnovers.
Chargers
In the AFC Divisional Playoffs, the Chargers managed to overcome a 21-6 halftime deficit to defeat the Miami DolphinsMiami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, 22-21. In the first half, San Diego was limited to only two John Carney field goals, while Miami quarterback Dan Marino
Dan Marino
Daniel Constantine "Dan" Marino, Jr. is a retired American football quarterback who played for the Miami Dolphins in the National Football League...
threw for over 180 yards and 3 touchdowns. However, the Chargers dominated the Dolphins in the second half, limiting their offense to just 16 plays. In the third quarter, after being stopped on 4th and goal at the one yard line, Chargers defensive lineman Reuben Davis
Reuben Davis (American football)
Reuben Cordell Davis is a former American football defensive lineman in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the ninth round of the 1988 NFL Draft. He played college football at North Carolina.-External links:*...
tackled Dolphins running back Bernie Parmalee
Bernie Parmalee
Bernard "Bernie" Parmalee is the current Tight End Coach for the Kansas City Chiefs.Parmalee played high school football at Lincoln High School in Jersey City, New Jersey.-Professional playing career:...
in the end zone for a safety. San Diego then took the ensuing free kick and marched 54 yards to score on Means' 24-yard touchdown run. Then with time running out, Humphries threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Mark Seay, giving his team a one-point lead. The Dolphins, aided by a pass interference call, responded with a drive to the Chargers' 31-yard line, but kicker Pete Stoyanovich
Pete Stoyanovich
Peter Stoyanovich and is an American football placekicker of Macedonian descent who played with the Miami Dolphins, Kansas City Chiefs and briefly the St. Louis Rams in the NFL. He attended college at Indiana University.A first-team all-pro in 1992, Stoyanovich finished his career in the top 35 in...
's potential game-winning 48-yard field goal attempt sailed far to the right of the goal posts and sealed San Diego's stirring win.
San Diego then faced 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...
in the AFC Championship. Once again, the Chargers fell behind early as the Steelers built up a 13-3 halftime lead, but Humphries fooled the Steelers secondary with a 43-yard play-action touchdown pass to a wide open tight end Alfred Pupunu
Alfred Pupunu
Alfred Sione Pupunu is a former professional American football tight end who played nine seasons in the National Football League from 1992 to 2000.-High school career:...
. The Chargers then took a 17-13 lead when Martin beat the Steelers secondary (particularly a badly overmatched Tim McKyer
Tim McKyer
Timothy Bernard McKyer is a former professional American football player who was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the third round of the 1986 NFL Draft. A 6'0", 174-lb. cornerback from the University of Texas at Arlington, McKyer played in 12 NFL seasons for 7 different teams from 1986 to 1997...
) down the right sideline for a 43-yard touchdown reception. On their final drive, The Steelers advanced to the San Diego 3-yard line on their ensuing drive, but Chargers linebacker Dennis Gibson
Dennis Gibson
Dennis Michael Gibson is a former American football linebacker who played in the National Football League from 1987-1995 for the Detroit Lions and the San Diego Chargers...
sealed the victory on fourth down by deflecting quarterback Neil O'Donnell
Neil O'Donnell
Neil Kennedy O'Donnell is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League for 14 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Jets, Cincinnati Bengals, and Tennessee Titans...
's pass intended for running back Barry Foster to turn the ball back over to San Diego. Just like the 49ers in the NFC title game, the Chargers advanced to the Super Bowl despite the fact that the Steelers had outgained them in many key statistical categories such as total plays (80–47), total offensive yards (415–226), and time of possession (37:13–22:47).
Super Bowl pregame news
Entering Super Bowl XXIX, most sports writers and fans thought the Chargers had absolutely no chance of beating the 49ers. San Francisco was on track, winning 12 of its 13 last games, including their playoff victories. Many people also thought that the NFC Championship Game between the 49ers and the Cowboys was "The Real Super Bowl" because those two teams were commonly viewed as vastly superior to any AFC team. Furthermore, San Francisco crushed San Diego, 38-15, during the regular season. Therefore, the 49ers entered the game favored to win by more than 18 points, exceeded only by the 19 point spread in which the Baltimore ColtsHistory of the Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional football team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They play in the AFC South division of the National Football League. They have won 3 NFL championships and 2 Super Bowls....
were favored over 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...
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...
.
Many also speculated that Super Bowl XXIX would be the least watched game in Super Bowl history. In addition to the predicted blowout, the Chargers did not have as much national appeal nor a relatively large core fan base as the Chiefs, the Dolphins, or the Steelers. (This prediction ultimately turned out to be false. Although Super Bowl XXIX was viewed by 125.2 million people and had a Nielsen rating
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
of 41.3, 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...
three years earlier was seen by 119.7 million viewers and recorded a 40.3 rating.)
This was the 7th Super Bowl to be played in Miami, at the time tying both New Orleans, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
and 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...
for hosting the Super Bowl the most times.
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 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...
with play-by-play announcer Al Michaels
Al Michaels
Alan Richard "Al" Michaels is an American television sportscaster. Now employed by NBC Sports after nearly three decades with ABC Sports, Michaels is one of the most prominent members of his profession...
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...
s Frank Gifford
Frank Gifford
Francis Newton "Frank" Gifford is a Hall of Fame former American football player and American sportscaster.-Early life:Gifford was born in Santa Monica, California, the son of Lola Mae and Weldon Gifford, an oil driller....
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....
. Lynn Swann
Lynn Swann
-Collegiate:Swann attended the University of Southern California, where he was an All-American on the Trojans football team. He played under legendary coach John McKay, including the 1972 undefeated and national championship season. McKay said of Swann, "He has speed, soft hands, and grace." He...
(Chargers
1994 San Diego Chargers season
-Schedule:-Playoffs:-References:...
sideline) and Lesley Visser
Lesley Visser
Lesley Candace Visser is an American sportscaster, radio personality, and sportswriter. Visser is the first female NFL analyst on TV, and the only sportscaster in history, male or female, who has worked on Final Four, NBA Finals, World Series, Triple Crown, Monday Night Football, the Olympics, the...
(49ers
1994 San Francisco 49ers season
The San Francisco 49ers 1994 season was the team's 49th season in the National Football League, and was highlighted by a victory in Super Bowl XXIX. The championship made San Francisco the first team to win five Super Bowls. After losing to the Dallas Cowboys in the previous two conference...
sideline) served as sideline reporters. During that Super Bowl, Visser became the first woman assigned to a Super Bowl sideline. Visser had previously become the first woman sportscaster to cover the Vince Lombardi Trophy
Vince Lombardi Trophy
The Vince Lombardi Trophy is the trophy awarded each year to the winning team of the National Football League's championship game, the Super Bowl.-History:...
presentation ceremony, when she covered 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...
for CBS
NFL on CBS
The NFL on CBS is the brand name of the CBS television network's coverage of the National Football League's American Football Conference games, produced by CBS Sports.-Market coverage and television policies:...
. 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...
hosted all the events with the help of then-ABC Sports analyst Dick Vermeil
Dick Vermeil
Richard Albert "Dick" Vermeil is a former American head coach for the National Football League's Philadelphia Eagles , St. Louis Rams and Kansas City Chiefs...
, Musburger's regular color commentator on ABC's college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
telecasts
College Football on ABC
ESPN College Football on ABC presented by Kay Jewelers is a presentation of the American Broadcasting Company's regular season American college football television package...
, and then-New York Jets
1994 New York Jets season
The 1994 New York Jets season was the 35th season for the team and the 25th in the National Football League. It began with the team trying to improve upon its 8–8 record from 1993 under new head coach Pete Carroll...
quarterback Boomer Esiason
Boomer Esiason
Norman Julius "Boomer" Esiason is a former American football quarterback and current network color commentator. He played for the National Football League's Cincinnati Bengals, New York Jets, and Arizona Cardinals before working as an analyst for ABC and HBO...
. This would be the final Super Bowl hosted by Musburger, as all subsequent Super Bowls on ABC were hosted by ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
's Chris Berman following the Disney
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
purchase of ABC (which included ESPN), and the subsequent integration of ESPN and ABC Sports (now ESPN on ABC). Also, the trophy presentation for this game was the last to be held in the winning team's locker room, as all subsequent Lombardi Trophy presentations would be held on the field.
This was the last Super Bowl broadcast by the Monday Night team of Michaels, Gifford and Dierdorf. This was the broadcast team for 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...
from 1987
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...
–1997
1997 NFL season
The 1997 NFL season was the 78th regular season of the National Football League. The Oilers relocated from Houston, Texas to Nashville, Tennessee...
. They also worked ABC's coverage of Super Bowls XXII
Super 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...
and 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 ...
. This would also be the last Super Bowl aired on ABC until the 1999 season
Super Bowl XXXIV
Super Bowl XXXIV featured the National Football Conference champion St. Louis Rams and the American Football Conference champion Tennessee Titans in an American football game to decide the National Football League champion for the 1999 regular season...
(when Al Michaels called the game with Boomer Esiason).
On the Tuesday prior to the Super Bowl, the ABC sitcom Full House
Full House
Full House is an American sitcom television series. Set in San Francisco, the show chronicles widowed father Danny Tanner, who, after the death of his wife, enlists his best friend Joey Gladstone and his brother-in-law Jesse Katsopolis to help raise his three daughters, D.J., Stephanie, and...
aired an episode called "Super Bowl Fun Day" involving two main characters actually at the game. (Full House was set in San Francisco, and this was the only time during the show's run that the 49ers advanced to a Super Bowl aired on ABC). A week earlier, the Seinfeld
Seinfeld
Seinfeld is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, lasting nine seasons, and is now in syndication. It was created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, the latter starring as a fictionalized version of himself...
episode "The Label Maker
The Label Maker
"The Label Maker" is the 98th episode of NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 12th episode for the 6th season. It aired on January 19, 1995.-Plot:...
" involved Jerry
Jerry Seinfeld (character)
Jerome "Jerry" Seinfeld is the main protagonist of the American television sitcom Seinfeld . The straight man among his group of friends, this semi-fictionalized version of comedian Jerry Seinfeld was named after, co-created by, based on, and played by Seinfeld himself.The series revolves around...
trying to give away his tickets to the game. He eventually decided to go, but unfortunately was stuck sitting next to Newman
Newman (Seinfeld)
Newman is a recurring character on the television show Seinfeld, played by Wayne Knight from 1991 until the show's finale in 1998.-Background:...
.
To honor the NFL's 75th season, a special 75th anniversary logo was painted at midfield. Each player also wore a patch on their jerseys
Jersey (clothing)
A jersey is an item of knitted clothing, traditionally in wool or cotton, with sleeves, worn as a pullover, as it does not open at the front, unlike a cardigan. It is usually close-fitting and machine knitted in contrast to a guernsey that is more often hand knit with a thicker yarn...
with the same logo. During the regular season, teams also wore "throwback" jerseys for selected games. The 49ers wore their throwbacks (which paid tribute to the 1957 Niners
1957 San Francisco 49ers season
The 1957 San Francisco 49ers season was the team's eighth season in the NFL, and were coming off a 5-6-1 record in 1956, however, they ended the season with a 5 game unbeaten streak....
) for most of the season, this game included.
30 second ads for Super Bowl XXIX went for $1.15 Million, the first time that Super Bowl ads exceeded the $1,000,000 mark.
This Super Bowl aired in over 150 countries worldwide. It was simulcast 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...
, in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
on Televisa
Televisa
Televisa is a Mexican multimedia conglomerate, the largest mass media company in Latin America and in the Spanish-speaking world. It is a major international entertainment business, with much of its programming airing in the United States on Univision, with which it has an exclusive contract...
's Canal 5
XHGC-TV
XHGC-TV is a TV station owned by Televisa, broadcasting from Mexico City, and is the flagship of the Canal 5 network.-History:XHGC signed on May 10, 1952, broadcasting a Mother's Day event organized by the Excélsior newspaper; but the regular programming began at August 18, 1952.The station was...
, and later aired 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...
.
Following the game ABC premiered the television drama Extreme
Extreme (TV series)
Extreme was an action adventure series starring James Brolin and centered around a Rocky Mountains search and rescue operation.Debuting on ABC on January 29, 1995, Extreme was the lead-out program which followed the network's coverage of Super Bowl XXIX. After its low-rated premiere the network put...
starring James Brolin
James Brolin
James Brolin is an American actor, producer and director, best known for his roles in soap operas, movies, sitcoms, and television. He is the father of actor Josh Brolin and husband of singer/actress Barbra Streisand.-Early life:...
; this was the last series to premiere following the Super Bowl until Family Guy
Family Guy
Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
premiered following Super Bowl XXXIII
Super Bowl XXXIII
Super Bowl XXXIII was an American football game played on January 31, 1999, at Pro Player Stadium in Miami, Florida to decide the National Football League champion, following the 1998 regular season. The American Football Conference champion Denver Broncos defeated the National Football...
and is one of only four in the last fourteen years to premiere following a Super Bowl (joining Family Guy, its spinoff American Dad!
American Dad!
American Dad! is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane and owned by Underdog Productions and Fuzzy Door Productions. It is produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television...
, and Undercover Boss
Undercover Boss
Undercover Boss is a television franchise series that has been released in multiple countries, originating in 2009 on the British Channel 4...
which premiered following 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...
).
Pregame ceremonies
The pregame show held before the game featured country musicCountry 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...
singer Hank Williams, Jr.
Hank Williams, Jr.
Randall Hank Williams , better known as Hank Williams, Jr. and Bocephus, is an American country singer-songwriter and musician. His musical style is often considered a blend of Southern rock, blues, and traditional country...
, who performed his theme song for 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...
, which was based on his single "All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight".
Actress and singer Kathie Lee Gifford
Kathie Lee Gifford
Kathie Lee Gifford is an American television host, singer, songwriter and actress, best known for her 15-year run on the talk show Live with Regis and Kathie Lee, which she co-hosted with Regis Philbin...
(Frank Gifford's wife) later sang the national anthem. She was accompanied by then-Miss America
Miss America
The Miss America pageant is a long-standing competition which awards scholarships to young women from the 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands...
Heather Whitestone
Heather Whitestone
Heather Leigh Whitestone McCallum is a former beauty queen who was the first deaf Miss America title holder, having lost most of her hearing at the age of 18 months.-Early life:...
who signed
American Sign Language
American Sign Language, or ASL, for a time also called Ameslan, is the dominant sign language of Deaf Americans, including deaf communities in the United States, in the English-speaking parts of Canada, and in some regions of Mexico...
the anthem for the hearing impaired.
To honor the NFL's 75th season, several former players who were named to the league's 75th Anniversary All-Time Team 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: Otto Graham
Otto Graham
Otto Everett Graham, Jr. was a professional American football and basketball player who played for the Cleveland Browns in both the All-America Football Conference and National Football League, as well as the Rochester Royals in the National Basketball League.-Early life:Born in Waukegan,...
, Joe Greene
Joe Greene (American football)
Charles Edward Greene, known as “Mean Joe” Greene, is a former all-pro American football defensive tackle who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL. Throughout the early 1970s he was the one of most dominant defensive players in the National Football League...
, Ray Nitschke
Ray Nitschke
Raymond Ernest "Ray" Nitschke was a professional football player who played his entire career as a middle linebacker for the Green Bay Packers of the NFL. Wearing #66, he played fifteen seasons, from 1958-72....
, and Gale Sayers
Gale Sayers
Gale Eugene Sayers also known as "The Kansas Comet", is a former professional football player in the National Football League who spent his entire career with the Chicago Bears....
.
Halftime show
The halftime show was titled "Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Forbidden Eye" and was produced by DisneyThe Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
to promote their Indiana Jones Adventure
Indiana Jones Adventure
Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Forbidden Eye is a dark ride motion simulator attraction based on the Indiana Jones films. Guests accompany intrepid archeologist Dr. Indiana Jones on a quest for the Jewel of Power through a dangerous lost temple, then board military troop transport vehicles...
attraction at Disneyland
Disneyland Park (Anaheim)
Disneyland Park is a theme park located in Anaheim, California, owned and operated by the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts division of the Walt Disney Company. Known as Disneyland when it opened on July 18, 1955, and still almost universally referred to by that name, it is the only theme park to be...
that opened later that year. The show featured actors playing Indiana Jones
Indiana Jones
Colonel Henry Walton "Indiana" Jones, Jr., Ph.D. is a fictional character and the protagonist of the Indiana Jones franchise. George Lucas and Steven Spielberg created the character in homage to the action heroes of 1930s film serials...
and his girlfriend Marion Ravenwood
Marion Ravenwood
Marion Ravenwood Jones is a fictional character that first appeared in the 1981 film Raiders of the Lost Ark. Played by Karen Allen, she enters the story when Indiana Jones visits her in Nepal, needing her help — specifically, he needs an artifact in her possession, originally obtained by her...
who were raiding the Vince Lombardi Trophy
Vince Lombardi Trophy
The Vince Lombardi Trophy is the trophy awarded each year to the winning team of the National Football League's championship game, the Super Bowl.-History:...
from the Temple of the Forbidden Eye. The show also had performances by singers Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett is an American singer of popular music, standards, show tunes, and jazz....
and Patti LaBelle
Patti LaBelle
Patricia Louise Holte-Edwards , better known under the stage name, Patti LaBelle, is a Grammy Award winning American singer, author and actress who has spent over 50 years in the music industry...
, jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
trumpeter Arturo Sandoval
Arturo Sandoval
Arturo Sandoval is a jazz trumpeter and pianist. He was born in Artemisa, in the newest renamed Artemisa Province, Cuba....
, and the Miami Sound Machine. The show ended with everybody singing "Can You Feel The Love Tonight", the song featured in Disney's (which later acquired ABC) 1994 film The Lion King
The Lion King
The Lion King is a 1994 American animated film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It is the 32nd feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series...
.
This halftime show also had a connection with past ABC programming: the first two Indiana Jones films had their broadcast premieres on ABC, and the network aired a TV series, The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles
The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles
The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles is an American television series that aired on ABC from March 4, 1992, to July 24, 1993. The series explores the childhood and youth of the fictional character Indiana Jones and primarily stars Sean Patrick Flanery and Corey Carrier as the title character, with...
, from 1992 to 1993 (actually serving as the lead-in to 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...
at one point).
Game summary
On the opening kickoff, a 15-yard facemask penalty on Chargers linebacker Doug Miller gave San Francisco the ball at their own 41-yard line. Then on the third play of the drive, 49ers quarterback Steve Young threw a 44-yard touchdown pass to Jerry Rice
Jerry Rice
Jerry Lee Rice is a retired American football wide receiver. He is generally regarded as the greatest wide receiver of all time and one of the greatest players in National Football League history...
. The 49ers became the second team to take the opening kickoff and score a touchdown on that first drive (the first being the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in Super Bowl VIII
Super Bowl VIII
Super Bowl VIII was a professional American football game played on January 13, 1974 at Rice Stadium. in Houston, Texas to decide the National Football League champion following the 1973 regular season. The American Football Conference champion Miami Dolphins defeated the National Football...
), and setting a new Super Bowl record for the fastest touchdown (later broken by Devin Hester
Devin Hester
Devin Hester is an American football wide receiver and return specialist for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League . He played college football at the University of Miami, where he became the first person in the university’s recent history to play in all three phases of American football...
in Super Bowl XLI
Super Bowl XLI
Super Bowl XLI was an American football game that featured the American Football Conference champion Indianapolis Colts and the National Football Conference champion Chicago Bears to decide the National Football League champion for the 2006 season...
). After forcing the Chargers to punt, the 49ers advanced 79 yards in four plays, scoring on a 51-yard touchdown pass from Young to running back Ricky Watters
Ricky Watters
Richard "Ricky" James Watters is a former American football running back who played for the San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles, and the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. Watters played college football at the University of Notre Dame where he played wide receiver on the...
to give San Francisco a 14-0 lead less than 5 minutes into the first quarter, and setting a Super Bowl record for the fastest "second" touchdown scored by a team.
The Chargers responded on their ensuing possession, marching 78 yards in 13 plays and taking more than 7 minutes off the clock. Running back Natrone Means finished the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run to cut San Diego's deficit to 14-7. But the 49ers quickly countered after the ensuing kickoff, driving 70 yards in 10 plays, and Young threw his third touchdown pass of the game to fullback William Floyd for 5 yards, increasing the lead to 21-7.
Later in the second quarter, Chargers punter Bryan Wagner's 40-yard punt from his own 9-yard line gave the 49ers the ball at the San Diego 49. San Francisco then marched on a 9-play drive to score on Young's fourth touchdown pass, an 8-yard toss to Watters with 4:44 left in the half. The Chargers then took the ensuing kickoff and drove 62 yards from their own 25-yard line to the San Francisco 13. But after 3 incomplete passes, they were forced to settle for kicker John Carney's 31-yard field goal, cutting their deficit to 28-10.
A 33-yard completion from Young to tight end Brent Jones
Brent Jones
Brent Michael Jones is a former American Football tight end who played almost his entire career with the San Francisco 49ers from 1987 to 1997. He was selected in the 5th round by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1986 NFL Draft...
helped the 49ers reach the San Diego 29-yard line on their next possession, but Young's third down pass to Jones was overthrown and rookie kicker Doug Brien
Doug Brien
Douglas Robert Zachariah Brien is a former American football placekicker. He played twelve seasons for seven teams in the National Football League:...
missed a 47-yard field goal attempt. The Chargers then drove to their own 46-yard line, but 49ers defensive back Eric Davis intercepted Humphries' third down pass in the end zone with 10 seconds left in the half, and the score remained 28-10 at halftime. The Chargers 18-point halftime deficit ended up being the closest scoring margin they would reach for the rest of the game.
Leading 28-10 in the 3rd quarter, the 49ers added 14 more points. The Chargers were forced to punt after three plays on the opening drive of the second half, and Dexter Carter
Dexter Carter
Dexter Anthony Carter is a former running back who played for the San Francisco 49ers and the New York Jets in the National Football League. He was drafted in the first round in the 1990 NFL Draft...
returned the ball 11 yards to his own 38-yard line. Young subsequently completed three consecutive passes for 53 yards on a 7-play, 62-yard drive that ended with Watters' third touchdown on a 9-yard run, tying the Super Bowl record for the most touchdowns in a game. After a 33-yard kickoff return by Andre Coleman
Andre Coleman
Andre Clintonian Coleman is a former professional American football wide receiver in the National Football League. He attended Hickory High School in Hermitage, Pennsylvania playing on the AAA state championship team. He played collegiately at Kansas State University...
, the Chargers advanced to the San Francisco 33-yard line, but they turned the ball over on downs when quarterback Stan Humphries
Stan Humphries
William Stanley "Stan" Humphries is a former professional American football quarterback. He played for the Washington Redskins and San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. He played college football at Northeast Louisiana...
' fourth down pass was broken up by Davis. After the turnover, Young lead his team on a 10-play, 67-yard drive to score on his 5th touchdown pass, a 15-yard completion to Rice. The Chargers' only highlight of the 3rd quarter was when Coleman returned the ensuing kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown. Then, wide receiver Mark Seay
Mark Seay
Mark Edward Seay is a former professional American football wide receiver in the National Football League for the San Francisco 49ers, San Diego Chargers and Philadelphia Eagles. He played college football at Long Beach State University...
caught a pass for a successful two-point conversion
Two-point conversion
In American and Canadian football, a two-point conversion is a play a team attempts instead of kicking a one-point convert immediately after it scores a touchdown...
(the first in Super Bowl history), but it only cut the deficit to 42-18.
The 49ers were forced to punt on their next drive, but San Diego ended up turning the ball over on downs when Means was tackled for a 4-yard loss on a fourth down and 1 from their own 37-yard line. Six plays later, Young threw his record setting sixth touchdown pass to Rice with 13:49 remaining in the game to make the score 49-18. The Chargers responded with a 13-play, 59-yard drive to get to the San Francisco 7-yard line, but 49ers defensive back Deion Sanders
Deion Sanders
Deion Luwynn Sanders , nicknamed "Prime Time" and "Neon Deion", is a former National Football League cornerback and Major League Baseball outfielder who currently works as an NFL Network analyst...
intercepted backup quarterback Gale Gilbert
Gale Gilbert
Gale Reed Gilbert is a former American football quarterback who played eight seasons in the NFL for the Seattle Seahawks, Buffalo Bills, and the San Diego Chargers.-Early life:...
's fourth down pass in the end zone. After 2 San Francisco punts and another interception, the Chargers scored the final points of the game with a 30-yard touchdown pass from Humphries to wide receiver Tony Martin and another two-point conversion to make the score 49-26. San Francisco recovered the ensuing onside kick and ran time off the clock before punting to the San Diego 7. San Diego drove to the San Francisco 35 before time ran out, and the game ended in a 49ers victory.
At the end of the game Young showed his jubilation at finally being able to win "the big one" while accepting the MVP trophy. "There were times when this was hard! But this is the greatest feeling in the world! No one — no one! — can ever take this away from us! No one, ever! It's ours!" Young and his teammates were equally enthusiastic in the locker room afterwards. "We're part of history," said guard Jesse Sapolu
Jesse Sapolu
Manase Jesse Sapolu Manase Jesse Sapolu Manase Jesse Sapolu (born March 10, 1961, Apia, Western Samoa, is a former football player in the National Football League. Sapolu played both center and offensive guard, and spent his entire career in a San Francisco 49ers uniform....
. "This is probably the best offense people will see in their lifetimes." "Is this great or what?" Young added. "I mean, I haven't thrown six touchdown passes in a game in my life. Then I throw six in the Super Bowl! Unbelievable."http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/features/superbowl/archives/29/
Rice caught 10 passes for 149 yards and 3 touchdowns, tying his own record for most touchdown receptions in a Super Bowl, and becoming the first player ever to do it twice. He also recorded 10 rushing yards. Watters rushed for 47 yards and a touchdown, while also catching 3 passes for 61 yards and two touchdowns. Means, who rushed for 1,350 yards in the regular season, was held to just 33 yards in the game. Humphries finished 24 out of 49 for 275 yards and one touchdown, with two interceptions. Seay was the Chargers top receiver with 7 receptions for 75 yards, while Ronnie Harmon
Ronnie Harmon
Ronnie Keith Harmon is a former professional American football player. After a standout career at the University of Iowa in the Big Ten Conference, he played for 12 seasons in the NFL. A 6", 220-lb...
added 8 catches for 68. Defensive end Raylee Johnson had two sacks. Coleman's 8 kickoff returns for 244 yards and a touchdown set the following Super Bowl records: most kickoff returns in a Super Bowl, most kickoff return yards in a Super Bowl, and most combined net yards gained in a Super Bowl.
This was the first Super Bowl to have two players each score three touchdowns. Rice matched his Super Bowl 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...
performance with his three touchdown catches. Watters also had three touchdowns, matching Roger Craig's 3 touchdowns, 2 receiving and 1 rushing, that Craig accomplished in 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...
. Watters also became the second running back to catch 2 touchdown passes in a game, matching Craig.
Ken Norton, Jr. became the first player to win three straight Super Bowls, although as a member of two different teams. Norton was a member of the Cowboys teams who won Super Bowls XXVII and XXVIII. Deion Sanders
Deion Sanders
Deion Luwynn Sanders , nicknamed "Prime Time" and "Neon Deion", is a former National Football League cornerback and Major League Baseball outfielder who currently works as an NFL Network analyst...
became the first player to play in both a Super Bowl and a World Series, playing in the 1992 World Series
1992 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 17, 1992 at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta, GeorgiaBraves fans had plenty to worry about in regard to both starting pitchers. Tom Glavine's post-season career had been less than stellar, including giving up eight runs in the second inning of Game 6 of the NLCS...
with the Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
.
Chargers quarterback Gale Gilbert
Gale Gilbert
Gale Reed Gilbert is a former American football quarterback who played eight seasons in the NFL for the Seattle Seahawks, Buffalo Bills, and the San Diego Chargers.-Early life:...
became the first player to be a member of five straight Super Bowl teams. Gilbert was a member of the Bills who played in four straight Super Bowls XXV through XXVIII. Gilbert was on the losing team in all five Super Bowl games.
The 49ers' spectacular performance led to their offensive coordinator, Mike Shanahan
Mike Shanahan
Michael Edward "Mike" Shanahan is the 28th and current head coach of the Washington Redskins of the National Football League. Shanahan also holds the title of Vice President of Football Operations with the Redskins, giving him full control over player personnel with the team. Shanahan previously...
, and defensive coordinator, Ray Rhodes
Ray Rhodes
Raymond Earl Rhodes is currently a defensive assistant for the Cleveland Browns. He is also the former American football head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles and the Green Bay Packers. He is the former assistant defensive backs coach of the Houston Texans...
, gaining head coaching jobs the very next season for 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...
and the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, respectively. Bobby Ross
Bobby Ross
Robert Joseph Ross is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at The Citadel , the University of Maryland, College Park , the Georgia Institute of Technology , and the United States Military Academy , compiling a career college football record of 103–101–2...
became the second coach, after Jimmy Johnson in 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...
, to lead a team to a college football national championship (Georgia Tech
Georgia Institute of Technology
The Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States...
in 1990) and a Super Bowl.
Box score
Starting lineups
Source:| San Francisco | Position | San Diego |
|---|---|---|
| OFFENSE | ||
| John Taylor | WR | Mark Seay Mark Seay Mark Edward Seay is a former professional American football wide receiver in the National Football League for the San Francisco 49ers, San Diego Chargers and Philadelphia Eagles. He played college football at Long Beach State University... |
| Steve Wallace | LT | Stan Brock Stan Brock -External links:... |
| Jesse Sapolu Jesse Sapolu Manase Jesse Sapolu Manase Jesse Sapolu Manase Jesse Sapolu (born March 10, 1961, Apia, Western Samoa, is a former football player in the National Football League. Sapolu played both center and offensive guard, and spent his entire career in a San Francisco 49ers uniform.... |
LG | Isaac Davis |
| 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... |
C | Courtney Hall Courtney Hall Courtney Hall is a former center and guard in the National Football League for the San Diego Chargers. He is a four-time Pro Bowl 1st Alternate and captained the only Chargers football team to play in a Super Bowl... |
| Derrick Deese Derrick Deese Derrick Deese is a former American football offensive tackle in the National Football League. He co-hosts a radio show on Fox Sports Radio weekends from 9am to 1pm Pacific Time.-Professional career:... |
RG | Joe Cocozzo Joe Cocozzo Joe Cocozzo is a former American football guard who played in the National Football League for the San Diego Chargers. Cocozzo attended the University of Michigan.-External links:... |
| Harris Barton Harris Barton Harris Scott Barton is a former American football offensive lineman who played for the San Francisco 49ers.-Early life:... |
RT | Harry Swayne Harry Swayne Harry Swayne was an offensive tackle in the NFL that played from 1987-2001. He is one of the few players to have started a Super Bowl with three different teams: Super Bowl XXIX with the Chargers, Super Bowl XXXIII with the Broncos and Super Bowl XXXV with the RavensHe was the chaplain for the... |
| Brent Jones Brent Jones Brent Michael Jones is a former American Football tight end who played almost his entire career with the San Francisco 49ers from 1987 to 1997. He was selected in the 5th round by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1986 NFL Draft... |
TE | Alfred Pupunu Alfred Pupunu Alfred Sione Pupunu is a former professional American football tight end who played nine seasons in the National Football League from 1992 to 2000.-High school career:... |
| Jerry Rice Jerry Rice Jerry Lee Rice is a retired American football wide receiver. He is generally regarded as the greatest wide receiver of all time and one of the greatest players in National Football League history... |
WR | Tony Martin |
| Steve Young | QB | Stan Humphries Stan Humphries William Stanley "Stan" Humphries is a former professional American football quarterback. He played for the Washington Redskins and San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. He played college football at Northeast Louisiana... |
| Ricky Watters Ricky Watters Richard "Ricky" James Watters is a former American football running back who played for the San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles, and the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. Watters played college football at the University of Notre Dame where he played wide receiver on the... |
RB | Natrone Means |
| William Floyd | FB-TE | Duane Young Duane Young Curtis Duane Young is a former professional American football tight end in the National Football League. He played for six seasons with the San Diego Chargers and the Buffalo Bills . He played college football at Michigan State University. He is from Kalamazoo, Michigan and is a graduate of... |
| DEFENSE | ||
| Dennis Brown Dennis Brown (football player) Dennis Trammel Brown is a former defensive end who played 7 seasons for the San Francisco 49ers in the National Football League.... |
LE | Chris Mims Chris Mims Christopher Eddie Mims was an American football defensive end in the National Football League who played seven seasons for the San Diego Chargers and one season with the Washington Redskins. Mims retired in 2000 after being cut by the Chicago Bears in training camp that same year... |
| Bryant Young Bryant Young Bryant Colby Young is an American football coach serving as defensive line coach for the University of Florida and former NFL player for the San Francisco 49ers... |
NT-LDT | Reuben Davis Reuben Davis (American football) Reuben Cordell Davis is a former American football defensive lineman in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the ninth round of the 1988 NFL Draft. He played college football at North Carolina.-External links:*... |
| Dana Stubblefield Dana Stubblefield Dana William Stubblefield is a former American football defensive tackle in the National Football League. After graduating from Taylor High School in North Bend, Ohio, Stubblefield attended the University of Kansas.... |
RDT | Shawn Lee |
| Rickey Jackson Rickey Jackson Rickey Anderson Jackson is a former American football linebacker in the NFL for the New Orleans Saints and the San Francisco 49ers . In 1997, Jackson was inducted into the New Orleans Saints Hall of Fame. Jackson won a Super Bowl ring with the 49ers in Super Bowl XXIX one year before retiring... |
ELE-RE | Leslie O'Neal Leslie O'Neal Leslie O'Neal is a former football defensive end who played 13 years in the National Football League for the San Diego Chargers, St. Louis Rams, and the Kansas City Chiefs from 1986 to 1999.... |
| Lee Woodall Lee Woodall Lee Artis Woodall is a former professional American football player who was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the sixth round of the 1994 NFL Draft. A 6'1", 230-lb. linebacker from West Chester University, Woodall played in 8 NFL seasons from 1994 to 2001... |
LOLB | David Griggs David Griggs (American football) David Griggs David Griggs David Griggs (February 5, 1967 in Camden, New Jersey – June 19, 1995 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida was a linebacker in the National Football League for six seasons. He started in Super Bowl XXIX for the San Diego Chargers. Griggs attended the University of Virginia. He... |
| Gary Plummer Gary Plummer (American football) Gary Plummer is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League and the United States Football League. He was signed by the San Diego Chargers as a free agent in 1986 after playing three years in the USFL... |
MLB | Dennis Gibson Dennis Gibson Dennis Michael Gibson is a former American football linebacker who played in the National Football League from 1987-1995 for the Detroit Lions and the San Diego Chargers... |
| Ken Norton, Jr. | ROLB | Junior Seau Junior Seau Tiaina Baul "Junior" Seau is a former American football linebacker. He was drafted fifth overall by the San Diego Chargers during the 1990 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Southern California and was the progenitor of the "NFL-USC linebacker".A ten-time All-Pro and... |
| Eric Davis | LCB | Darrien Gordon Darrien Gordon Darrien Jamal Gordon was born November 14, 1970 in Shawnee, Oklahoma) to James and Goldia Gordon. He graduated from Shawnee High School in 1989 where he was an All-State football player and two-time state champion wrestler as well as an honor student.... |
| Deion Sanders Deion Sanders Deion Luwynn Sanders , nicknamed "Prime Time" and "Neon Deion", is a former National Football League cornerback and Major League Baseball outfielder who currently works as an NFL Network analyst... |
RCB | Dwayne Harper Dwayne Harper Dwayne Harper is a former professional American football cornerback who played 12 seasons in the National Football League. He started in Super Bowl XXIX for the San Diego Chargers.... |
| Tim McDonald Tim McDonald Tim McDonald is a former professional American football player who played strong safety in the NFL.-High school:McDonald played high school football at Edison High School in Fresno.... |
SS | Darren Carrington Darren Carrington Darren Carrington was a safety who played 8 seasons in the National Football League for five different teams. He started in Super Bowl XXIX for the San Diego Chargers and was the Denver Broncos kick returner in Super Bowl Super Bowl XXIV... |
| Merton Hanks Merton Hanks Merton Edward Hanks is a former safety in the National Football League.Hanks attended Lake Highlands High School, where he was a district track and field champion. He went on to the University of Iowa, earning all-Big Ten honors at cornerback... |
FS | Stanley Richard Stanley Richard Stanley Palmer Richard is a retired American football safety in the National Football League. Richard played at the University of Texas from 1987–90, where he was an All-American safety in 1990. He was drafted 9th overall by the San Diego Chargers in the 1991 NFL Draft and played with the Chargers... |
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: Ron BotchanRon BotchanRonald Leslie "Ron" Botchan is a retired American football official from the National Football League . Prior to that he was an American football linebacker in the American Football League from 1960 to 1962. As an official, Botchan worked as an umpire for nearly his entire NFL career and wore the...
(#110) - Head Linesman: Ron Phares (#10)
- Line Judge: Ron Baynes (#56)
- Field Judge: Jack Vaughan (#93)
- Side Judge: Tom Fincken (#47)
- Back Judge: Tim Millis (#80)
- Alternate Referee: Gerald AustinGerald AustinDr. Gerald "Gerry" Austin is a retired American football official, who worked in the National Football League from the 1982 season through the 2007 season. He wore uniform number 34, which is now worn by Clete Blakeman. Austin has officiated in three Super Bowls, one as a side judge and two as a...
(#34) - Alternate Umpire: Rex Stuart (#103)