Past Venue: RCA Dome

Indianapolis, IN
aka Hoosier Dome



Year opened: 1984
Capacity: 57,980

Names:
Hoosier Dome, 1983-94
RCA Dome, 1994-2008

Pro football tenants:
Indianapolis Colts (NFL), 1984-2007

Postseason games hosted:
AFC Divisional playoff, Titans 19 Colts 16, Jan. 16, 2000
AFC Wild Card playoff, Colts 41 Broncos 10, Jan. 4, 2004
AFC Wild Card playoff, Colts 49 Broncos 24, Jan. 9, 2005
AFC Divisional playoff, Steelers 21 Colts 18, Jan. 15, 2006
AFC Wild Card playoff, Colts 23 Chiefs 8, Jan. 6, 2007
AFC Championship, Colts 38 Patriots 34, Jan. 21, 2007
AFC Divisional playoff, Chargers 28 Colts 24, Jan. 13, 2008

Other tenants of note:
None

Notes: Regularly hosted annual NFL Scouting Combine. Built as part of the Indiana Convention Center with both public and private financing. The roof was made of teflon-coated fiberglass and held up by air pressure inside the building. Hosted NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four, 1991, 1997, 2000, 2006. Hosted NCAA Women’s Basketball Final Four, 2005. Hosted World Gymnastics Championships, 1991. Original AstroTurf surface was replaced with FieldTurf in 2005.

Fate: Demolished in 2008 to create additional space for the adjoining Indiana Convention Center.

1983: Wranglers Mount Late Rally to Stun Blitz

Entering the United States Football League’s first season, the Chicago Blitz were identified as the team most likely to dominate the new league. They had the best-known head coach in George Allen and, following the pattern Allen had established with the teams he coached in the NFL, the club also had much veteran talent on the roster. An easy win over the Washington Federals in the season-opening game only seemed to confirm that Chicago was the team to beat.

The Blitz entered their second game, a Saturday night contest on March 12, 1983, as 13-point favorites against the Arizona Wranglers, a team that had been shut out in Week One. Coached by Doug Shively, the Wranglers seemed to be as bereft of talent as Chicago was loaded with it. As much as could be discerned at such an early point in the USFL’s development, the game appeared to be a classic mismatch. Arizona did make one significant move, however - Todd Krueger started at quarterback in the opening game, and was replaced by Alan Risher (pictured above), a rookie out of LSU, who was given the start against the Blitz.

There were 28,434 in attendance at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe – far less than the 45,167 present for the opener. For the first three quarters, it seemed as though the Blitz would breeze to another win. While Jim Asmus, who had missed two short field goal attempts the week before and was nearly replaced, booted a 22-yard field goal in the first quarter to start the scoring, Chicago responded with a 15-yard touchdown pass from 15th-year veteran QB Greg Landry to WR Lenny Willis to make the score 7-3.

Frank Corral kicked a 30-yard field goal for the Blitz in the second quarter, and the score was 10-6 at halftime after Asmus kicked another field goal for Arizona, from 35 yards. In the third quarter, it seemed as though Chicago had the game under control. Landry threw another TD pass, of 12 yards to TE Paul Ricker (the extra point attempt failed), and while the Wranglers scored on a six-yard Risher touchdown pass to WR Mike Smith (the PAT attempt was blocked), the Blitz scored again on a one-yard TD run by RB Kevin Long.

It was 23-12 after three quarters, and when Landry threw a third touchdown pass, of 15 yards to Ricker (and despite yet another failed try for an extra point), Chicago held a seemingly insurmountable lead of 29-12 with 11:23 remaining to play.

However, Risher and the Arizona offense dominated the rest of the final period. The Wranglers put together an 85-yard drive that was capped by a 10-yard touchdown pass to WR Jackie Flowers. They went for a two-point conversion, and in a thrilling (and key) play, Risher dropped back some 30 yards while eluding Chicago pass rushers and finally threw to TE Mark Keel, who caught the ball just inside the end zone. The Blitz lead was narrowed to 29-20.

Following a short punt by Corral, the Wranglers regained possession with good field position at the Chicago 45. They took full advantage, with Risher again using his mobility to excellent advantage to frustrate the rush and make plays, and drove to a nine-yard scoring pass from the rookie quarterback to WR Neil Balholm that made it a two-point game.

There were now under three minutes remaining, and in a key defensive series, Arizona prevented the Blitz from controlling the ball. After Landry was sacked for ten yards on a third down play, Corral again got off a short punt and the Wranglers had one last chance.

On the ensuing drive, Risher showed great poise, running 12 yards for a first down at one point and completing passes to Keel of nine and eight yards to set up a last field goal attempt by Asmus. Asmus connected from 33 yards with one second remaining, and Arizona came away with the biggest upset of the new league’s brief history by a score of 30-29.

The game was very sloppy, with a total of 30 penalties called (a whopping 20 on the Wranglers to 10 on Chicago), and between the flags and a total of 77 passes thrown by the teams, it took some four hours to play. Arizona outgained the Blitz both on the ground (151 yards to 90) and through the air (289 to 256), although Chicago had more first downs (26 to 25). Each team turned the ball over one time apiece. But while Jim Asmus made up for his poor kicking performance the week prior, Chicago’s veteran punter/placekicker Frank Corral, who had suffered an injury in practice the day before, missed two extra points and punted poorly, averaging just 32.3 yards on his three kicks.

Alan Risher completed 28 of 40 passes for 269 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions and ran for 40 yards on six carries. Neil Balholm caught 9 passes for 91 yards and a TD while Mark Keel contributed 6 receptions for 69 yards. RB Steve Howell led the Wranglers in rushing with 49 yards on 11 attempts.

For Chicago, Greg Landry was successful on 24 of 36 passes for 268 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. WR Wamon Buggs caught 7 passes for 96 yards. Kevin Long ran for 45 yards on 11 carries while rookie RB Tim Spencer contributed 40 yards on 14 attempts.

“I've been around football 25 years and I've never seen one quite like this,” said Arizona’s Coach Shively. “I actually gave up two or three times.”

“They (the Blitz) kind of classified this as their exhibition game,” Jim Asmus added. “We had to show them.”

“We took off our blitzing because Risher rolled out and hit consistently,” explained George Allen. “If he practiced that two-point play, he couldn't have pulled it off any better.”

Arizona got off to a 4-4 start to contend early in the Pacific Division, but collapsed thereafter, losing 10 straight to close out the schedule. The final result was 4-14 and a last place finish.

Chicago showed a tendency to lose late leads throughout the season, but ended with a 12-6 record to place second in the Central Division and qualify for a wild card spot in the playoffs. The Blitz lost to the Philadelphia Stars in the Semifinal round – in a game in which the Stars came from behind to force a tie and then won in overtime.

Alan Risher ranked sixth among USFL passers for the year, completing 55.7 percent of his 424 passes for 2672 yards and more touchdowns (20) than interceptions (16). While he was bothered by a sore shoulder and showed signs of wear as the season wore on, he proved to be a good addition on offense.

MVP Profile: Shaun Alexander, 2005

Running Back, Seattle Seahawks



Age: 28
6th season in pro football & with Seahawks
College: Alabama
Height: 5’11” Weight: 225

Prelude:
Chosen by the Seahawks in the 1st round of the 2000 NFL Draft, Alexander broke into the starting lineup in ’01. He had four straight 1000-yard seasons through 2004, with a high of 1696 in ’04, and led the league with 14 rushing TDs in 2001. He was named to the Pro Bowl following the 2003 and ’04 seasons.

2005 Season Summary
Appeared and started in all 16 games
[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Rushing
Attempts – 370 [1]
Most attempts, game - 33 (for 165 yds.) vs. St. Louis 11/13
Yards – 1880 [1]
Most yards, game – 173 yards (on 23 carries) at Arizona 11/6
Average gain – 5.1 [5]
TDs – 27 [1]
100-yard rushing games - 11

Pass Receiving
Receptions – 15
Most receptions, game – 4 (for 20 yds.) vs. San Francisco 12/11
Yards – 78
Most yards, game - 20 (on 4 catches) vs. San Francisco 12/11
Average gain – 5.2
TDs - 1

Scoring
TDs – 28 [1]
Points – 168 [1]

The 28 touchdowns set a NFL single-season record, since broken.

Postseason: 3 G
Rushing attempts – 60
Most rushing attempts, game - 34 vs. Carolina, NFC Championship
Rushing yards – 236
Most rushing yards, game - 132 vs. Carolina, NFC Championship
Average gain rushing – 3.9
Rushing TDs – 2

Pass receptions – 3
Most pass receptions, game - 2 vs. Pittsburgh, Super Bowl
Pass receiving yards - 2
Most pass receiving yards, game - 2 vs. Pittsburgh, Super Bowl
Average yards per reception – 0.7
Pass Receiving TDs - 0

Awards & Honors:
NFL MVP: AP, PFWA, NEA, Bert Bell Award, Sporting News
NFL Offensive Player of the Year: AP
1st team All-NFL: AP, PFWA, Sporting News
1st team All-NFC: Pro Football Weekly
Pro Bowl

Seahawks went 13-3 to win NFC West and gain top playoff seed in conference while leading league in points scored (452) and touchdowns (57). Won Divisional playoff over Washington Redskins (20-10) and NFC Championship over Carolina Panthers (34-14). Lost Super Bowl to Pittsburgh Steelers (21-10)

Aftermath:
Alexander signed an 8-year contract extension but broke his foot three weeks into the 2006 season and was limited to just 10 games, gaining 896 yards rushing, including 201 on 40 carries against Green Bay. After a less productive year in ’07, in which he suffered a series of nagging injuries, he was released. Alexander joined the Redskins during the 2008 season, to provide depth following the loss of backup RB Ladell Betts, and ran the ball just 11 times in four games in his final year at age 31.

--

MVP Profiles feature players who were named MVP or Player of the Year in the NFL, AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974), or USFL (1983-85) by a recognized organization (Associated Press, Pro Football Writers Association, Newspaper Enterprise Association, United Press International, The Sporting News, Maxwell Club – Bert Bell Award, or the league itself).

[Updated 2/15/14]

1967: Vikings Hire Bud Grant as Head Coach

It had been an offseason of change since the Minnesota Vikings completed the 1966 season with a disappointing 4-9-1 record. The ongoing battle between Norm Van Brocklin, the team’s first head coach, and Fran Tarkenton, who had almost immediately become the starting quarterback as a rookie in the club’s inaugural season of 1961, had reached a point of no return. The result was that both departed.

Van Brocklin resigned, and a few days before the hiring of his successor, Tarkenton was traded to the New York Giants. Late on Friday, March 10, 1967, the Vikings signed Harry “Bud” Grant to be the team’s head coach (a press conference was held the next morning to make it official).

Grant was 39 years old (he turned 40 prior to the season) and had been head coach of the CFL’s Winnipeg Blue Bombers for the previous ten years. An outstanding all-around athlete at the University of Minnesota, he played both football and basketball professionally (the NBA’s Minneapolis Lakers for two seasons before joining the NFL’s Eagles). Following two years with Philadelphia, Grant moved north to play for Winnipeg and became head coach at age 29 and, later, general manager. He had originally been offered the coaching job with the Vikings when the club was formed in 1961, but turned it down. His regular season record with the Blue Bombers was 102-56-2 and the team had gone 20-10-1 in the playoffs, winning two Grey Cup titles.

According to Vikings GM Jim Finks, Grant had signed a three-year contract. The Vikings had also considered Green Bay assistant coach Phil Bengtson and two other assistants with previous head coaching experience in the NFL, Nick Skorich of Cleveland and Bill McPeak of Detroit. But bringing Bud Grant back to the Twin Cities was their first choice, and this time he accepted the job.

The most significant question that Grant faced in preparing for the 1967 season was, who would play quarterback? The void left by the departed Tarkenton was a big one. There was Ron VanderKelen, star of the 1963 Rose Bowl for Wisconsin as well as that summer’s College All-Star game upset of the NFL champion Packers, who had been backing up – and occasionally competing with - Tarkenton for four years. The other prime contender was Bob Berry, a third-year pro out of Oregon who had thus far seen scant action. VanderKelen was more mobile, in the mold of the departed Tarkenton, while Berry was a classic drop-back passer with a better arm.

VanderKelen started the season and played abysmally. The Vikings lost their first four games. However, another product of the CFL, 29-year-old Joe Kapp, joined the club and took over as starting quarterback. What he lacked in passing ability, he made up for with fiery leadership.

At other positions, the club that Grant inherited was fundamentally sound and, while the Vikings went just 3-8-3 in ’67, the stage was set for significant improvement. HB Dave Osborn and FB Bill Brown ran for over 1500 yards and caught 56 passes between them. The offensive line was anchored by Pro Bowlers at center (Mick Tingelhoff) and tackle (Grady Alderman).

The Vikings would be known for their formidable defense during the Grant years, and the elements were coming together in that unit of 1967. The line, bolstered by the arrival of rookie DT Alan Page, contained ends Jim Marshall and Carl Eller and DT Paul Dickson. MLB Lonnie Warwick led a good unit, and cornerbacks Earsell Mackbee and Ed Sharockman and safeties Karl Kassulke and Dale Hackbart also worked well as a group.

While Gary Cuozzo was obtained for the 1968 season to provide an alternative at quarterback, it was still Kapp calling the signals as Minnesota went 8-6, won the NFL Central Division, and qualified for the postseason for the first time. Far more significant newcomers in ’68 were FS Paul Krause, obtained from the Redskins, and rookie OT Ron Yary. Second-year WR Gene Washington emerged to catch 46 passes for 756 yards and six touchdowns, although the club still ranked at the bottom of the league in passing. They were carried by the defense, which ranked fifth overall (better against the pass than the run). In winning the division in a mediocre year, they played clutch football when they most needed it, beating out the Bears by winning their last two games on the road.

The stage was set for a championship run in 1969. The Vikings lost their season-opening game against the Giants and didn’t lose again until the last game of the year. The 12-2 record was the best in the NFL, and Minnesota won the Western Conference title over the Rams before thrashing Cleveland for the NFL Championship. However, in the Super Bowl (the last pre-merger pairing of the champions of two leagues), they were beaten by the AFL’s Kansas City Chiefs. Still, it was an impressive season for Coach Grant, GM Finks (who assembled the talent), and the team. The conservative offense led the league in scoring with 379 points. The defense, now known as “The Purple Gang”, allowed the fewest points in the NFL and was recognized as an elite unit.

The merger with the AFL took effect in 1970, and the Vikings under Grant’s calm and unflappable approach dominated the NFC Central over the course of the decade, winning the division in 10 of the next 12 seasons, through 1980. Kapp was gone after ’69 due to a contract dispute, and while the club went a combined 23-5 in 1970 and ’71 with, primarily, Cuozzo at quarterback, it also faltered in the first round of the playoffs in both years. Fran Tarkenton returned to the team in 1972, and with an improved offense complementing the solid defense (and also making the most of the home advantage in cold weather), Minnesota went to the Super Bowl three times, following the ’73, ’74, and ’76 seasons, although coming up short of a league title in each instance.

The team made it to the postseason once more with Grant as head coach, following the strike-shortened 1982 season, and after an 8-8 showing in ’83, he retired. It proved to be a brief sojourn, however – following a disastrous 3-13 record under successor Les Steckel, Grant returned in 1985 to stabilize the situation before stepping aside for good.

Overall, Grant’s record in Minnesota in 18 seasons was 158-96-5 for a .622 winning percentage. The playoff tally was 10-12 and included one NFL title and three NFC championships. Including his years in Canada, his teams won 260 regular season games plus 30 postseason contests. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1994.

1977: Eagles Trade Charle Young to Rams for Ron Jaworski

On March 9, 1977 the Philadelphia Eagles and Los Angeles Rams traded the negotiating rights to disgruntled players who had played out their options and were looking to change teams. Charle Young, well-established as a top pass receiving tight end in Philadelphia, was swapped for Ron Jaworski, caught in the glut at quarterback in LA.

Jaworski (pictured at right), just short of his 26th birthday, had been chosen by the Rams in the second round of the 1973 draft out of Youngstown State. He found himself competing for playing time with, first, John Hadl, and then James Harris and Pat Haden during his four years in Los Angeles. “The Polish Rifle” started a handful of games, including a NFC Divisional playoff game win over the Cardinals. Jaworski was injured in ’76, and dropped to the number three spot behind Haden and Harris as a result (Harris was also dealt away during the same offseason, while an over-the-hill Joe Namath was brought in).

The 6’2”, 195-pound quarterback refused a five-year, $700,000 offer to stay with the Rams, hoping for a better opportunity elsewhere. While he had entertained offers from other clubs (technically, he was a free agent), Eagles Head Coach Dick Vermeil assured Jaworski of an opportunity to start. Vermeil, having completed one season in Philadelphia, was not satisfied with holdover quarterbacks Mike Boryla, who suffered from inconsistency, and Roman Gabriel, once an outstanding player but now clearly on the downside of his career. He was familiar with Jaworski from when he was offensive backfield coach with the Rams in 1973.

“We are very excited about obtaining the rights to Ron Jaworski while at the same time
we are disappointed about having to give up the rights to Charle Young,” Vermeil said following the completion of the trade.

Charle Young had been an All-American at Southern California and was one of Philadelphia’s two first round draft picks in 1973 (the other was OT Jerry Sisemore). He had an immediate impact, catching 55 passes for 854 yards and receiving NFC Rookie of the Year honors from UPI as well as consensus first-team All-Pro recognition. It was the first of three straight Pro Bowl seasons as Young followed up with an NFC-leading 63 receptions for 696 yards in ’74 and 49 for 659 yards in 1975. However, the team went a combined 16-25-1, and Head Coach Mike McCormack was replaced by Vermeil. Young caught just 30 passes for 374 yards in 1976.

The 6’4”, 240-pound Young was as outspoken as he was talented – from the day he was drafted, he made clear that he considered himself to be an elite player. He also tinkered with his first name throughout his stay in Philadelphia, which evolved from Charles to Charlie, Charli, and Charle.

The contract negotiations with the Eagles were going badly, and it was apparent that the brash tight end was looking to move elsewhere. “I want to play for a warm weather franchise,” Young said. “I'd like to play on natural turf and I'd like to be with a contender.”

“Charles Young would give us an added dimension as both a wide receiver and tight end,” said Chuck Knox, head coach of the Rams, following the trade. “I coached him in the Pro Bowl and I'm delighted we've acquired the rights to a player of this quality.”

In going back to Los Angeles, his college town, Young was clearly getting his wishes granted. However, the result was not what he anticipated. The Rams were a run-oriented team, and Terry Nelson emerged to move ahead of Young on the depth chart. The former All-Pro caught just five passes in 1977, and a total of 36 in three seasons in LA.

Jaworski, meanwhile, developed along with the Eagles under Vermeil’s guidance. He passed for 2183 yards in 1977, completing 48 percent of his passes with 18 touchdowns and 21 interceptions for a club that went 5-9. In 1978, Jaws completed 51.8 percent of his throws for 2487 yards and broke even with 16 TDs and interceptions apiece. The Eagles were 9-7 and claimed a wild card spot for their first foray into the postseason since 1960. In ’79, Jaworski’s yardage total was 2669 and he had more touchdowns (18) than passes picked off (12) as Philadelphia improved to 11-5 and another wild card playoff berth. 1980 saw the Eagles win the NFC East with a 12-4 record and advance to the Super Bowl (a loss to the Raiders). Jaworski led the NFC in passing (91.0 rating) and threw for 3529 yards with 27 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He was selected to the Pro Bowl and received the Bert Bell Trophy from the Maxwell Club as NFL MVP.


Things did get better for Young – and worse for Jaworski. Young moved on to the San Francisco 49ers in 1980 and again became a starting tight end. He caught 37 passes for 400 yards and five TDs during the 1981 season that culminated in a championship. He played the last three years of his career for the Seahawks (1983-85) and ended up with a career total of 418 catches for 5106 yards and 27 touchdowns. While he never achieved All-Pro or Pro Bowl recognition after leaving Philadelphia, he was a serviceable player who contributed to a Super Bowl championship.

The Eagles went out in the first round of the playoffs in 1981 and dropped to 3-6 during the strike-shortened ’82 season, after which Vermeil resigned. The team slid back into mediocrity, with organizational problems aiding the descent.

Jaworski stayed with Philadelphia through the 1986 season, when he finally was forced to give way to Randall Cunningham. Tough and durable, he started every game of his first seven years in Philadelphia until sidelined by a broken leg suffered 13 games into the ’84 season. By the time “The Polish Rifle” left, to finish his career with a year apiece in Miami and Kansas City, he had set team career passing records that would not be broken until Donovan McNabb’s tenure at quarterback, including attempts (3918), completions (2088), yards (26,963), and touchdowns (175).

Past Venue: Jeppesen Stadium

Houston, TX
aka Robertson Stadium



Year opened: 1942
Capacity: 32,000, up from 20,500 when first opened. Was 36,000 at time Oilers played there.

Names:
Houston Public School Stadium, 1942-58
Jeppesen Stadium, 1958-80
Corbin J. Robertson Stadium, 1980 to date

Pro football tenants:
Houston Oilers (AFL), 1960-64

Postseason games hosted:
AFL Championship, Oilers 24 Chargers 16, Jan. 1, 1961
AFL Championship, Texans 20 Oilers 17, Dec. 23, 1962

Other tenants of note:
University of Houston, 1946-50, 98 to date
Houston Dynamo (MLS), 2006 to date

Notes: Hosted AFL All-Star Game, Jan. 16, 1965. Hosted East-West Shrine Game, 2008-09. Major renovation occurred in 1999, thanks to $6 million donation from John and Julie O’Quinn Foundation. Located on the Univ. of Houston campus and originally constructed as a joint venture of the Houston Independent School District and WPA and used as the home football field for all of the city’s high schools. Stadium was renamed Jeppesen Stadium in honor of Holger Jeppesen, a school board member who had pushed for its construction. Bought by the Univ. of Houston in 1970, it was renamed for Corbin J. Robertson, a former member of the Board of Regents who funded its renovation following the purchase. NFL Houston Texans and Dallas Cowboys scrimmaged there in 2002. Univ. of Houston football team split home games between the stadium and Astrodome from 1993-97 before moving back to Robertson Stadium full-time in ’98. Also used for track & field.

Fate: Still in use, although the Univ. of Houston announced plans in 2010 to demolish the stadium and build a new facility on the same site.

MVP Profile: Kurt Warner, 1999

Quarterback, St. Louis Rams



Age: 28
5th season in pro football, 2nd in NFL & with Rams
College: Northern Iowa
Height: 6’2” Weight: 220

Prelude:
An undrafted free agent out of Northern Iowa who failed to catch on with the Green Bay Packers in 1994, Warner played for the Iowa Barnstormers of the Arena Football League and earned another shot at the NFL with the Rams, who allocated him to the Amsterdam Admirals of NFL Europe for the spring 1998 season. He made the Rams as the third string QB in ’98 and was expected to back up new arrival Trent Green in 1999, but a season-ending injury to Green during the preseason thrust Warner into the starting lineup.

1999 Season Summary
Appeared and started in all 16 games
[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Passing
Attempts – 499 [7, tied with Elvis Grbac]
Most attempts, game – 46 at Tennessee 10/31
Completions – 325 [4]
Most completions, game – 29 at Tennessee 10/31
Yards – 4353 [2]
Most yards, game – 351 at Carolina 12/5
Completion percentage – 65.1 [1]
Yards per attempt – 8.7 [1]
TD passes – 41 [1]
Most TD passes, game – 5 vs. San Francisco 10/10
Interceptions – 13 [14, tied with Brad Johnson & Tim Couch]
Most interceptions, game – 2 vs. Baltimore 9/12, at Detroit 11/7, at Carolina 12/5, at Philadelphia 1/2/00
Passer rating – 109.2 [1]
300-yard passing games – 9
200-yard passing games – 14

Rushing
Attempts – 23
Most attempts, game - 3 (for 26 yds.) at Detroit 11/7
Yards – 92
Most yards, game – 26 yards (on 3 carries) at Detroit 11/7
Yards per attempt – 4.0
TDs – 1

Scoring
TDs – 1
Points - 6

Postseason: 3 G
Pass attempts – 121
Most attempts, game - 45 vs. Tennessee, Super Bowl
Pass completions – 77
Most completions, game - 27 vs. Minnesota, NFC Divisional playoff
Passing yardage – 1063
Most yards, game - 414 vs. Tennessee, Super Bowl
TD passes – 8
Most TD passes, game - 5 vs. Minnesota, NFC Divisional playoff
Interceptions – 4
Most interceptions, game - 3 vs. Tampa Bay, NFC Championship

Rushing attempts – 6
Most rushing attempts, game - 3 vs. Minnesota, NFC Divisional playoff
Rushing yards – 3
Most rushing yards, game - 3 vs. Minnesota, NFC Divisional playoff
Average gain rushing – 0.5
Rushing TDs – 0

Awards & Honors:
NFL MVP: AP, PFWA, NEA, Bert Bell Award, Sporting News
1st team All-NFL: AP, PFWA, Sporting News
1st team All-NFC: Pro Football Weekly
Pro Bowl

Rams went 13-3 to win NFC West and gain top playoff seed in conference while leading the NFL in points scored (526) and touchdowns (66). Won Divisional playoff over Minnesota Vikings (49-37), NFC Championship over Tampa Bay Buccaneers (11-6), and Super Bowl over Tennessee Titans (23-16).

Aftermath:
Warner led the NFL in completion percentage (67.7) and yards per attempt (9.9) in an injury-interrupted 2000, had another MVP year in 2001, when the Rams returned to the Super Bowl but were upset by the New England Patriots. However, a hand injury during the ’02 season greatly hampered his effectiveness, and he lost his starting job in 2003. After a year with the New York Giants, in which he paved the way for rookie QB Eli Manning, Warner moved on to the Arizona Cardinals and revived his career. He led the Cardinals to an NFC Championship following the 2008 season and retired after another productive, division-winning year in 2009.

--

MVP Profiles feature players who were named MVP or Player of the Year in the NFL, AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974), or USFL (1983-85) by a recognized organization (Associated Press, Pro Football Writers Association, Newspaper Enterprise Association, United Press International, The Sporting News, Maxwell Club – Bert Bell Award, or the league itself).

[Updated 2/15/14]