Super Bowl XXI was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Denver Broncos and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion New York Giants to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 1986 season. It was the 21st Super Bowl and was played on January 25, 1987, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. The Giants defeated the Broncos, 39–20, for their first Super Bowl and first NFL title since 1956. It was the first of consecutive Super Bowl losses for the Broncos, who lost the Super Bowl a year later 42–10 to the Washington Redskins.
Matthews Snell is an American former professional football player who was a running back for the New York Jets of the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL). He was Jets' owner Sonny Werblin's first coup, prior to his 1965 acquisition of Joe Namath. A powerful fullback out of Ohio State University, Snell's 1964 signing jolted the crosstown Giants, who didn't draft Snell until the fourth round, and offered him a fraction of what the Jets gave him as their first-round choice.
Ottis Jerome Anderson is an American former football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals and the New York Giants. He played college football for the Miami Hurricanes, where he set the school record for rushing yards, and was selected eighth overall in the 1979 NFL Draft by the Cardinals.
Plaxico Antonio Burress is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for 12 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Michigan State Spartans, and was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers with the eighth overall pick in the 2000 NFL Draft. He also played for the New York Giants and the New York Jets, and caught the game-winning touchdown in Super Bowl XLII as the Giants beat the then-undefeated New England Patriots.
Wellington Timothy Mara was an American co-owner of the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL) from 1959 until his death. He was the younger son of Tim Mara, who founded the Giants in 1925. Wellington was a ball boy that year.
Michael Bidwill is an American businessman who is the principal owner, chairman, and president of the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). After practicing law for six years as a federal prosecutor, he joined the Arizona Cardinals organization in 1996 as vice president and general counsel.
The 1986 NFL season was the 67th regular season of the National Football League. Defending Super Bowl Champion Chicago Bears shared the league's best record with the Giants at 14–2, with the Giants claiming the spot in the NFC by tiebreakers. In the AFC, the Cleveland Browns earned home-field advantage with a record of 12–4, and they hosted the New York Jets in round one of the AFC playoffs. The Jets had started the season at 10–1 before losing their final five contests. The game went to double OT, with the Browns finally prevailing 23–20. The following Sunday, John Elway and the Denver Broncos defeated the Browns by an identical score in a game known for The Drive, where Elway drove his team 98 yards to send the game to overtime to win. The Giants would defeat their rival Washington Redskins in the NFC title game, blanking them 17–0 to advance to their first Super Bowl. The season ended with Super Bowl XXI when the New York Giants defeated the Denver Broncos 39–20 at the Rose Bowl to win their first league title in 30 years.
The 1979 NFL season was the 60th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XIV when the Pittsburgh Steelers repeated as champions by defeating the Los Angeles Rams 31–19 at the Rose Bowl. The Steelers became the first team to win back-to-back Super Bowls twice.
The 1972 NFL season was the 53rd regular season of the National Football League. The Miami Dolphins became the first NFL team to finish a championship season undefeated and untied when they beat the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl VII. The Dolphins not only led the NFL in points scored, while their defense led the league in fewest points allowed, the roster also featured two running backs who gained 1,000 rushing yards in the same season.
Howard Edward Cross Jr. is a former professional American football player and current broadcaster. He spent 13 seasons as a tight end for the New York Giants in the National Football League (NFL), and was a member of two Super Bowl teams, Super Bowl XXV in 1991 and appearing in Super Bowl XXXV in 2001. Since 2007, he has served as a broadcaster for the New York Giants radio network, and a broadcaster for the YES Network.
De La Salle Collegiate High School is an all-boys Catholic high school run by the De La Salle Christian Brothers. Founded in 1926, the school was located on the east side of Detroit before moving to its current location in Warren, Michigan, in 1982.
Robert Ross Lurtsema is a former American football defensive end in the National Football League for the Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants and Seattle Seahawks. He played in two Super Bowls with the Vikings.
Ernest William Accorsi Jr. is an American former professional football executive. He served as the general manager of three teams in the National Football League (NFL): the Baltimore Colts, Cleveland Browns, and New York Giants.
Bill Davis is an American football coach who is the linebackers coach for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL).
Richard Robert Volk is an American former professional football player who was a safety in the National Football League (NFL) for the Baltimore Colts, New York Giants, and Miami Dolphins. He retired with 38 career interceptions and 13 fumble recoveries, and totaled 574 yards on interception returns and 548 yards on punt returns.
Ryan Gregory Mundy is an American former professional football player who was a safety for eight seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by his hometown team, the Pittsburgh Steelers in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL draft. He won Super Bowl XLIII with the Steelers over the Arizona Cardinals. He played college football for the West Virginia Mountaineers and Michigan Wolverines.
Robert W. Timberlake is a former American football player who played college football for the University of Michigan Wolverines from 1962 to 1964 and for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL) in 1965.
Edward William Muransky is a former professional American football offensive tackle who played for the Los Angeles Raiders of the National Football League (NFL) and Orlando Renegades of the United States Football League (USFL). He was a member of the Super Bowl XVIII Champion Raiders. Prior to this he was an All-American and Academic All-American athlete who played for the University of Michigan Wolverines during the 1979–1981 seasons.
The 1972 Rose Bowl was the 58th edition of the college football bowl game, played at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, on Saturday, January 1. The Stanford Indians of the Pacific-8 Conference upset the undefeated and fourth-ranked Michigan Wolverines of the Big Ten Conference by a point, 13–12, repeating as Rose Bowl champions. The Player of the Game was Stanford quarterback Don Bunce.
Ronnie P. Barnes is an American football athletic trainer who is the head athletic trainer for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He is also their senior vice president of medical services, and has been with the organization since 1976. He graduated from East Carolina University in 1975, and was the first African-American head athletic trainer in the NFL.
