With the vibe from the Black Eye Peas anthem "I Got A Feeling" hanging in the air, fans of Super Bowl XLV knew something special would take place.
Second quarter action: Packers' Greg Jennings catches a 21-yard TD pass.
It would be the youngest NFL coach in history making his third appearance in the Super Bowl; bringing with him his most loved (and hated quarterback) vs. the Green Bay Packers, the team that started it all.
Aaron Rodgers replaced the finicky, old (his words), and finally retired Bret Favre to take the Green Bay Packers to a 31-25 win over Mike Tomlin and his 'black and yellow' Pittsburg Steelers.
Rodgers, the game's MVP, threw for 304 yards, which included a 29-yard touchdown to Jordy Nelson, and a 21 yarder to teammate Greg Jennings, for two of three TDs to mark the occasion.
Green Bay would lead early in the game, scoring three touch downs before the end of the firsth half to lead over Pittsburgh, 21-3.
Former Redskin kicker, Shaun Suisham would put the Steelers on the board, but would later miss a 52 yard field goal opportunity.
Antwaan Randle El, also a former Skin, and also reunited with Pittsburg, would have an impressive showing, scoring a touch down in Pittsburg's impressive come back.
However, their showings were not enough as Pittsburgh made three costly turnovers that Green Bay capitalized on.
Said Jennings to Rodgers: "This is where legacies are made. It's a great day to be great!"
For the Packers, great it is, as the Lombardi trophy goes back to its founding city, GreenBay, Wisconsin.
See game highlights here .
Hey, Packers! I see a White House visit in your future.
--
NFL's 2011 Hall of Fame Inductees
Back at home nine-time Pro Bowl honoree Chris Handburger joined the likes of Deion Sanders, Shannon Sharpe, Richard Dent, Ed "Let's Make a NFL Movie" Sabol, and Les Richter in the 2011 NFL Hall of Fame Class.
"I know it's a very difficult thing to get in, to even be nominated. But I was totally shocked when I got the call saying that I had been nominated, and it's just a tremendous honor. I'm thrilled to death with it", said Hanburger.
The Washington Redskins picked the North Carolina linebacker in the 18th round of the 1965 NFL Draft.
The All-American started to make his mark late in his rookie season as he began to form a reputation as a player who made big plays. Soon thereafter he assumed the role as the “quarterback” of the Redskins defense while becoming one of the most dependable and steady linebackers of his era.
Hanburger had a feelin', too.
" I do know that there have been a lot of folks working in the background, which I greatly appreciate. I'm just thrilled to death."
He was an integral part of the dominant Redskins teams of the 1970s. At the same time that Washington was rising to the top of the NFL, Hanburger began earning national acclaim. He was selected first-team All-Pro four times in a five-season span from 1972 to 1976 and named All-Eastern Conference in 1968 and 1969 and All-NFC six times in seven seasons from 1970 to 1976. Hanburger was also voted to nine Pro Bowls in his 14-season career.
His performance in the 1972 season gained him perhaps his greatest notoriety as he helped lead the Redskins to its first ever Super Bowl berth. He recorded numerous game-changing plays throughout the season as Washington won the NFC East with an 11-3 mark. He shared the team lead with a career-high four interceptions which he returned for 98 yards. That total included an interception of a Joe Namath pass which he returned 41 yards for a touchdown in Washington’s 35-17 win over the New York Jets on Nov. 5.
His strong play continued into that year’s postseason as the Redskins downed the Green Bay Packers 16-3 in the divisional playoff before facing the division rival Dallas Cowboys in the 1972 NFC Championship Game. Hanburger pitched in with two tackles and six assists as the Redskins routed the Cowboys 26-3.
He added another strong game in his only Super Bowl appearance when he recorded four solo tackles and assisted on two others in a 14-7 loss to the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl VII. (Watch highlights).
In all, Hanburger recovered three fumbles for touchdowns which stood as an NFL record at the time of his retirement following the 1978 season. He also had 19 career interceptions for 347 yards and 2 TDs.
Russ Grimm, also of the Redskins, was inducted in 2010 along with Emmitt Smith, Jerry Rice and Dick LeBeau.
It would be the youngest NFL coach in history making his third appearance in the Super Bowl; bringing with him his most loved (and hated quarterback) vs. the Green Bay Packers, the team that started it all.Aaron Rodgers replaced the finicky, old (his words), and finally retired Bret Favre to take the Green Bay Packers to a 31-25 win over Mike Tomlin and his 'black and yellow' Pittsburg Steelers.
Rodgers, the game's MVP, threw for 304 yards, which included a 29-yard touchdown to Jordy Nelson, and a 21 yarder to teammate Greg Jennings, for two of three TDs to mark the occasion.
Green Bay would lead early in the game, scoring three touch downs before the end of the firsth half to lead over Pittsburgh, 21-3.
Former Redskin kicker, Shaun Suisham would put the Steelers on the board, but would later miss a 52 yard field goal opportunity.
Antwaan Randle El, also a former Skin, and also reunited with Pittsburg, would have an impressive showing, scoring a touch down in Pittsburg's impressive come back.
However, their showings were not enough as Pittsburgh made three costly turnovers that Green Bay capitalized on.
Said Jennings to Rodgers: "This is where legacies are made. It's a great day to be great!"
For the Packers, great it is, as the Lombardi trophy goes back to its founding city, GreenBay, Wisconsin.
See game highlights here .
Hey, Packers! I see a White House visit in your future.
--
NFL's 2011 Hall of Fame Inductees
Back at home nine-time Pro Bowl honoree Chris Handburger joined the likes of Deion Sanders, Shannon Sharpe, Richard Dent, Ed "Let's Make a NFL Movie" Sabol, and Les Richter in the 2011 NFL Hall of Fame Class.
"I know it's a very difficult thing to get in, to even be nominated. But I was totally shocked when I got the call saying that I had been nominated, and it's just a tremendous honor. I'm thrilled to death with it", said Hanburger.
The Washington Redskins picked the North Carolina linebacker in the 18th round of the 1965 NFL Draft.
The All-American started to make his mark late in his rookie season as he began to form a reputation as a player who made big plays. Soon thereafter he assumed the role as the “quarterback” of the Redskins defense while becoming one of the most dependable and steady linebackers of his era.
Hanburger had a feelin', too.
" I do know that there have been a lot of folks working in the background, which I greatly appreciate. I'm just thrilled to death."
He was an integral part of the dominant Redskins teams of the 1970s. At the same time that Washington was rising to the top of the NFL, Hanburger began earning national acclaim. He was selected first-team All-Pro four times in a five-season span from 1972 to 1976 and named All-Eastern Conference in 1968 and 1969 and All-NFC six times in seven seasons from 1970 to 1976. Hanburger was also voted to nine Pro Bowls in his 14-season career.
His performance in the 1972 season gained him perhaps his greatest notoriety as he helped lead the Redskins to its first ever Super Bowl berth. He recorded numerous game-changing plays throughout the season as Washington won the NFC East with an 11-3 mark. He shared the team lead with a career-high four interceptions which he returned for 98 yards. That total included an interception of a Joe Namath pass which he returned 41 yards for a touchdown in Washington’s 35-17 win over the New York Jets on Nov. 5.
His strong play continued into that year’s postseason as the Redskins downed the Green Bay Packers 16-3 in the divisional playoff before facing the division rival Dallas Cowboys in the 1972 NFC Championship Game. Hanburger pitched in with two tackles and six assists as the Redskins routed the Cowboys 26-3.
He added another strong game in his only Super Bowl appearance when he recorded four solo tackles and assisted on two others in a 14-7 loss to the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl VII. (Watch highlights).
In all, Hanburger recovered three fumbles for touchdowns which stood as an NFL record at the time of his retirement following the 1978 season. He also had 19 career interceptions for 347 yards and 2 TDs.
Russ Grimm, also of the Redskins, was inducted in 2010 along with Emmitt Smith, Jerry Rice and Dick LeBeau.
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