Super Bowl XXII was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Washington Redskins and American Football Conference (AFC) champion Denver Broncos to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 1987 season. The Redskins defeated the Broncos by the score of 42–10, winning their second Super Bowl. The game was played on January 31, 1988, at Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego, California, which was the first time that the Super Bowl was played there. It was the second consecutive Super Bowl loss for the Broncos, who had lost to the New York Giants in the Super Bowl the year before.
Lionel Thomas Taylor is an American former football player and coach. He played as a wide receiver primarily with the Denver Broncos of American Football League (AFL), he led the league in receptions for five of the first six years of the league's existence. The second player to lead a league in receptions for at least five seasons, Taylor is currently the last to do so. He was the third wide receiver to reach 500 receptions in pro football history. He was also a longtime assistant coach in the league, winning two Super Bowls with the Pittsburgh Steelers. In 2024, he was given the Award of Excellence by the Pro Football Hall of Fame for his work as an assistant. However, despite all of his accomplishments as a player and coach, he has yet to be inducted into the hall of fame.
John Gregory Taylor is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver and kick returner with the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He attended Pennsauken High School and was one of six NFL players to come from PHS during the 1980s. Taylor attended Delaware State College and was a member of their football team, the Hornets. He was a member of the 49ers teams that won Super Bowls XXIII, XXIV, and XXIX. His younger brother is former safety Keith Taylor.
Amani Askari Toomer is an American former professional football player who spent his entire career as a wide receiver and punt returner for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He registered over 1,000 receiving yards each season from 1999 to 2003, was a member of the 2007 Giants team that won Super Bowl XLII, and holds Giants' club records with 9,497 receiving yards, 668 receptions, and 54 receiving touchdowns. He also returned 109 punts for 1,060 yards and three touchdowns. As a rookie in 1996, he led the NFL with an average of 16.6 yards on 18 punt returns.
Andre Darnell Reed is an American former professional football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons, primarily with the Buffalo Bills. He played college football for the Kutztown Golden Bears and was selected by the Bills in the fourth round of the 1985 NFL draft with the 86th overall selection. Following 15 seasons with the Bills, where he earned Pro Bowl honors seven times, Reed spent his final season as a member of the Washington Redskins in 2000.
Robert Darren Brooks is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the South Carolina Gamecocks. Brooks played in the NFL for the Green Bay Packers (1992–1998) and the Denver Broncos.
Antonio Michael Freeman is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL), most notably for the Green Bay Packers. He attended the Baltimore Polytechnic Institute and Virginia Tech.
Stanley Douglas Morgan is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts. A "deep threat" receiver, he holds the NFL record with 19.2 yards per catch, and also holds the Patriots team record for total receiving yards in a career.
Derrick James Mason is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for 15 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Tennessee Oilers in the fourth round of the 1997 NFL draft after playing college football for the Michigan State Spartans. Following eight seasons with the Oilers franchise, including two Pro Bowl selections, Mason signed with the Baltimore Ravens in 2005. He became the Ravens' all-time leading receiver with 5,777 yards from 2005 to 2010. He spent 2011 with the New York Jets and Houston Texans. Mason retired as a Baltimore Raven on June 11, 2012. He was the last active NFL player to have played for the Oilers.
Wesley Carter Welker is an American football coach and former wide receiver who is the wide receivers coach for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). Welker played in the NFL for 12 seasons, most notably with the New England Patriots. Regarded as one of the greatest undrafted players of all time, he holds the NFL record for receptions by an undrafted player. Welker played college football at Texas Tech University, where he won the Mosi Tatupu Award and was a first-team All-Big 12 as a senior.
Dwayne Carswell is an American former professional football player who was a tight end from 1994 to 2005 for the Denver Broncos in the National Football League (NFL). He was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the Broncos in 1994. He played college football at Liberty University.
Gary C. Clark is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for the Washington Redskins (1985–92), Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals (1993–94), and Miami Dolphins (1995).
Michael McColly "Butch" Johnson is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos. He played college football for the UC Riverside Highlanders and was selected in the third round of the 1976 NFL draft.
Richard Upchurch is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver and return specialist in the National Football League (NFL). He played his entire career with the Denver Broncos from 1975 to 1983. One of 29 individuals to be selected to multiple All-Decade teams, Upchurch is noted as one of the greatest return specialists of all time.
Steve Ross Watson is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). He later became a wide receivers coach.
William Edward Royal is an American former football wide receiver and return specialist. He was selected by the Denver Broncos in the second round of the 2008 NFL draft. He played college football for the Virginia Tech Hokies and was elected to its sports hall of fame in 2018. Royal also played for the San Diego Chargers and Chicago Bears.
Jordan Shea Rashad Norwood is a Filipino-American former professional football player who was a wide receiver and punt returner for eight seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He was signed by the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted free agent in 2009. He played college football at Penn State.
Demaryius Antwon Thomas was an American professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons, primarily with the Denver Broncos. He played college football for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, earning third-team All-American honors in 2009. He was selected by the Broncos in the first round of the 2010 NFL draft. With Denver, Thomas made five Pro Bowls and won Super Bowl 50 against the Carolina Panthers. He was also a member of the Houston Texans, New England Patriots, and New York Jets.
Corey "Philly" Brown 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 for the Ohio State Buckeyes. He was signed by the Panthers as an undrafted free agent in 2014.
Brandon Edward Johnson is an American professional football wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Tennessee and UCF.
