The Super Bowl spotlight doesn't illuminate only guys named Bradshaw, Montana or Brady. Occasionally, it invites the unsung player into its beam.
In 1981, for example, Raiders running back Kenny King caught a sideline pass from Jim Plunkett and sprinted 61 yards down the sideline, completing an 80-yard touchdown in Oakland's 27-10 win over Philadelphia. Three years later, Raiders linebacker Jack Squirek intercepted Joe Theismann's pass and returned it 5 yards for a touchdown just before halftime in the Raiders' 38-9 rout of the Redskins. Then there was Mike Jones, who made "The Tackle." An unheralded linebacker for the Rams, Jones stopped receiver Kevin Dyson 1 yard short of the goal line on the final play, preserving a 23-16 victory over the Titans in 2000.
Super Bowl XXXIX
Complete coverage of this year's big matchup.
Patriots vs. Eagles (on FOX):
Seymour 'good to go'
Media Day confidential
T.O. promises he's playing
HOT SPORTS OPINIONS:
Why the Patriots will win
Why the Eagles will win
Super Bowl X-factors
HISTORY:
Top 10 best moments
Top 10 worst moments
Best of Super Sunday
FUN STUFF:
Super Bowl time capsules
Fun facts and figures
FUNHOUSE: Wanna bet?
VIDEO:
Tough task awaits Pats
Eagles flapping their wings
Media Day gone awry!
From A to W, an inside look at seven players in Super Bowl XXXIX who might be under the radar when it comes to recognition but who could play prominent roles:
Keith Adams, linebacker, Eagles
Primarily a backup who plays in nickel situations, Adams started at weakside linebacker in the NFC championship game in place of injured Mark Simoneau and had seven tackles in the 27-10 win over Atlanta. Even if Simoneau is active Sunday, Adams could get another start.
Adams, who has a Super Bowl pedigree -- his father, former Patriots defensive end Julius Adams, played in Super Bowl 20 -- was a seventh-round draft pick of the Titans in 2001, but he was cut by both Tennessee and Dallas before the Eagles picked him up in 2002. Adams (5-11, 223) is a physical player against the run and an explosive tackler for a small linebacker. His special teams prowess is what originally attracted the Eagles to him.
Nicknamed "The Bullet" because of his speed and intensity, Adams is the wedge buster on the Eagles' kickoff teams. He wears contacts and brings spare lenses to every game. "If they're not popping out, that means I'm not hitting the wedge hard enough," he says.
Derrick Burgess, defensive end, Eagles
Usually the starting right end, Burgess flip-flopped with left end Jevon Kearse in the NFC championship game because the Eagles wanted to prevent quarterback Michael Vick from rolling out to his left. Burgess did his part on the other side. He sacked Vick twice and made six tackles, helping limit the NFL's top rushing offense to 99 yards.
Burgess isn't a dominant pass rusher or run stopper. And at 6-2, 266, he isn't a particularly big end. But he is instinctive and explosive and uses good leverage. He'll be matched up against Patriots left tackle Matt Light, who stymied Carolina end Mike Rucker in last year's Super Bowl.
No Eagles player -- not even Donovan McNabb -- is more eager about the Super Bowl than Burgess, who was absent for the team's playoff runs in 2002 and 2003. He missed all but the first game in 2002 because of a foot injury and was lost for the entire 2003 season when he tore his Achilles' tendon in practice three days before the opener.
Larry Izzo is arguably the NFL's premier special teams player.
(Eliot Schechter / GettyImages)
Larry Izzo, special teams, Patriots
In nine seasons (five with the Dolphins, four with the Patriots), Izzo never has started a game. But the backup linebacker is going to his third Pro Bowl because of his standout play on special teams, where his teammates feed off his attitude and intelligence. He has led his team in special teams tackles each of the past six seasons.
This is how much the Patriots coveted Izzo: When they signed 17 unrestricted free agents during the 2001 offseason that preceded their first Super Bowl victory, Izzo was the first guy they targeted.
"We're not into the sizzle; we're into substance," says a Patriots insider. "And he's a high-substance player."
Randall Gay, cornerback, Patriots
Gay, a rookie free agent out of LSU, came into the season competing for the nickel and dime roles. But a season-ending foot injury to Ty Law on October 31 thrust Gay into a starting role. He joined Asante Samuel, a second-year player who became a starter at the other cornerback spot when Tyrone Poole was lost for the season.
Gay is a heady, physically tough player who during the regular season had 34 solo tackles, two interceptions and a fumble recovery he returned 41 yards for a touchdown. But he is playing in his first Super Bowl as part of a patchwork secondary.
"I think he's a guy the Eagles are going to try to exploit, if they can," says an AFC pro personnel director. "So he's going to be a real pivotal player for New England on defense."
Greg Lewis, wide receiver, Eagles
One of six undrafted rookies who made the Eagles' roster in 2003, Lewis was the No. 4 wideout most of the season and also covered kicks and punts on special teams. But he moved up to the No. 3 role when Terrell Owens was injured in Week 15 and has stepped up big in the playoffs.
Greg Lewis' play in the NFC title game helped the Eagles move on to Super Bowl XXXIX.
(Ezra Shaw / GettyImages)
In the NFC championship game, he caught a 45-yard pass that set up the Eagles' second touchdown and later took a pitch from Donovan McNabb on a reverse and ran 10 yards for a first down. The week before, in a divisional playoff win over Minnesota, Lewis had a 52-yard reception that set up a touchdown.
Although he has a somewhat unique stride -- he was nicknamed "Foots" at the University of Illinois because his feet went east and west when he ran -- Lewis is the Eagles' fastest wide receiver. Three of his 17 catches in the regular season went for 20 yards or more.
Lewis might be fourth in line behind Owens, Todd Pinkston and Freddie Mitchell, but the Eagles thought enough of him to sign him to a five-year contract extension in late October. That might be unprecedented for an undrafted rookie in only his second season. Look for Lewis to continue his postseason streak and make at least one big play in the Super Bowl.
L.J. Smith, tight end, Eagles
His full name is John Smith III. His initials stand for "Little John." With Chad Lewis, the other half of Philly's tight end duo, out after having foot surgery, the Eagles will need Smith to be more like Big John.
Although Chad Lewis is a bigger target in the red zone -- he caught a pair of touchdown passes from goal-line formation in the NFC championship game -- Smith is faster and more versatile. He can go in motion or line up to the outside. He's good on screen passes and working against one-on-one coverage. When the Eagles try to run the ball, Smith might be used more as a blocker against outside linebackers Willie McGinest and Mike Vrabel.
Ty Warren, defensive end, Patriots
Though linemate Richard Seymour attracted more attention and was voted to the Pro Bowl, Warren had what the Patriots' insider called a "silently strong season." He had 3 1/2 sacks, two forced fumbles and 64 tackles. According to one AFC pro scout, Warren was more productive than Seymour for one stretch of the season.
The nephew of Curtis Dickey, an All-American running back at Texas A&M who was the fifth pick overall (by the Colts) in the 1980 draft, Warren was selected only eight spots lower in 2003. He spent most of his rookie year backing up Bobby Hamilton, but he has started every game this season.
Warren might not be flashy, but he is fundamentally sound. He's a solid first- and second-down run stopper who will be going toe to toe with Eagles right tackle Jon Runyan. That should be an intriguing matchup, the kind that could put Warren in the Super Bowl spotlight.
and together they r not focusing as a team to win.
