Gridiron America Radio

The 1972 Miami Dolphins were getting antsy. Their title as the league's only undefeated team was in jeopardy. With just three games left in the 1998 season, the 13-0 Denver Broncos played relentlessly and boasted a Hall of Fame talent in exactly the right spot. At quarterback, 38-year-old John Elway played with the joy of an athlete in the prime of his career. Plus, star tailback Terrell Davis was...

This documentary chronicles a team which posted the NFL's best regular-season record before losing in the NFC Championship Game. Their story is told by former head coach Dennis Green, wide receiver Cris Carter, and defensive tackle John Randle.

By 1997, there was little else for John Elway to prove. Entering his 15th NFL season, the Denver quarterback was in third place in most major passing categories, behind only Dan Marino and Fran Tarkenton, and had made the two-minute offense into his own personal playground. But something was missing from Elway's resume: a Super Bowl ring. The Broncos no longer relied on Elway to win games by himse...

Scott and Greg put on their parachute pants and fire up the Commodore 64 as they sit down with prolific sports author Jeff Pearlman to talk about the United States Football League and stories from his book, "Football for a Buck," about the wild times of a league that left us way to soon and whose impact has gone beyond the field and with us still today, be it in the form of an attempted coup or th...

The Lombardi Trophy was on its way back to Lombardi Country. Vince Lombardi's Packers won Super Bowls I and II in the mid-1960s by playing with confidence and faith. Nearly 30 years later, Green Bay's 1996 team, led by coach Mike Holmgren, used those same virtues to carry the franchise to its third Super Bowl title. Holmgren was known for his intensity on game days, and an ability to mentor quarte...

Dominance in the NFL starts at the very top. There have been only five NFL dynasties during the Super Bowl era -- four of them were forged by the vision of a single head coach. The 1995 Dallas Cowboys were the exception. They won their third world championship of the 1990s under new leadership in Barry Switzer. Despite being without Jimmy Johnson, who had led the Cowboys to two Lombardi Trophies,...

Prior to the 1994 season, quarterback Steve Young had already enjoyed great success in the NFL. A two-time All-Pro with the San Francisco 49ers, Young was considered one of the NFL's most nimble and accurate passers. But Niners fans felt differently about him. In their estimation, Young had a flaw that was difficult to overcome: He wasn't Joe Montana. Montana led San Francisco to four Super Bowl v...

Talent is a cure-all in the NFL. That's the lesson of the 1993 Dallas Cowboys. That season, the Cowboys were saddled with injuries, a key holdout, and tension between the owner and head coach. But Dallas overcame all those distractions thanks largely to the star power of its roster. For starters, the Dallas "Triplets" were in their primes. Quarterback Troy Aikman, running back Emmitt Smith and wid...

In 1992, many pundits felt that the Dallas Cowboys were too young to contend for a Super Bowl title. But head coach Jimmy Johnson and team knew otherwise. The Cowboys set out to prove they were already a force to be reckoned with. And so they did. Dallas shined thanks in part to its "Triplets" on offense: quarterback Troy Aikman, receiver Michael Irvin, and the NFL's leading rusher, Emmitt Smith....

In 1991, Joe Gibbs took note of Mark Rypien's ability to throw an accurate, deep pass which, combined with the speed of wide receivers Art Monk, Ricky Sanders and Gary Clark, helped lead the Redskins to victory over the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXVI.  The story of Super Bowl XXVI champion Washington Redskins. Featuring interviews with head coach Joe Gibbs, Super Bowl MVP Mark Rypien, and d...

This audio documentary focuses on the team that was defined by a missed 47-yard field goal that kept them from winning the big one in Tampa. Bills fans know the story of the team's rise from oblivion in the 1970s and 1980s to AFC superpower in the 1990s, when it lost four Super Bowls in a row. But even knowing the downer ending, the hour special narrated by Alec Baldwin manages to be suspenseful,...

When Phil Simms sprained his foot against the Buffalo Bills in Week 15, an unproven Jeff Hostetler was thrust to the forefront. Hostetler exceeded expectations by winning four straight starts, including two playoff games, to reach Super Bowl® XXV. Veteran Otis Anderson, a fill-in for the hobbled Rodney Hampton, rushed for 102 yards as New York beat Buffalo, 20-19, in one of the most thrilling Supe...

What's the best way to replace a coaching legend? Quietly. When Bill Walsh retired from the San Francisco 49ers following the 1988 season, the team opted not to sign a big name as his successor. Instead, the organization stayed in-house, hiring defensive coordinator George Seifert. It was perfect casting. The stoic Seifert promptly led the team to new heights in his first year on the job. The 49er...

The story of the 1988 Cincinnati Bengals, considered one of the best teams to fall just short of winning a Super Bowl. Featuring interviews with quarterback Boomer Esiason, head coach Sam Wyche, and defensive lineman Tim Krumrie. Narrated by Jeffrey Wright.

A world championship was at stake, and the San Francisco 49ers were in a panic. Trailing 16-13 late in Super Bowl XXIII, the offense was 92 yards away from a championship. It was a moment for legends. Bit by bit, Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana marched the 49ers the length of the field. His 10-yard scoring strike to John Taylor with 34 ticks left on the clock lifted the Niners to a third Supe...

During the 1987 season, Washington Redskins head coach Joe Gibbs had a lot of explaining to do. He told backup quarterback Doug Williams he was being traded to the Raiders, and then reconsidered just hours later. The coach also demoted Jeff Bostic from starting center to snapper on punts, angering the veteran to the point of demanding a trade. Worse yet, Gibbs had to counsel his entire team as the...

The New York Giants hadn't won an NFL championship in 30 years before Bill Parcells' led them to two Super Bowl victories in 5 years. 1986 the Giants were loaded. On defense, Lawrence Taylor, considered by many to be the best Outside Linebacker ever to play the game, won the NFL MVP Award. He and Middle Linebacker, Harry Carson, both future Hall of Famers, led an overwhelming defense. On offense,...

The 1985 Chicago Bears were larger than life. They had in-your-face personalities. They boasted Hall of Fame-caliber players. But most importantly, the whole was greater than the sum of its parts. Chicago dominated opponents like few others. The Bears offense was a reflection of their hard-nosed head coach, Mike Ditka. First and foremost, Ditka liked to establish the run, with Walter Payton rushin...

The fabled West Coast offense wasn't invented in San Francisco, but the father of the system, Bill Walsh, certainly perfected it there as head coach of the 49ers. With quarterback Joe Montana at the controls, the Niners were a dominant passing team, winning four Super Bowls in the 1980s. And of those four, their record-setting season in 1984 may have best captured the deadly efficiency of the West...

Led by head coach Tom Flores, the 1983 Los Angeles Raiders entered Super Bowl XVIII as underdogs. But the Raiders proved that they were the NFL's best as they manhandled the highest scoring team in the league, the Washington Redskins, 38-9 to win their third Vince Lombardi Trophy. Al Davis has done more than anybody in the history of the game - through personal achievement, team achievement and co...

The 1982 NFL season wasn't a marathon, it was a sprint. A players strike reduced a 16-week schedule to nine that season, leaving teams scrambling to reach the playoffs. Most clubs appeared frantic and rusty after the layoff. But the Washington Redskins dominated all comers under head coach Joe Gibbs. Washington hired Gibbs in 1981, and just one season later, had molded the team in his hardnosed im...

Three teams have won 5 Super Bowls. The San Francisco 49ers were the first to do it. In 1981, just 2 years after finishing with a 2 and 14 record, Head Bill Walsh's "West Coast Offense" fueled the 49ers victory over the Bengals in Super Bowl XVI.  The story of San Francisco's 1981 season is told by Wide Receiver Dwight Clark, Offensive Lineman, Randy Cross and Hall of Fame Defensive Back, Ron...

The story of the 1981 San Diego Chargers, considered one of the best teams to fall just short of winning a Super Bowl. Featuring interviews with quarterback Dan Fouts, tight end Kellen Winslow, and running back Hank Bauer. Narrated by Tom Selleck.

Nobody loves reclamation projects more than Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis. Jim Plunkett knew this. A former Heisman winner out of Stanford, Plunkett was cast out of New England and then released by San Francisco before arriving at Davis' doorstep in 1978. It proved to be a perfect match. In week 6 of the 1980 season, head coach Tom Flores gave Plunkett his chance. From there, he rewarded the team...

By the fall of 1979, Pittsburgh was known as the City of Champions. That October, the Pirates defeated the Baltimore Orioles to win the World Series, their second championship of the decade. Meanwhile, the Steelers had constructed a dynasty, boasting three world titles over the past five years. The fan base no longer hoped for victories. Now they expected them. So the standards were high for the 7...