MOST VALUABLE PLAYER

TERRELL DAVIS, RUNNING BACK, DENVER

VITAL STATISTICS

30 carries for 157 yards, (5.2 yards a carry) three touchdowns.

DEFINING MOMENT

It had to be the easiest of his three rushing touchdowns, a Super Bowl record. It also was the most memorable. Davis ran through a huge hole from the one-yard line for the game-winning score with 1:45 to play.

That completed a 49-yard drive in which Davis got most of the work, carrying four times for 21 yards.

LITTLE-KNOWN FACT

Davis was the 196th pick in the 1995 draft.

OTHER KEY PLAYS

His 17-yard run to the one-yard line set up the final score. He ran 27 yards--his longest run of the day--in the course of Denver’s first drive of the game, which ended with a one-yard run that tied the score, 7-7. He ran in from a yard out to put the Broncos ahead, 24-17, with 34 seconds left in the third quarter.

IN HIS WORDS:

“It’s hard to believe I could even be here in this situation, at the Super Bowl. But to win MVP? No way.”

PAST WINNERS

1967--Bart Starr, QB, G.B.--Starr completes 16 of 23 passes for 250 yards and two touchdowns.

1968--Bart Starr, QB, G.B.--Starr completes 13 of 24 passes for 202 yards and one touchdown.

1969--Joe Namath, QB, Jets--Three days before the game Namath said, “We’re going to win Sunday. I guarantee it.” Namath completed 17 of 28 passes for 206 yards and no touchdowns as the AFL got their first Super Bowl victory. Equally deserving was Matt Snell, who rushed for 121 yards and one touchdown and caught four passes.

1970--Len Dawson, QB, K.C.--Five days before the game, Dawson’s name was linked to a federal gambling investigation. Although eventually cleared, Dawson lost 10 pounds and rarely slept before the game, but still completed 12 of 17 passes for 142 yards and one touchdown.

1971--Chuck Howley, LB, Dal.--In a game featuring 14 penalties and 10 turnovers, Howley became the first MVP from a losing team after he intercepted two passes and forced a fumble.

1972--Roger Staubach, QB, Dal.--Staubach completed 12 of 19 passes for 119 yards and two touchdowns, including one to Mike Ditka.

1973--Jake Scott, S, Miami--Scott had two interceptions as the Dolphins completed the season undefeated.

1974--Larry Csonka, RB, Miami--Csonka rushed for 145 yards (more than double the total of the entire Minnesota backfield) and two touchdowns.

1975--Franco Harris, RB, Pitt.--Harris set Super Bowl records with 158 yards in 34 carries. He also scored a touchdown.

1976--Lynn Swann, WR, Pitt.--Questionable until just before game time because of concussion suffered in the AFC championship game, Swann caught four passes for 161 yards and one touchdown.

1977--Fred Biletnikoff, WR, Oak.--Biletnikoff had four receptions for 79 yards. Also deserving was running back Clarence Davis, who rushed for 137 yard.

1978--Randy White, DT, and Harvey Martin, DE, Dallas--How dominant was the Cowboy defense, led by White and Martin? Denver turned the ball over seven times, and Bronco quarterbacks Craig Morton and Norris Weese completed only eight of 25 passes for 61 yards with four interceptions.

1979--Terry Bradshaw, QB, Pitt.--Bradshaw passes for 318 yards and four touchdowns.

1980--Terry Bradshaw, QB, Pitt.--Despite three interceptions, Bradshaw was named MVP again after completing 14 of 21 passes for 309 yards and two touchdowns.

1981--Jim Plunkett, QB, Oak.--Plunkett completed 13 of 21 passes for 261 yards (including an 80-yard touchdown pass play with Kenny King) and three touchdowns.

1982--Joe Montana, QB, S.F.--Montana completed 14 of 22 passes for 157 yards and a touchdown.

1983--John Riggins, RB, Wash.--Riggins wrapped up the MVP when he ran for a 43-yard touchdown on a fourth-and-one play in the fourth quarter to give the Redskins their first lead of the game.

1984--Marcus Allen, RB, Raiders--Allen’s record-breaking 74-yard touchdown run on the last play of the third quarter wrapped up the award. He finished with 191 yards and two touchdowns in 20 carries.

1985--Joe Montana, QB, S.F.--Montana completed 24 of 35 passes for a game-record 318 yards with one touchdown.

1986--Richard Dent, DE, Chi.--Dent led a Bear defense that held the Patriots to 123 yards total offense, including a record-low seven yards rushing. The Bears also forced six turnovers.

1987--Phil Simms, QB, Giants--Simms completed 22 of 25 passes, a Super Bowl record 88%, for 268 yards and three touchdowns.

1988--Doug Williams, QB, Wash.--Williams led scoring drives of 80, 64, 74, 60 and 79 yards in the second quarter and finished with 340 yards passing and four touchdowns.

1989--Jerry Rice, WR, S.F.--On a sprained ankle, Rice caught 11 passes for 215 yards and one touchdown.

1990--Joe Montana, QB, S.F.--Montana completed 22 of 29 passes for 297 yards and a Super Bowl-record five touchdowns.

1991--Ottis Anderson, RB, Giants--Anderson, the feature running back in a ball-control game that helped the Giants maintain possession for all but eight minutes of the second half, rushed for 102 yards in 21 carries, with one touchdown.

1992--Mark Rypien, QB, Wash.--Rypien completed 18 of 33 passes for 292 yards and one touchdown.

1993--Troy Aikman, QB, Dal.--In a game featuring nine Buffalo turnovers, Aikman completed 22 of 30 passes for 273 yards and four touchdowns.

1994--Emmitt Smith, RB, Dal.--Smith sealed the MVP award when he accounted for 61 yards in the Cowboys’ 64-yard scoring drive in the third quarter that gave the team a 20-13 lead. Smith finished with 132 yards and two touchdowns in 30 carries.

1995--Steve Young, QB, S.F.--Young stepped out of the shadow of Joe Montana by passing for a Super-Bowl record six touchdowns. His final numbers: 24 of 36 passes for 325 yards.

1996--Larry Brown, CB, Dal.--The game turned on Brown’s two interceptions, which led to 14 Dallas points in a 27-17 victory over Pittsburgh.

1997--Desmond Howard, KR, G.B.--For the first time, a special teams player was chosen MVP. Howard returned a kick 99 yards for a touchdown and finished with 244 return yards.