Desmond Howard recalls Packers Super Bowl XXXI win over New England Patriots

26 years ago, Desmond Howard cemented himself as a Green Bay Packers great, helping lead the team to a 35-21 Super Bowl XXXI victory over the New England Patriots.

Not only did Howard help contribute, but he was named Super Bowl MVP after returning a kickoff 99 yards for a score during the third quarter of the game. It was the first kickoff return for a touchdown in Super Bowl history, and is objectively one of the greatest plays in Packers history.

Appearing on ESPN2‘s “ManningCast” during the Week 5 “Monday Night Football” showdown between the Packers and Las Vegas Raiders, Howard recalled that special night in New Orleans.

“It’s a great feeling, it’s a wonderful feeling,” Howard said. “To do it the way we did, with the late great Reggie White on the team and obviously [Brett] Favre and my man Antonio Freeman and Andre Rison — it was a great time, a great experience and to walk away with the MVP.”

Desmond Howard needed just one opportunity to make impact in Super Bowl XXXI

Turns out, all Howard needed was for the Patriots to give him a chance to field a kick to make some magic. If you were to ask then Patriots kicker Adam Vinatieri now, he’d probably wanna have back the one kick that got away and unfortunately landed in Howard’s hands.

“The Patriots we’re trying to like kick it short and take us special teams out the game, and I remember lining up on maybe the 10-yard line, 8-yard line, and as the ball left Vinatieri’s foot, I remember backing up and saying, ‘Oh my God, they’re finally gonna give us a chance. It was the perfect return, it was a middle return. He kicked it right back in the middle of the field, I mean, so all the stars aligned.”

The 1996 season would be Howard’s lone full-time season in Green Bay — a highly productive one at that. Howard paced the NFL with 58 punt returns for 875 yards and three touchdowns. He added 13 receptions for 95 yards on offense.