1981 Pro Bowl
National Football League all-star game
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The 1981 Pro Bowl was the NFL's 31st annual all-star game which featured the outstanding performers from the 1980 season. The game was played on Sunday, February 1, 1981, at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. The final score was NFC 21, AFC 7.[1]
DateFebruary 1, 1981
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| Date | February 1, 1981 | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Stadium | Aloha Stadium Honolulu, Hawaii | ||||||||||||||||||
| MVP | Eddie Murray (Detroit Lions) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Referee | Gordon McCarter | ||||||||||||||||||
| Attendance | 50,360 | ||||||||||||||||||
| TV in the United States | |||||||||||||||||||
| Network | ABC | ||||||||||||||||||
| Announcers | Frank Gifford, Howard Cosell, Fran Tarkenton & Lynn Swann | ||||||||||||||||||
Sam Rutigliano of the Cleveland Browns led the AFC team against an NFC team coached by Atlanta Falcons head coach Leeman Bennett.[1] The referee was Gordon McCarter.[1]
Rookie placekicker Eddie Murray of the Detroit Lions was named the game's Most Valuable Player.[2]
Players on the winning NFC team received $5,000 apiece while the AFC participants each took home $2,500.[3] The game was the first in NFL history played in February.[citation needed]
AFC roster
Offense
| Position | Starter(s) | Reserve(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Quarterback | 17 Brian Sipe, Cleveland | 14 Dan Fouts, San Diego |
| Running back | 34 Earl Campbell, Houston | 20 Joe Cribbs, Buffalo 33 Kenny King, Oakland |
| Fullback | 43 Mike Pruitt, Cleveland | 32 Franco Harris, Pittsburgh |
| Wide receiver | 83 John Jefferson, San Diego 18 Charlie Joiner, San Diego |
80 Jerry Butler, Buffalo 86 Stanley Morgan, New England |
| Tight end | 89 Kellen Winslow, San Diego | 87 Dave Casper, Houston |
| Offensive tackle | 73 Doug Dieken, Cleveland 79 Marvin Powell, N.Y. Jets |
78 Art Shell, Oakland |
| Offensive guard | 73 John Hannah, New England 64 Joe DeLamielleure, Cleveland |
63 Doug Wilkerson, San Diego |
| Center | 52 Mike Webster, Pittsburgh | 54 Tom DeLeone, Cleveland |
Defense
| Position | Starter(s) | Reserve(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Defensive end | 71 Fred Dean, San Diego 67 Art Still, Kansas City |
85 Julius Adams, New England |
| Defensive tackle | 79 Gary Johnson, San Diego 74 Louie Kelcher, San Diego |
76 Fred Smerlas, Buffalo |
| Outside linebacker | 52 Robert Brazile, Houston 83 Ted Hendricks, Oakland |
59 Jack Ham, Pittsburgh |
| Inside linebacker | 58 Jack Lambert, Pittsburgh | 57 Steve Nelson, New England |
| Cornerback | 37 Lester Hayes, Oakland 40 Mike Haynes, New England |
27 Greg Stemrick, Houston |
| Free safety | 26 Gary Barbaro, Kansas City | 48 Tim Fox, New England |
| Strong safety | 31 Donnie Shell, Pittsburgh | |
Special teams
| Position | Starter(s) | Reserve(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Punter | 8 Ray Guy, Oakland | |
| Placekicker | 1 John Smith, New England | |
| Kick returner | 86 J.T. Smith, Kansas City | |
NFC roster
Offense
| Position | Starter(s) | Reserve(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Quarterback | 10 Steve Bartkowski, Atlanta | 7 Ron Jaworski, Philadelphia |
| Running back | 34 Walter Payton, Chicago | 32 Ottis Anderson, St. Louis 20 Billy Sims, Detroit |
| Fullback | 31 William Andrews, Atlanta | |
| Wide receiver | 17 Harold Carmichael, Philadelphia 80 James Lofton, Green Bay |
84 Alfred Jenkins, Atlanta 28 Ahmad Rashad, Minnesota 83 Pat Tilley, St. Louis |
| Tight end | 88 Jimmie Giles, Tampa Bay | 80 Junior Miller, Atlanta |
| Offensive tackle | 72 Dan Dierdorf, St. Louis 78 Mike Kenn, Atlanta |
67 Pat Donovan, Dallas |
| Offensive guard | 72 Kent Hill, L.A. Rams 68 Herbert Scott, Dallas |
60 Dennis Harrah, L.A. Rams |
| Center | 61 Rich Saul, Los Angeles | 57 Jeff Van Note, Atlanta |
Defense
| Position | Starter(s) | Reserve(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Defensive end | 60 Al Baker, Detroit 63 Lee Roy Selmon, Tampa Bay |
99 Dan Hampton, Chicago |
| Defensive tackle | 65 Charlie Johnson, Philadelphia 54 Randy White, Dallas |
90 Larry Brooks, L.A. Rams |
| Outside linebacker | 59 Matt Blair, Minnesota 10 Brad Van Pelt, N.Y. Giants |
56 Dave Lewis, Tampa Bay |
| Inside linebacker | 53 Bob Breunig, Dallas | 64 Jack Reynolds, L.A. Rams |
| Cornerback | 49 Rod Perry, L.A. Rams 27 Pat Thomas, L.A. Rams |
24 Lemar Parrish, Washington |
| Free safety | 21 Nolan Cromwell, Los Angeles | |
| Strong safety | 45 Gary Fencik, Chicago | |
Special teams
| Position | Starter(s) | Reserve(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Punter | 13 Dave Jennings, N.Y. Giants | |
| Placekicker | 3 Eddie Murray, Detroit | |
| Kick returner | 21 Mike Nelms, Washington | |