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.
A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback to rush the ball, to line up as a receiver to catch the ball, and block. There are usually one or two running backs on the field for a given play, depending on the offensive formation. A running back may be a halfback, a wingback, or a fullback. A running back will sometimes be called a "feature back" if he is the team's key player/more prominent running back.
Corey James Dillon is an American former professional football player who was a running back for 10 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) 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.
Joseph Michael Bellino was an American professional football player who was a halfback in the American Football League (AFL) for the Boston Patriots. He played college football for the Navy Midshipmen, where he won the Heisman Trophy in 1960. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1977.
Earnest Alexander Byner is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the East Carolina Pirates. He is now the running back coach of Out-of-Door Academy.
Thomas Dean Rathman is an American former professional football player who was a fullback for the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Nebraska Cornhuskers.
Keith Alan Byars is an American sports broadcaster and former professional football player. He played as a fullback and tight end in the National Football League (NFL) for the Philadelphia Eagles, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots and New York Jets. He was selected in the first round by the Eagles in the 1986 NFL draft. He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Daniel Edward Reeves was an American professional football running back and coach in the National Football League (NFL). During his 38 years in the NFL, Reeves participated in nine Super Bowls, the third most for an individual. He was a head coach for 23 seasons, a position he held with the Denver Broncos from 1981 to 1992, the New York Giants from 1993 to 1996, and the Atlanta Falcons from 1997 to 2003. As a player, he spent his eight-season career with the Dallas Cowboys, who signed him as an undrafted free agent out of South Carolina in 1965.
Larry Eugene Centers is an American former professional football player who was a fullback in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons, mostly the Phoenix / Arizona Cardinals (1990–1998). Centers then played for the Washington Redskins (1999–2000), the Buffalo Bills (2001–2002), and finally was a member of the New England Patriots.
Mosiula Faasuka Tatupu was an American professional football player who was a running back for 14 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at the University of Southern California (USC). He played in the NFL as a running back and on special teams with New England Patriots from 1978 to 1990 and the Los Angeles Rams in 1991. He was elected to the Pro Bowl in 1986. He became a football coach after his playing career.
Robert Lewis Perryman Jr. was an American professional football player. He played college football as a fullback for the University of Michigan from 1983 to 1986. He played professional football, principally as a fullback, in the National Football League (NFL) for six seasons for the New England Patriots (1987–1990) and the Denver Broncos (1991–1992). He gained 1,247 rushing yards at Michigan and 1,338 rushing yards in the NFL.
Anderson Sidney Johnson was an American professional football player who was a running back for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL) during the 1970s and 80s. He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs. He was selected in the fifth round of the 1974 NFL draft.
The Jets–Patriots rivalry is a National Football League (NFL) rivalry between the New York Jets and the New England Patriots.
Howard Preston Ridlehuber is a former American collegiate and professional football running back in the National Football League (NFL) and the American Football League (AFL). He played one season each for the NFL's Atlanta Falcons and the AFL's Oakland Raiders and Buffalo Bills. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the 11th round, pick 166 overall, in the 1966 NFL draft and by the New York Jets in the 19th round, pick 168 overall, of the 1966 AFL draft.
James Byron Casey is an American professional football coach and former player who is the tight ends coach for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL). He played in the NFL as a tight end and fullback. He was selected by the Houston Texans in the fifth round of the 2009 NFL draft and has also played for the Philadelphia Eagles and Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Rice Owls and played baseball and football at Azle High School.
Henry Philip Hynoski Jr. is a former American football fullback who played for the New York Giants from 2011 to 2014. He won Super Bowl XLVI with the team over the New England Patriots. Hynoski played college football at the University of Pittsburgh.
Tyler Gaffney is an American former professional football running back and former professional baseball outfielder. He was selected by the Carolina Panthers in the sixth round of the 2014 NFL draft. He played college football and college baseball for the Stanford Cardinal. He also played for the New England Patriots and Jacksonville Jaguars in the National Football League (NFL).
Scott Nelson Lockwood is an American former professional football running back who played two seasons with the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL) and three seasons in the Italian Football League (IFL) in Europe.
Anthony McSwain is a former professional American football running back in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots. He played college football at Clemson University.
Joseph Brodsky was an American football coach. He won three Super Bowls with the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL) and two national championships at the University of Miami. He played college football at the University of Florida.
