1978 Pro Bowl

National Football League all-star game

1978 NFL Pro Bowl | AFC | NFC

|

13 | 14
Head coach:
Ted Marchibroda
(Baltimore Colts) | Head coach:
Chuck Knox
(Los Angeles Rams)
|  | 1| 2| 3| 4 | Total

|
|
|
|
|

AFC | 3| 10| 0| 0 | 13
NFC | 0| 0| 7| 7 | 14
Date| January 23, 1978
Stadium| Tampa Stadium
Tampa, Florida
MVP| Walter Payton (Chicago Bears)
Referee| Fred Wyant
Attendance| 50,716
TV in the United States
Network| ABC
Announcers| Frank Gifford, Howard Cosell & Don Meredith

* ← 1977
* Pro Bowl
* 1979 →

The 1978 Pro Bowl was the NFL's 28th annual all-star game which featured the outstanding performers from the 1977 season. The game was played on Monday, January 23, 1978, at Tampa Stadium in Tampa, Florida before a crowd of 50,716.[1] The final score was NFC 14, AFC 13.[2]

Ted Marchibroda of the Baltimore Colts lead the AFC team against an NFC team coached by Los Angeles Rams head coach Chuck Knox.[1] The referee was Fred Wyant.[1]

Walter Payton of the Chicago Bears was named the game's Most Valuable Player.[3] Players on the winning NFC team received $5,000 apiece while the AFC participants each took home $2,500.[4]

Instead of the losing coaches in each conference championship game coaching the Pro Bowl squads, coaches were selected from the divisional round losers with the best record in their respective conferences (wild card teams excepted). The coaches for the next four Pro Bowls were selected in the same manner.

## Rosters

[edit]

### AFC

[edit]

1978 AFC Pro Bowl roster

Quarterbacks

* 11 Ken Stabler (OAK)
* 12 Bob Griese (MIA)

Running backs

* 32 Franco Harris (PIT) FB
* 34 Earl Campbell (HOU) FB
* 39 Sam Cunningham (NE) FB
* 23 Delvin Williams (MIA) HB / PR

Wide receivers

* 80 Rick Upchurch (DEN) KR / PR
* 81 Steve Largent (SEA) KR
* 85 Wesley Walker (NYJ) KR / PR
* 88 Lynn Swann (PIT) PR
* 83 John Jefferson (SD)

Tight ends

* 81 Russ Francis (NE)
* 87 Dave Casper (OAK)
* 88 Riley Odoms (DEN)

|  |

Offensive linemen

* 78 Art Shell (OAK) T
* 71 Leon Gray (NE) G / T
* 73 John Hannah (NE) G
* 67 Bob Kuechenberg (MIA) G
* 52 Mike Webster (PIT) C
* 62 Jim Langer (MIA) C
* 70 Russ Washington (SD) T
* 64 Joe Delamielleure (BUF) G

Defensive linemen

* 68 L. C. Greenwood (PIT) DE
* 75 Joe Greene (PIT) DE
* 77 Lyle Alzado (DEN) DE
* 65 Elvin Bethea (HOU) DT
* 74 Louie Kelcher (SD) DT
* 76 Curley Culp (HOU) DE

|  | Linebackers

* 53 Randy Gradishar (DEN) ILB / MLB
* 58 Jack Lambert (PIT) MLB
* 57 Tom Jackson (DEN) OLB
* 52 Robert Brazile (HOU) OLB

Defensive backs

* 20 Louis Wright (DEN) CB
* 27 Thom Darden (CLE) CB
* 22 Mike Haynes (NE) CB
* 47 Mel Blount (PIT) CB
* 36 Bill Thompson (DEN) SS
* 31 Donnie Shell (PIT) FS

Special teams

*  8 Ray Guy (OAK) P
* 1 Garo Yepremian (MIA) K

Rookies in Italics

[5]

### NFC

[edit]

1978 NFC Pro Bowl roster

Quarterbacks

*  12 Roger Staubach (DAL)
*  11 Pat Haden (RAM)
*  17 Jim Hart (STL)

Running backs

* 31 Wilbert Montgomery (PHI) HB / PR
* 33 Tony Dorsett (DAL)
* 23 Tony Green (WAS) RB / KR
* 34 Walter Payton (CHI) HB
* 35 Terdell Middleton (GB) RB / PR

Wide receivers

* 17 Harold Carmichael (PHI) WR / FL / TE
* 80 James Lofton (GB)
* 28 Ahmad Rashad (MIN)
* 82 Tony Hill (DAL)

Tight ends

* 89 Billy Joe Dupree (DAL)
* 81 David Hill (DET)

|  |

Offensive linemen

* 77 Doug France (RAM) T
* 72 Dan Dierdorf (STL) T
* 73 Ron Yary (MIN) T
* 75 Stan Walters (PHI) T
* 60 Dennis Harrah (RAM) T/G
* 61 Rich Saul (RAM) C
* 64 Bob Young (STL) G / DL

Defensive linemen

* 85 Jack Youngblood (RAM) DE
* 79 Harvey Martin (DAL) DE
* 78 Doug English (DET) DT
* 77 Claude Humphrey (ATL) DE
* 54 Randy White (DAL) DT
* 90 Larry Brooks (RAM) DT
* 75 Cody Jones (RAM) DE / DT
* 76 Dave Pear (TB) DT

|  | Linebackers

* 10 Brad Van Pelt (NYG) ILB
* 56 Thomas Henderson (DAL) OLB
* 59 Matt Blair (MIN) ILB
* 53 Harry Carson (NYG)
* 66 Bill Bergey (PHI) ILB / MLB

Defensive backs

* 26 Willie Buchanon (GB) CB
* 27 Pat Thomas (RAM) CB
* 29 Ken Houston (WAS) CB / S
* 43 Cliff Harris (DAL) FS
* 41 Charlie Waters (DAL) CB
* 49 Rod Perry (RAM) SS

Special teams

*  13 Dave Jennings (NYG) P
* 1 Frank Corral (RAM) K

Rookies in Italics

[6]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c "1978 Pro Bowl game book" (PDF). NFL Game Statistics & Information. National Football League. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 30, 2012.
2. ^ Mizell, Hubert (January 24, 1978). "Stabler key to AFC's first-half raid". St. Petersburg Times. pp. 1C, 4C. Retrieved January 17, 2012.
3. ^ "Writers pick Payton MVP". St. Petersburg Times. January 24, 1978. p. 1C. Retrieved January 17, 2012.
4. ^ "NFL Pro Bowl history". CBSSports.com. Archived from the original on August 10, 2011. Retrieved January 16, 2012.
5. ^ "1978 NFL Pro Bowlers". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 1, 2023.
6. ^ "1977 NFL Pro Bowl, Roster, & Players". Pro-Football-Reference.com.

## External links

[edit]

* "1978 Pro Bowl players". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on February 13, 2012. Retrieved January 30, 2012.

* v
* t
* e

1977 NFL season

| AFC| East | Central| West| East| Central| West | NFC

|
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Baltimore | Cincinnati| Denver| Dallas| Chicago| Atlanta
Buffalo | Cleveland| Kansas City| NY Giants| Detroit| Los Angeles
Miami | Houston| Oakland| Philadelphia| Green Bay| New Orleans
New England | Pittsburgh| San Diego| St. Louis| Minnesota| San Francisco
NY Jets | | Seattle| Washington| Tampa Bay|

* 1977 NFL draft
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NFL Pro Bowl

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| Chicago Bears (home games)|

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Chicago Cardinals (home games)|

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Lore televised by ABC|

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| Postseason lore|

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|

Music|

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| Songs|

* "All My Rowdy Friends Are Here on Monday Night"
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|

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