SUPER BOWL XXIX / SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS 49, SAN DIEGO CHARGERS 26 : Proof Is in the Winning for 49ers : Pro football: Players find more relief than joy after they do what they were supposed to do: beat the San Diego Chargers.

Shadows to escape. Nightmares to put to sleep. Fears to bury.

Never have so many who had accomplished so much had such a great deal to prove.

But prove it they did. For the San Francisco 49ers, the 49-26 victory over the San Diego Chargers in Super Bowl XXIX meant vindication.

Vindication for team president Carmen Policy, the former lawyer who had to prove he knew something about putting together a football team.

Vindication for Coach George Seifert, who had to prove he could win with his own players after winning with Bill Walsh’s.

Vindication for running back Ricky Watters, who had to prove that there was a method to his madness.

Vindication for linebacker Ken Norton, who had to prove that he didn’t make a mistake in leaving the Dallas Cowboys.

Vindication for cornerback Deion Sanders, who had to prove he could win in football as well as baseball.

Vindication for safety Tim McDonald, who had to prove that he was a Super Bowl player as well as a Pro Bowl player.

Vindication for tight end Brent Jones, who had to prove that his nightmares were nothing more than bad dreams.

Vindication for offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan, who had to prove that being fired from the Raiders’ coaching job was not an indication that he couldn’t steer an offense to a championship.

And vindication for quarterback Steve Young, who had to prove he could be better than Joe Montana.

So it’s not surprising that there were more sighs of relief than cries of joy in the San Francisco locker room. The 49ers of the ‘90s had finally escaped the shadow of the 49ers of the ‘80s.

“There was a fear of failure,” said center Bart Oates. “Everybody expected us to win. If we’d lost--and that was possible--we would have been the biggest goats in Super Bowl history. I don’t think the San Diego Chargers feel as bad as we would have if we had lost.”

Jones stayed on the field long after his happy teammates had headed for the haven of the locker room. He smelled the air, surveyed the stadium and generally tried to frame a picture of the glorious night in his mind, one that would keep away the demons.

“I’ve had 10 to 15 nightmares in the last couple of years,” he said. “We have a chance to win (in his dreams), but we never do.

“We’ve been so close for so many years that it is so painful.”

Policy, who masterminded the economic strategy that resulted in a roster full of stars, was a lot calmer than he had been after his team had beaten the Cowboys two weeks ago in the NFC championship game.

“It’s like you’re fighting a battle against insurmountable odds,” he said. “And then you see the other army coming over the hill with their swords down and a white flag. You may have a little feeling of joy, but your basic reaction is, ‘Thank God it’s over.’ ”

Wide receiver Jerry Rice certainly had nothing to prove. He’s already the leading touchdown-maker in NFL history and had played on two Super Bowl winners.

But he struggled merely to get onto the field and stay there Sunday. First, he was weakened by a virus that hit him late in the week, then suffered a shoulder injury in the game. Rice received fluid intravenously Saturday for the virus and again on Sunday morning.

“I had a good feeling when I was warming up,” he said. “But then my legs got weak and I got scared.”

Not as scared as the Chargers got watching Rice open down the middle on San Francisco’s first drive. Young connected with him on a 44-yard touchdown pass and San Diego never caught up.

Despite the flu and shoulder problems, Rice, who delivered a pregame pep talk to the team, stayed around long enough to catch three touchdown passes.

“The shoulder is sore,” he conceded. “I wanted to play, but if the coaches wanted to take me out, I would have understood. I felt I was still a threat. I just tried to block it (the pain) out and stay focused.”

Rice had raised a minor furor at the start of the week when he said he “might” consider retirement if the 49ers won. So is he?

“I’m going to really address that later on,” he said. “I’m just going to take time to enjoy this.”

Over in one corner of the San Francisco locker room Sunday night, McDonald was shaking his head at the twists and turns he took before signing with the 49ers as a free agent two years ago.

“Steve Young and I have a lot in common,” McDonald said. “He’s been in the shadow of Joe Montana and I was in the shadow of the Cardinals. He’s got a lot of passing records, but he never got his due respect. I’ve been in five of the last six Pro Bowls, but I’ve never been All-Pro and I’ve never been to a Super Bowl. After years in Phoenix, after getting my butt kicked with that team, after not getting any respect, I was finally set free and I’ve finally been vindicated.”