The "44 Stops to Super Bowl XLIV" is a series that will feature stories, stats and interesting trivia that you can use to act smart as you prepare for Super Bowl XLIV. I've done this on SPORTZASSASSIN.COM for Super Bowls XL, XLI, XLIII and for AOL's FanHouse for Super Bowl XLII.
#16-LIST OF SUPER BOWL NO-NAMES: Below are guys that made their names in the Super Bowl. Some of these guys were pretty good NFLers before their breakout games ... some we haven't heard of before or since ... but performing well on the biggest of stages makes them legends.
Doug Williams (Redskins): It wasn't that Williams was a no-name as much as things really didn't pan out for him. Dude really came off the scrap heap. Williams did nothing much of note in his first years at Tampa Bay or in his USFL stint. Redskins coach Joe Gibbs (who coached Doug in Tampa) gave him a shot in 1986 to back up Jay Schroeder. In '87, Schroeder had some shoulder issues late in the season and Williams did a good job taking over. So much so that there was a QB controversy. Williams got the nod and the rest is history.What Williams did in the 2nd quarter of Super Bowl XXII is nothing short of remarkable. He was 9-of-11 for 228 yards and 4 TDs. Again, that was just in the 2nd quarter! Williams would win the game's MVP and become the first (and only, so far) black quarterback to win a Super Bowl.
Timmy Smith (Redskins): If Doug Williams didn't win the MVP, Smith would have. Smith rushed for 204 yards (still a Super Bowl record) and two TDs. Coming into the game, Smith had rushed for just 129 yards that season. His career lasted just 15 games after the Super Bowl.
Max McGee (Packers): McGee is famous for his pre-Super Bowl I partying. With Boyd Dowler injured early in the game, a hung-over McGee would step in and catch the first TD pass in Super Bowl history. He would go on to catch seven passes for 138 yards and two TDs ... three more receptions than he had all season long.
Jeff Hostetler (Giants): People forget that Phil Simms didn't start the G-men's second Super Bowl title. Simms hurt his ankle late in the season and Hoss took it the rest of the way. He had the least amount of playing time of any QB to start a Super Bowl. He held up well, throwing for 222 yds and a TD.
Dan Bunz (49ers): The linebacker was instrumental in the greatest goal line stand in Super Bowl history, stuffing the Bengals four times with goal to go. The defining play was Bunz' tackle on a swing pass to Charles Alexander on third down (he was also in on the stop on fourth down).
Larry Brown (Cowboys): The running joke after Super Bowl XXX was that Brown was the Steelers' Neil O'Donnell's favorite target. Too bad he played for the other team. Brown picked off two O'Donnell throws ... his final game with Dallas. He used the MVP award to get a nice fat contract with the Raiders and did nothing much of note after the fact.
Dwight Smith (Buccaneers): If Brown won an MVP award for picking off two passes ... why didn't Smith win won for taking two picks back for TDs? He was a nickelback used a lot in a game where (a) Oakland's offensive attack warranted it and (b) the Raiders were so far behind that they had to take chances. Why ....
Dexter Jackson (Buccaneers): ... because Smith's second TD came in the closing seconds after the ballots had already been counted. Jackson had picked off two passes himself (none that went for TDs) that were momentum changers. And Jackson wouldn't have won the award either if not for fan voting taking place in the game (Simeon Rice was the press' pick).
Percy Howard (Cowboys): Never heard of him? Well, Howard came into Super Bowl X and caught a 34-yd touchdown pass from Roger Staubach. That was the only reception he had in his entire career.
Don Beebe (Bills): Beebe has been on six Super Bowl teams ... but will be remembered most for running down Leon Lett and stripping the ball right before crossing the endzone in Super Bowl XXVII.
#17-RELOCATING TO TITLES: The Colts (Baltimore/Indianapolis) are one of two teams to win a Super Bowl in two different cities. The other team is the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders. The St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams have been to Super Bowls from two different cities.
#18-SUPER BOWL NEWBIES: As you know, New Orleans is making its first Super Bowl appearance. This is the 8th Super Bowl in the last 12 years to feature a team making its debut in the big game. Those teams are the Saints (44), Cardinals (43), Seahawks (40), Panthers (38), Buccaneers (37), Ravens (35), Titans (34) and Falcons (33). Those newbies are 2-5 in the Super Bowl and none have been back since.
#19-THEY KNOW ALL ABOUT MIAMI: This won't be the Colts or Saints first trip to Miami this year. Both played the Dolphins in Miami this season. In Week 2, the Colts beat the Phins, 27-23, despite having the ball for less than 15 minutes of game time. In Week 7, the Saints came calling. Miami jumped out to a 24-3 lead and put New Orleans' perfect record in jeopardy. That's when Brees and the Saints got hot and scored 43 of the game's final 53 points and got the 46-34 victory.
#20-ALTERNATE VIEWING: Not everyone is a Super Bowl fan and some people would just rather watch anything else than football. For those people (hey, Honey!), here is a quick guide to watch various channels are putting up against the big game.
ABCFAM: The Sound of Music
ANIMAL: Puppy Bowl VI
TRU TV: Cops (marathon)
ESPNCLASSIC: UNC vs Duke, 1995
GSN: High Stakes Poker
MSNBC: To Catch a Predator (marathon)
MTV: Teen Mom (marathon)
STARZ: Paul Blart: Mall Cop ... followed by Step Brothers
TBS: Titanic
TV LAND: Home Improvement (marathon)
HALLMARK: I Love Lucy (marathon)
#16-LIST OF SUPER BOWL NO-NAMES: Below are guys that made their names in the Super Bowl. Some of these guys were pretty good NFLers before their breakout games ... some we haven't heard of before or since ... but performing well on the biggest of stages makes them legends.
Doug Williams (Redskins): It wasn't that Williams was a no-name as much as things really didn't pan out for him. Dude really came off the scrap heap. Williams did nothing much of note in his first years at Tampa Bay or in his USFL stint. Redskins coach Joe Gibbs (who coached Doug in Tampa) gave him a shot in 1986 to back up Jay Schroeder. In '87, Schroeder had some shoulder issues late in the season and Williams did a good job taking over. So much so that there was a QB controversy. Williams got the nod and the rest is history.What Williams did in the 2nd quarter of Super Bowl XXII is nothing short of remarkable. He was 9-of-11 for 228 yards and 4 TDs. Again, that was just in the 2nd quarter! Williams would win the game's MVP and become the first (and only, so far) black quarterback to win a Super Bowl.
Timmy Smith (Redskins): If Doug Williams didn't win the MVP, Smith would have. Smith rushed for 204 yards (still a Super Bowl record) and two TDs. Coming into the game, Smith had rushed for just 129 yards that season. His career lasted just 15 games after the Super Bowl.
Max McGee (Packers): McGee is famous for his pre-Super Bowl I partying. With Boyd Dowler injured early in the game, a hung-over McGee would step in and catch the first TD pass in Super Bowl history. He would go on to catch seven passes for 138 yards and two TDs ... three more receptions than he had all season long.
Jeff Hostetler (Giants): People forget that Phil Simms didn't start the G-men's second Super Bowl title. Simms hurt his ankle late in the season and Hoss took it the rest of the way. He had the least amount of playing time of any QB to start a Super Bowl. He held up well, throwing for 222 yds and a TD.
Dan Bunz (49ers): The linebacker was instrumental in the greatest goal line stand in Super Bowl history, stuffing the Bengals four times with goal to go. The defining play was Bunz' tackle on a swing pass to Charles Alexander on third down (he was also in on the stop on fourth down).
Larry Brown (Cowboys): The running joke after Super Bowl XXX was that Brown was the Steelers' Neil O'Donnell's favorite target. Too bad he played for the other team. Brown picked off two O'Donnell throws ... his final game with Dallas. He used the MVP award to get a nice fat contract with the Raiders and did nothing much of note after the fact.
Dwight Smith (Buccaneers): If Brown won an MVP award for picking off two passes ... why didn't Smith win won for taking two picks back for TDs? He was a nickelback used a lot in a game where (a) Oakland's offensive attack warranted it and (b) the Raiders were so far behind that they had to take chances. Why ....
Dexter Jackson (Buccaneers): ... because Smith's second TD came in the closing seconds after the ballots had already been counted. Jackson had picked off two passes himself (none that went for TDs) that were momentum changers. And Jackson wouldn't have won the award either if not for fan voting taking place in the game (Simeon Rice was the press' pick).
Percy Howard (Cowboys): Never heard of him? Well, Howard came into Super Bowl X and caught a 34-yd touchdown pass from Roger Staubach. That was the only reception he had in his entire career.
Don Beebe (Bills): Beebe has been on six Super Bowl teams ... but will be remembered most for running down Leon Lett and stripping the ball right before crossing the endzone in Super Bowl XXVII.
#17-RELOCATING TO TITLES: The Colts (Baltimore/Indianapolis) are one of two teams to win a Super Bowl in two different cities. The other team is the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders. The St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams have been to Super Bowls from two different cities.
#18-SUPER BOWL NEWBIES: As you know, New Orleans is making its first Super Bowl appearance. This is the 8th Super Bowl in the last 12 years to feature a team making its debut in the big game. Those teams are the Saints (44), Cardinals (43), Seahawks (40), Panthers (38), Buccaneers (37), Ravens (35), Titans (34) and Falcons (33). Those newbies are 2-5 in the Super Bowl and none have been back since.
#19-THEY KNOW ALL ABOUT MIAMI: This won't be the Colts or Saints first trip to Miami this year. Both played the Dolphins in Miami this season. In Week 2, the Colts beat the Phins, 27-23, despite having the ball for less than 15 minutes of game time. In Week 7, the Saints came calling. Miami jumped out to a 24-3 lead and put New Orleans' perfect record in jeopardy. That's when Brees and the Saints got hot and scored 43 of the game's final 53 points and got the 46-34 victory.
#20-ALTERNATE VIEWING: Not everyone is a Super Bowl fan and some people would just rather watch anything else than football. For those people (hey, Honey!), here is a quick guide to watch various channels are putting up against the big game.
ABCFAM: The Sound of Music
ANIMAL: Puppy Bowl VI
TRU TV: Cops (marathon)
ESPNCLASSIC: UNC vs Duke, 1995
GSN: High Stakes Poker
MSNBC: To Catch a Predator (marathon)
MTV: Teen Mom (marathon)
STARZ: Paul Blart: Mall Cop ... followed by Step Brothers
TBS: Titanic
TV LAND: Home Improvement (marathon)
HALLMARK: I Love Lucy (marathon)
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