Super Bowl XXXI was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Green Bay Packers to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 1996 season. The Packers defeated the Patriots by the score of 35–21, earning their third overall Super Bowl victory, and their first since Super Bowl II. The Packers also extended their league record for the most overall NFL championships to 12. It was also the last in a run of 13 straight Super Bowl victories by the NFC over the AFC. The game was played on January 26, 1997, at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Corey James Dillon is a former American football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 10 seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals and New England Patriots. Dillon played college football for the Washington Huskies and was selected by the Bengals in the second round of the 1997 NFL Draft.
Roland "Champ" Bailey Jr. is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs, where he earned consensus All-American honors, and was selected by the Washington Redskins in the first round of the 1999 NFL draft.
Chris Lee Gamble is a former American football cornerback who played nine seasons for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Ohio State.
Derrick LaRon Ward is a former American football running back in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the New York Jets in the seventh round of the 2004 NFL Draft and played for the New York Giants, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Houston Texans. He played college football at Fresno State University and Ottawa University.
Ryan Scott Hoag is an American former football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Oakland Raiders with the final pick in the 2003 NFL draft, earning him the title of Mr. Irrelevant. He never played in a regular season game. He played college football at Gustavus Adolphus.
Mr. Irrelevant is the nickname given to the person drafted with the final pick of an NFL draft. Most players drafted with the very last draft pick do not go on to complete stories or have notable careers. Oftentimes, a player chosen with this pick is released from the team that drafted them before preseason or training camps begin. Some notable exceptions include Jacque MacKinnon, Ryan Succop, and Brock Purdy.
Bryan Heath Evans is an American former professional football player who was a fullback in the National Football League (NFL). After playing college football for the Auburn Tigers, he was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the third round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He also played in the NFL for the Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, and New Orleans Saints, the last of which he won a Super Bowl with while on injured reserve. Evans retired after the 2010 season and was formerly an analyst with NFL Network.
Joe Klopfenstein is a former American football tight end. He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Colorado.
Arnold Timothy Massaquoi is a former American football tight end. He was originally drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the seventh round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Michigan. He is the cousin of former Cleveland Browns wide receiver Mohamed Massaquoi.
Aaron Jermaine Ross is a former American football cornerback who won a college football national championship in 2005 with Texas, the 2006 Jim Thorpe Award for the nation's top defensive back, and Super Bowls XLII and XLVI, both with the Giants. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft.
Kevin Michael Boss is a former American football tight end. He was drafted in the fifth round of the 2007 NFL draft by the New York Giants out of Western Oregon University. With the Giants, he won Super Bowl XLII over the New England Patriots.
Kenneth Darby is a former American football running back. He was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the seventh round of the 2007 NFL Draft. Darby has been a member of the Atlanta Falcons and St. Louis Rams. He played college football at Alabama.
Bo Ruud is a former American football linebacker. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Nebraska.
Donnie Dion Avery is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Houston and was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft. Avery has also played for the Tennessee Titans, Indianapolis Colts and Kansas City Chiefs.
Alphonso Smith, Jr. is an American former professional and college football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL) for four seasons. Smith played college football for Wake Forest University, and received consensus All-American honors. He was selected by the Denver Broncos in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft, and also played for the NFL's Detroit Lions.
Robert "Reggie" McClain is a former American football cornerback.
Amari Spievey is a former American football safety. He played college football at Iowa. He was considered one of the top cornerback prospects for the 2010 NFL Draft. He was picked in the 3rd round in the 2010 NFL Draft. On August 31, 2013, he was released by the Lions.
Dion Sims is a former American football tight end. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the fourth round of the 2013 NFL Draft. He played college football at Michigan State.
Andrew Dowell is an American football linebacker for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Michigan State.
