Super Bowl Heroes and Goats
Goat: Eugene Robinson, Atlanta Falcons, Super Bowl XXXIII
Sure, Robinson (right) struggled in the Falcons' 34-19 loss to Denver -- including getting smoked on this 80-yard Rod Smith score -- but he made bigger news before the game. The morning prior to the Super Bowl, Robinson by an undercover cop for trying to solicit sex from a prostitute.
Tony Ranze, AFP / Getty Images
Hero: Joe Namath, New York Jets, Super Bowl III
Namath guaranteed an upset win over the Colts, then delivered. Broadway Joe won the MVP (despite not throwing a TD pass) after guiding the AFL's Jets to a stunning 16-7 victory.
Darryl Norenberg, WireImage
Goat:Scott Norwood, Buffalo Bills, Super Bowl XXV
Norwood's "Wide Right" moment is etched in NFL lore, alongside things like "The Catch" and "The Drive." Norwood's last-second miss in Super Bowl XXV gave the Giants the championship -- and Buffalo the first of four straight runner-up finishes.
Phil Sandlin, AP
Hero: Terry Bradshaw, Pittsburgh Steelers, Super Bowl XIV
Bradshaw led the Steelers to four titles and won the Super Bowl MVP award in both Super Bowl XIII and XIV. In 1980, against the Rams, Bradshaw threw for 309 yards and two TDs -- one year after his three-touchdown performance beat the Cowboys.
Andy Hayt, Getty Images
Goat: Neil O'Donnell, Pittsburgh Steelers, Super Bowl XXX
The Cowboys won their third title in four years on Jan. 28, 1996, but not without help from Pittsburgh's quarterback. O'Donnell chucked three interceptions, including a pair to game MVP Larry Brown, as the Steelers lost 27-17.
Doug Mills, AP
Hero: Joe Montana, San Francisco 49ers, Super Bowl XVI
Montana won his first of four Super Bowls -- and three game MVP awards -- in 1982 against the Bengals. The QB scored on a one-yard run early, threw a second-quarter touchdown pass and the Niners held on for a 26-21 win in Detroit.
AP
Goat: Jackie Smith, Dallas Cowboys, Super Bowl XIII
In a back-and-forth matchup with Pittsburgh, Smith had a chance to tie the game at 21 in the third quarter. Instead, he dropped a wide-open touchdown pass, Dallas wound up kicking a field goal and the Steelers went on to win by four.
Focus on Sport / Getty Images
Hero: Adam Vinatieri, New England Patriots, Super Bowl XXXVI
On the final play of the game, Vinatieri drilled a 48-yard field goal, giving New England a surprising 20-17 win over heavily-favored St. Louis. Just for good measure, Vinatieri repeated the feat two years later, hitting a 41-yarder in the final seconds to knock off Carolina.
Amy Sancetta, AP
Goat Thurman Thomas, Buffalo Bills, Super Bowl XXVI
Thomas scored a touchdown in Buffalo's 37-24 loss to Washington, but the one-yard plunge was his only highlight. The Bills running back racked up just 13 yards on 10 carries for the game.
Focus on Sport / Getty Images
Hero: Doug Williams, Washington Redskins, Super Bowl XXII
Williams became the first African-American quarterback to start a Super Bowl, and he made the opportunity count. In a 42-10 Washington rout of Denver, Williams captured the game MVP by throwing for 340 yards and four touchdowns.
Ronald C. Modra, Sports Imagery / Getty Images
