January 26, 1997: Green Bay Is Restored as "Titletown"

Desmond Howard's return

January 26, 1997: The Green Bay Packers beat the New England Patriots, at the Superdome in New Orleans, and win their record 12th NFL Championship -- but their 1st in 31 years.

After Vince Lombardi left the Packers in 1968, they struggled to regain their winning ways. They won the NFC Central Division in 1972, reached a Wild Card Playoff berth in 1982, and just missed a Division title and a Playoff berth in 1989.

But Mike Holmgren, a former quarterback and an assistant to Bill Walsh on the Super Bowl-winning San Francisco 49ers, was brought in as head coach in 1992. He showed faith in new quarterback Brett Favre, and made him, for a few years, the best quarterback in the NFL.

That season, safety Leroy Butler intercepted a pass, scored a touchdown, and ran through the end zone. He said he would have gotten hurt if he'd slammed into the wall, so, instinctively, he jumped over the wall and into the crowd at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The fans he landed on slapped him on the back, the shoulders, and the helmet in appreciation. Thus was born "the Lambeau Leap," which became a trademark of the 1990s Packers.

After the 1992 season, Norman Braman, the owner of the Philadelphia Eagles and known for his cheapness, decided he would not offer a new contract to Reggie White, the best defensive end of his generation. White, an ordained minister, said he would go "where God wants me to go." Holmgren called him, and left a message on his answering machine: "Reggie, this is God. Come to Green Bay." Reggie wasn't dumb enough to fall for the ruse, because he knew Holmgren's voice. But he did take it as a sign, and signed with the Packers.

His impact on the team's defense was immediate. The Packers won the next 3 Division titles. In 1995, they got to the NFC Championship Game, their 1st "final four" berth in 28 years, but lost to the Dallas Cowboys.

In 1996, they went 13-3, losing only to Minnesota, Kansas City and Dallas, all on the road; and clinching home-field advantage all the way through the Playoffs. They beat the 49ers in the Divisional Playoffs, 35-14; and then beat the surprising 2nd-year expansion team, the Carolina Panthers, 30-13, to reach the Super Bowl for the 1st time in 29 years.

Their opponents were the New England Patriots, coached by Bill Parcells, who had led the New York Giants to the title in Super Bowls XXI and XXV, in 1987 and 1991. He had taken the Pats from the absolute depths, and danger from being moved -- Baltimore and St. Louis had been seriously considered, as well as a move to Hartford, Connecticut that would have allowed them to keep the name "New England Patriots" -- before a deal was made to keep them in the Boston suburb of Foxborough, Massachusetts.

Super Bowl XXXI was played at the Superdome in New Orleans. The Packers were favored by 14 points. On the Packers' 1st drive, Favre threw a 54-yard touchdown pass to Andre Rison. On their next drive, Chris Jacke kicked a 37-yard field goal, to give them a 10-0 lead. Before the 1st quarter was out, though, the Patriots had scored 2 touchdowns to take a 14-10 lead.

In the 2nd quarter, Favre threw 81 yards to Antonio Freeman for a touchdown, Jacke kicked a 31-yard field goal, and Favre dove in on a quarterback sneak. At halftime, the Pack led, 27-14.

In the 3rd quarter, Curtis Martin ran the ball in from 18 yards, to close the Pats to within 27-21. The ensuing kickoff went to Desmond Howard, who had won the 1991 Heisman Trophy at the University of Michigan. He caught the ball at the 1-yard line, and nobody caught him, as he took it to the house. It was a big reason why he was named the game's Most Valuable Player.

Seeing his team's lead go to 12 points, Holmgren ordered the 2-point conversion attempt, and it was successful. The score was Packers 35, Patriots 21, and that's how it ended, as there was no scoring in the 4th quarter. That messed things up for the gamblers, as the Packers had covered the spread exactly.

But it restored the Packers as World Champions. Green Bay began calling itself "Titletown," as this was the 12th NFL title for the Packers, more than any other team. Their arch-rivals, the Chicago Bears, had 9. It was a reminder that there were NFL Championships before there was a Super Bowl, and that, contrary to what fans of other teams -- the Cowboys, the Pittsburgh Steelers, and, after they started winning them in 2002, the Patriots -- might want you to think, they all count. The Packers won a 13th in 2011.

UPDATE: The Packers have the largest team Hall of Fame in North American sports. Through the 2025 NFL season, the inductees from the Holmgren era, 1992 to 1998, are: 

* Offense: Quarterback Brett Favre; running backs, Edgar Bennett, Dorsey Levens and William Henderson; receivers Robert Brooks and Antonio Freeman; tight end Mark Chmura; center Frank Winters; guard Marco Rivera; tackle Ken Ruettgers; and placekickers Chris Jacke and Ryan Longwell.

* Defense: End Reggie White, tackle Gilbert Brown, and safety Leroy Butler.

* Management: Head coach Mike Holmgren; general manager Ron Wolf; team president Bob Harlan; team historian Lee Remmel; team photographer Vernon Biever; team video director Al Treml; broadcaster Jim Irwin; and journalist Art Daley.

Favre, White and Wolf have also been inducted into the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame.

It would be a while between Super Bowl wins, although not as long a while as the last time: 1997 to 2011. Elected to the Packers Hall of Fame from between, but not on either, of those title teams: Running back Ahman Green, and defensive ends Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila and Aaron Kampman.

The Patriots also have a team Hall of Fame. From their 1996 AFC Champions, they have inducted head coach Bill Parcells, assistant coach Dante Scarnecchia, quarterback Drew Bledsoe, receiver Troy Brown, tight end Ben Coates, tackle Bruce Armstrong, linebackers Willie McGinest and Tedy Bruschi, cornerback Ty Law, cheerleading director Tracy Sormanti, and broadcasters Gino Cappelletti and Gil Santos.

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January 26, 1997 was, like all Super Bowl days, a Sunday. Baseball was out of season. There were 3 games in the NBA:

* The New York Knicks beat the Miami Heat, 95-89 at Madison Square Garden.

* The Milwaukee Bucks beat the San Antonio Spurs, 94-76 at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee.

* And the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Seattle SuperSonics, 104-103 at the KeyArena in Seattle.

And there were 2 games in the NHL. The Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Montreal Canadiens, 5-2 at the Molson Centre (now the Bell Centre) in Montreal. And the Edmonton Oilers beat the Washington Capitals, 3-1 at the USAir Arena (formerly the Capital Centre) in the Washington suburb of Landover, Maryland.