Doug Williams of the Washington Redskins—now known as the Washington Football Team—becomes the first African American quarterback to play in a Super Bowl on January 31, 1988, in San Diego, California, scoring four of Washington's five touchdowns in an upset 42-10 victory over the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXII.
A native of Miami, Florida, and a graduate of North Carolina State University, Williams was drafted by the Redskins in 1987 after spending one season with the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League. He was given the opportunity to start immediately for injured veteran Mark Rypien, who had been the starter for most of the previous two seasons.
In his first game as a Redskin, Williams led Washington to a 28-27 win over Dallas in their opening game of the 1987 season. The team went on to finish 10-6 that year, which was good for second place in the NFC East behind Philadelphia. At the end of the season, Mark Rypien announced his retirement from football, leaving the starting job open again. However, the Redskins decided not to draft or sign anyone as their new quarterback, thus giving Doug Williams another chance to prove himself at the highest level possible. In the next game, played in Denver, Colorado, Williams passed for three touchdowns without an interception while rushing for another in Washington's 42-10 victory over the Broncos.
The highlight of Super Bowl I was an unknown receiver named Max McGee, who notoriously partied into the mid-morning hours leading up to the game on a field that included some of the top players of the age.
The highlight of Super Bowl I was an unknown receiver named Max McGee, who notoriously partied into the mid-morning hours leading up to the game on a field that included some of the top players of the age.
The Kansas City Chiefs were the first AFL Super Bowl representative, having won their first league title in 1962 under head coach Hank Stram. The Chiefs ran roughshod over the Bills in the AFL Championship Game after going 11-2-1 during the regular season.
Panthers The Panthers were beaten by the Patriots by a score of 32-29. On February 1, 2004, the game was held at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas. With 144.4 million people, this was the most viewed Super Bowl history. It was also the first time that an outdoor football game was played in the state of Texas.
The Patriots advanced to the Super Bowl after defeating the Philadelphia Eagles in the First NFL Playoff Game ever played outside of their home city. This was also the first time that an American football team went into halftime leading their opponent 28-0. In the third quarter, the Patriots scored 31 points while preventing the Panthers from scoring once.
New England's Tom Brady was able to throw for three touchdowns and run for another during the victory parade through Boston. He finished the game with 289 yards passing and two scores on the ground. Carolina's Kerry Collins suffered a concussion during the fourth quarter and was unable to return to the game.
Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick was awarded the first of what would be four straight Super Bowl victories. He is the only coach to lead his team to victory in his first five Super Bowls. Brady became just the second quarterback to win his first five games as a starter (the other being Bart Starr of the Green Bay Packers).
Franchises from the NFC won 16 of the 20 Super Bowls played in the 1980s and 1990s. Teams like the 49ers, the Chicago Bears, the Washington Redskins, and the New York Giants stood out during these years. If you add up all the rings that each franchise has, you'll find that the Goliaths of old have more gold than the Davids of today.
San Francisco began the decade with a ring after defeating Denver in Super Bowl IX. They would go on to win another title in 1989 before losing in the final game of the 1990 season to Pittsburgh. The Niners had become one of the most successful franchises in NFL history at that point and they wouldn't lose another game until 1994.
The Bears came out of nowhere to win the first Super Bowl in 1969 before going on to win three more titles between 1972 and 1979. They'd finish second in 1980 before winning their fifth ring in 1989. They'd end the decade on a high note by beating San Francisco again in Super Bowl XXVIII.
The Redskins started off the decade losing two Super Bowls in a row before winning their first title in 1982. They'd go on to win another ring in 1983 before finishing second in 1984 and 1985. They'd end the decade on a positive note by winning the first championship for the New York Giants in 1986.
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