In American football, jammers are a specialized type of cornerback. Their task is to try to slow down gunners during punts by preventing them from getting a free release, giving punt returners more time to return punts. [1] Depending on the special teams strategy, a special teams coordinator may choose to double-team the gunner. A jammer is typically played by a back-up for another position.
Super Bowl XXXV was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Baltimore Ravens and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion New York Giants to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 2000 season. The Ravens defeated the Giants by a score of 34–7, tied for the seventh largest Super Bowl margin of victory with Super Bowl XXXVII. The game was played on January 28, 2001, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, making it the first time Raymond James Stadium has held a Super Bowl.
A wide receiver (WR), also referred to as a wideout, and historically known as a split end (SE) or flanker (FL), is an eligible receiver in gridiron football. A key skill position of the offense, WR gets its name from the player being split out "wide", farthest away from the rest of the offensive formation.
Steven Jay Tasker is an American sports reporter and former professional football wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He spent the majority of his career with the Buffalo Bills but began his career with the Houston Oilers. He was a five-time first-team All-Pro and a seven-time Pro Bowl selection, primarily as a special teams player.
Desmond Kevin Howard is an American former professional football wide receiver and return specialist who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. He played college football for the Michigan Wolverines, winning the Heisman Trophy in 1991, and was selected fourth overall in the 1992 NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins. Howard spent most of his career on special teams as a return specialist and holds the NFL single-season record for punt return yardage. With the Green Bay Packers, Howard was named Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl XXXI after returning a kickoff for a 99-yard touchdown, the longest return in Super Bowl history at the time. He is the only special teams player to receive the award. He was inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2010.
In sports, a starting lineup is an official list of the set of players who will participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.
Jermaine Edward Lewis is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected in the fifth round of the 1996 NFL draft by the Baltimore Ravens, who he played for until 2001. With the Ravens, he won Super Bowl XXXV over the New York Giants. He played college football for the Maryland Terrapins.
In American football, a gunner, also known as a shooter, flyer, headhunter, or kamikaze, is a player on kickoffs and punts who specializes in running down the sideline very quickly in an attempt to tackle the kick or punt returner. Gunners must have several techniques in order to break away or "shed" blockers, and have good agility in order to change their running direction quickly. Gunners on the punt team also must be able to block or catch.
Darrien Jamal Gordon is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback for 10 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) (1993–2002). He was selected by the San Diego Chargers in the first round of the 1993 NFL draft. During his NFL career, he played for five teams, appearing in four Super Bowls. Before his NFL career, Gordon played college football for the Stanford Cardinal, intercepting nine passes in three seasons. Since the NFL Scouting Combine began in 1985, he is one of three players who have been drafted in the first round after not being invited to the combine.
In American football, the specific role that a player takes on the field is referred to as their "position". Under the modern rules of American football, both teams are allowed 11 players on the field at one time and have "unlimited free substitutions", meaning that they may change any number of players during any "dead ball" situation. This has resulted in the development of three task-specific "platoons" of players within any single team: the offense, the defense, and "special teams". Within these three separate "platoons", various positions exist depending on the jobs that the players are doing.
Kenneth Dwayne Gant is a former American football safety in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He won Super Bowl XXVII and Super Bowl XXVIII, both over the Buffalo Bills. He played college football at Albany State University.
Johnnie Lee Higgins is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the UTEP Miners, earning first-team All-American honors in 2006. He was selected by the Oakland Raiders in the third round of the 2007 NFL draft. He was also a member of the Philadelphia Eagles and Virginia Destroyers.
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.
Vicqual Renee "Vic" Hall is a former American football defensive back. He was signed by the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2010. He played college football at Virginia, where he played multiple positions for the Cavaliers. He was the starting quarterback and also served as a kick returner and holder. In 2007 and 2008, he played as a cornerback.
De'Anthony Marquies Thomas is an American professional football wide receiver and return specialist who is a free agent. He played college football for the Oregon Ducks and was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL draft. He also played for the Baltimore Ravens.
Bruce Leroy DeHaven was an American football coach. Specializing in special teams coaching, DeHaven held that position for five teams in the National Football League, his longest tenure being 16 seasons over two runs with the Buffalo Bills.
In American football, the upback is a blocking back who lines up anywhere from 1–7 yards behind the line of scrimmage in punting situations. If there are three blockers behind the main line of scrimmage, the personal protector will line up in the middle of them.
Jamal Agnew is an American professional football wide receiver and return specialist for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the San Diego Toreros. On September 26, 2021, he tied the NFL record for the longest play with a 109 yard return off a missed field goal.
Jacob Richard Bailey is an American professional football punter for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Stanford.
Kaleb Gunner Olszewski is an American professional football wide receiver and return specialist for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Bemidji State as a cornerback. He previously played for the New England Patriots and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Avery Williams is an American professional football running back and return specialist for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Boise State.