Super Bowl XXVII : THROUGH THE YEARS : Footnotes To History : XIV : JOHN STALLWORTH : PITTSBURGH STEELERS

The story line in Super Bowl XIV followed something along the lines of one play in the Steeler playbook--the “hook and go.” In the case of the Steelers, it was the hook and go put on a fourth Super Bowl ring.

The play that won the Super Bowl for the Steelers, 31-19 over the Rams, was put in especially for the game, which isn’t that unusual, but it hadn’t worked a single time in eight tries in practice.

It was the fourth quarter at the Rose Bowl and the Rams of Coach Ray Malavasi were gamely holding onto a 19-17 lead. The Steelers had the ball, third and eight at their 27-yard line. It was just the right time for a game breaker.

The play was called the “60 prevent, slot, hook and go.” Actually, it was the second time Steeler Coach Chuck Noll had sent in the play, but Terry Bradshaw had changed the call the first time.

This time, John Stallworth went 15 yards downfield, faked inside, then turned deep.

“Looking back, I didn’t give a very true fake,” Stallworth said. “I remember Terry throwing the ball and watching it come and I remember saying to myself ‘Dammit, Bradshaw, you overthrew me.’ But I gave it all I had.”

Ram strong safety Eddie Brown went with the outside receiver, which left Rod Perry alone on Stallworth, who at 6 feet 2 was five inches taller than Perry. Stallworth caught the ball 39 yards from the line of scrimmage and ran 34 more yards into the end zone, completing a 73-yard scoring play that gave the Steelers the lead for good.

Bradshaw and Stallworth ran the same play again late in the fourth quarter and it went for 45 yards, setting up Pittsburgh’s final touchdown. In all, Stallworth finished with three receptions for 121 yards and the Super Bowl reception record for average gain--40.33 yards a catch.

“Those big plays were the reason we won,” Stallworth said.

“We always had a feeling we owned the Super Bowl game. We felt like it was abnormal for us not to go, and win when we got there. I guess we were greedy, but we didn’t feel that way at the time.”

* 1980 AT ROSE BOWL

Rams 7 6 6 0 -- 19 Pittsburgh 3 7 7 14 -- 31

Pit--FG Bahr 41

Rams--Bryant 1 run (Corral kick)

Pit--Harris 1 run (Bahr kick)

Rams--FG Corral 31

Rams--FG Corral 45

Pit--Swann 47 pass from Bradshaw (Bahr kick)

Rams--Smith 24 pass from McCutcheon (kick failed)

Pit--Stallworth 73 pass from Bradshaw (Bahr kick)

Pit--Harris 1 run (Bahr kick)

A--103,985

Winning Coach--Chuck Noll

MVP--Terry Bradshaw