Super Bowl XXIX was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion San Diego Chargers and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion San Francisco 49ers to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 1994 season. The 49ers defeated the Chargers by the score of 49–26, becoming the first team to win five Super Bowl championships. The game was played on January 29, 1995, at Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami, Florida.
Troy Fitzgerald Brown is an American football coach and former player who is the wide receivers and kick returners coach for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He played as a wide receiver and return specialist for 15 seasons in the NFL, spending his entire career with the Patriots. Brown played college football at Marshall University and was selected by the Patriots in the eighth round of the 1993 NFL Draft. During his New England tenure, he was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2001 and was a member of the franchise's first three Super Bowl-winning teams. In 2020, Brown rejoined the Patriots as an offensive assistant. He was inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2010. Brown also was inducted to the Patriots Hall of Fame in 2012.
Az-Zahir Ali Hakim is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the San Diego State Aztecs. He was selected by the St. Louis Rams in the fourth round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He also was a member of the Detroit Lions, New Orleans Saints, San Diego Chargers, Miami Dolphins, and Las Vegas Locomotives.
Roscoe Parrish is a former American football wide receiver and kick returner. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL) in the second round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Miami.
Jack Thomas Snow was an American professional football player who played wide receiver with the Los Angeles Rams of the NFL from 1965 to 1975. He played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish from 1962 through 1964.
Vincent Tobias Evans is a former professional American football quarterback who was selected by the Chicago Bears in the sixth round of the 1977 NFL Draft. Evans played college football at the University of Southern California (USC) and was the MVP of the 1977 Rose Bowl after the Trojans' 14–6 victory over Michigan.
The Epic in Miami was the National Football League AFC divisional playoff game between the San Diego Chargers and Miami Dolphins that took place on January 2, 1982 in the Miami Orange Bowl. The game, won by the Chargers in overtime, 41–38, is one of the most famous in National Football League lore because of the enormity of scoring, the conditions on the field, the performances of players on both teams, and the numerous records that were set.
Micheal Curtis Spurlock is an American football coach and former wide receiver who is the wide receivers coach for the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. He was signed by the Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted free agent in 2006. He played college football at Ole Miss.
Jacoby Rashi'd Jones is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver and return specialist in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Lane College, and was selected by the Houston Texans in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played for the Texans from 2007 to 2011. Jones then played for the Baltimore Ravens from 2012 to 2014, and was selected for the Pro Bowl in 2012. He is known for two of the most memorable plays in the 2012 NFL playoffs as a member of the Ravens: catching a 70-yard game-tying touchdown pass in the final seconds of regulation in the AFC Divisional playoff game against the Denver Broncos, which helped lead the Ravens to an eventual 38–35 double overtime victory; and a 108-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in Super Bowl XLVII against the San Francisco 49ers, the longest play in Super Bowl history. He also played for the San Diego Chargers and Pittsburgh Steelers in 2015 and the Monterrey Steel of the National Arena League in 2017.
A return specialist or kick returner is a player on the special teams unit of a gridiron football team who specializes in returning punts and kickoffs. There are few players who are exclusively return specialists; most also play another position such as wide receiver, defensive back, or running back. The special teams counterpart of a return specialist is a kicking specialist.
William Edward "Eddie" Royal is an American former football wide receiver and return specialist. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Virginia Tech and was elected to its sports hall of fame in 2018. Royal has also played for the San Diego Chargers and Chicago Bears.
The 2002 season was the San Diego Chargers' 33rd in the National Football League (NFL), their 43rd overall and their first under head coach Marty Schottenheimer. Their stadium, Qualcomm Stadium, hosted Super Bowl XXXVII at the end of the season, but the Chargers' failure to secure a playoff berth marked the 18th straight season that the Super Bowl did not include the team in whose region the game was being played. Their division was reduced to four teams at the start of the season, with the Seattle Seahawks moving to the NFC. Despite going into their bye week with a 6–1 record, the Chargers suffered a late-season collapse, winning just two out of their last nine games after their bye week and missing the postseason.
The 2001 San Diego Chargers season was the franchise's 32nd season in the National Football League (NFL) and the 42nd overall and the third and final season under head coach Mike Riley. The team improved on their 1–15 record in 2000 to finish 5–11 but missed the playoffs for the 6th straight year. It was Mike Riley's final season as the team's head coach. At the end of the season running back LaDainian Tomlinson won the Offensive Rookie of the Year award. Despite finishing 5–11 after losing their final nine games of the season, eight of the Chargers' losses were by less than a touchdown, five of them were by three points, and three of them were by ten points.
The 1989 San Diego Chargers season was the franchise's 20th season in the National Football League (NFL), its 30th overall and the first season under head coach Dan Henning, whose predecessor, Al Saunders, had been fired shortly after the previous season.
The 1976 San Diego Chargers season was the franchise's seventh season in the National Football League (NFL), and its 17th overall. The Chargers improved on their 2–12 record from 1975 and finished 6–8, but missed the playoffs for the 11th straight season. The Chargers started off the season by winning their first 3 games, but they struggled through the rest of the season by losing 8 of their last 11 games, which included 4 shutout losses, two of which were to division rival Denver.
The 1975 San Diego Chargers season was the franchise's sixth season in the National Football League (NFL), and its 16th overall. The team were seeking to improve on their 5–9 record in 1974, but they lost their first eleven games amidst attendances under 30,000. The team were also beset with considerable off-field problems, as several regular players wanted to leave and the franchise knew it would not get the first choice in the 1976 draft due to the expansion Seahawks and Buccaneers.
Erik Konrad Affholter is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). As a 16-year-old place kicker during his junior season of high school he broke a national record with a 64-yard field goal, which at the time was the longest field goal kicked at any level. Playing college football for the USC Trojans, he was an All-American and established school records for most receptions in a season, and in a career.
The 2010 California Golden Bears football team represented the University of California, Berkeley in NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) competition in the 2010 season. The Golden Bears were led by ninth-year head coach Jeff Tedford.
De'Anthony Marquies Thomas is an American football wide receiver and return specialist who is a free agent. He was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He played college football at Oregon.
The 2015 Chicago Bears season was the franchise's 96th season in the National Football League. After the firing of general manager Phil Emery and head coach Marc Trestman following the 2014 season, the team hired former New Orleans Saints director of player personnel Ryan Pace and Denver Broncos head coach John Fox to fill those positions, respectively. Fox's hiring marked the Bears' third head coach in four seasons.
