Super Bowl XXVII : THROUGH THE YEARS : Footnotes To History : XXIII : LEE JOHNSON : CINCINNATI BENGALS

There are various routes to Super Bowl history. Some players run, some pass and others kick.

Lee Johnson is the only player who rolled there.

Early in the second quarter of Super Bowl XXIII, Johnson, the punter for the Cincinnati Bengals, kicked a ball 48 yards through the air.

It landed in San Francisco territory and rolled, and rolled, and did not stop rolling until it had reached the San Francisco nine-yard line.

Johnson wishes he had been granted time to marvel over his 63-yard punt, the longest in Super Bowl history.

“The problem with that kick was, two records were set on one play,” he reminded.

He was referring to John Taylor’s record 45-yard return for the 49ers. Taylor, before being tackled, outran Johnson in more ways than one.

“He also kept the ball, I think,” Johnson said. Memories of the game are more than enough for Johnson, even though Joe Montana led the 49ers on a last-gasp drive that gave them a 20-16 victory.

After all, after four games of that 1988-89 season, Johnson was out of a job. He had been cut by the Cleveland Browns after Clarence Verdin of the Indianapolis Colts returned one of his punts for a touchdown.

Johnson, who had already been cut twice before, was out of work for only one day. He was cut on a Wednesday and claimed on a Friday.

“But one day is long enough,” said Johnson, who is still the Bengals’ punter. “I really felt fortunate to get another job.”

Johnson said he was nearly as nervous at the Super Bowl.

“To get to the Super Bowl in the same year that you are out of the league, it was pretty overwhelming,” Johnson said. “It is such a big game, it is larger than life, so much different than anyone watching can imagine.

“Just standing on the sidelines like punters do, you become a nervous wreck. It took me a long time to come down from that game.”

That’s understandable, con-

sidering it took him two weeks to find out that he had even set the record.

* 1989 AT MIAMI

Cincinnati 0 3 10 3 -- 16 San Francisco 3 0 3 14 -- 20

SF--FG Cofer 41

Cin--FG Breech 34

Cin--FG Breech 43

SF--FG Cofer 32

Cin--Jennings 93 kickoff return (Breech kick)

SF--Rice 14 pass from Montana (Cofer kick)

Cin--FG Breech 40

SF--Taylor 10 pass from Montana (Cofer kick)

A--75,129

Winning Coach--Bill Walsh

MVP--Jerry Rice.