Houston trip brings flood of Super Bowl memories

[jtnc]

At the end of his morning commute, Houston quarterback Jake Delhomme is treated to a familiar sight: the hulking Reliant Stadium, which towers over the adjacent Astrodome, known as the 8th Wonder of the World when it opened in 1965.

Delhomme signed with the Texans two weeks ago as a backup to rookie T.J. Yates following injuries to Matt Schaub and Matt Leinart. But Delhomme can’t help thinking of Carolina when he comes to work each day at Reliant, where he and the Panthers fell to New England 32-29 in Super Bowl XXXVIII on Feb. 1, 2004.

“Those memories are still very vivid and they are great memories,” Delhomme said Thursday. “I do think about it, because we drive in here every day.”

The Panthers (4-9) make their first trip to Houston since the Super Bowl this weekend when they face the Texans (10-3), who earned their first postseason berth last week when they clinched the AFC South title.

After kicker John Kasay was released in July, only two players remain from the 2003 team – receiver Steve Smith and left tackle Jordan Gross.

Smith caught four passes for 80 yards, including a 39-yard touchdown, against the Patriots. Gross, a rookie in ’03, was the starter at right tackle.

Panthers assistant wide receivers coach Ricky Proehl also was a member of the ’03 team and played in the Super Bowl. Proehl caught a 12-yard touchdown from Delhomme that tied the score at 29 with 1:08 remaining.

It appeared the game was headed to overtime. But Kasay’s kickoff sailed out of bounds, allowing the Patriots to start at their 40-yard line and giving Tom Brady a short field.

Brady hit Deion Branch for 17 yards on third-and-3 to set up Adam Vinatieri’s game-winning, 41-yard field goal with four seconds left.

Smith was initially reluctant to talk much about the Super Bowl, saying the game has no bearing on this week’s. Nor is this Smith’s first trip back to Reliant Stadium: He took his son to the Final Four there last spring.

“There’s nothing that can compare to going to the Super Bowl – the media atmosphere, the media questions, media day. The appearances that you make,” Smith said. “Everything around it is so much more intensified. There’s so many more people.”

Smith said he’ll always remember seeing former Houston Oilers running back Earl Campbell struggle to get around on the field before the game.

“He needed help getting off the cart. He was a bruiser of a back. And to see the impact that it took on his body, it was pretty sad,” Smith said. “Even as a young guy, I remember I was, ‘Man, I hope I don’t end up like that.’ ”

The team practiced at the University of Houston and stayed at a hotel outside of town. Panthers coach John Fox took the team even farther out the night before the game – to a golf resort an hour and a half away – to minimize the distractions.

“We went in the boondocks,” Smith said. “We were out in the sticks.”

The next day, the Panthers and Patriots played one of the more competitive and entertaining Super Bowls – although the day might be remembered most for Janet Jackson’s infamous “wardrobe malfunction” during a halftime performance with Justin Timberlake.

Trailing 21-10 early in the fourth quarter, the Panthers rallied for 19 points in the final quarter against the favored Patriots. Smith said he could feel momentum shifting – in the crowd, as well.

“I think one of the neat things about that game, at the end of the game when we thought we were going to win, there was a shift in the stadium,” Smith said. “That was probably one of the most even playing fields for a championship game that I’ve ever experienced. When we played in Philly (in the NFC Championship Game), that was an away game and they let you know.”

Though the Panthers fell just short, Smith said the fourth-quarter performance was a microcosm of a season when the Panthers tied an NFL record with three overtime victories.

“We were rolling pretty good. How we ended the fourth quarter was kind of how we cemented how we played, and how the fourth quarter was our time. There was never any doubt,” Smith said.

“In the fourth quarter of every game we went into, it was like this is an opportunity. If we’re down by 7, down by 6, down by 4, whether we’re on the 2 or the 22, we knew we had an opportunity to win the game. And we went through it that way all year.”

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2011/12/15/2853207/houston-trip-brings-flood-of-super.html

Those were the days, now on with the future.

[Lumps]

sigh well i was going to bed but I think I'll hit up the cabinet...the liquor cabinet that is

[BBQ&Beer]

sigh well i was going to bed but I think I'll hit up the cabinet...the liquor cabinet that is

Pulls out the Baker's Bourbon...

Up to it.

Down to it.

Fug those who don't do it.

:cheers2:

[Port City Cat Fan]

damn... it hurts to re-live that.

the highest of highs, the lowest of lows.

fantastic game. winners or not delhomme was the MVP of the game. that fourth quarter will not be topped. was beautiful to watch.

that strike to muhammad still gives me chills every time i see it. i remember where i was, what i was doing. one of those moments.

[jtnc]

damn... it hurts to re-live that.

the highest of highs, the lowest of lows.

fantastic game. winners or not delhomme was the MVP of the game. that fourth quarter will be topped. was beautiful to watch.

that strike to muhammad still gives me chills ever time i see it. i remember where i was, what i was doing. one of those moments.

I was literally depressed from about a month.

[AntiBuc]

Jake's arm was not the greatest in recent years, but re-watching the super bowl game or any of the playoff games leading up to it serves as a reminder of just how great he was at that time - lots of deep throws on the money. And while he was incredible in the Super Bowl, my favorite play of all time - Smitty in double overtime in NFC championship game....good memories.

edit...make that division championship game against St Louis....not NFC championship game.

[smitty_89]

Jake's arm was not the greatest in recent years, but re-watching the super bowl game or any of the playoff games leading up to it serves as a reminder of just how great he was at that time - lots of deep throws on the money. And while he was incredible in the Super Bowl, my favorite play of all time - Smitty in double overtime in NFC championship game....good memories.

Also, my favorite play in Panthers history.

[NorthTryon]

I was literally depressed from about a month.

Same here. I almost flunked out of college

[Chaos]

My wife will have to tell you what I was like from the moment the winning FG went through until the next day.

I don't really remember, except that it was a dark time in my personal history.

[Dunn]

I remember after the game I really wasn't that depressed.

That game was the ultimate 'Rocky' movie. Panthers weren't expected to even be in competition with the Pats, and we gave them everything they could handle, and more. They won in the end on an error on our behalf.

But we hung with the best, pretty damn happy about that, even though a W would have been even better :D

[Kyle82]

Watched that game @ the Overtime Sports Bar in North Myrtle Beach SC and I swear to this day, they still have a Panther statue when you first walk in and the Patriot/Panther emblems above it

[Seltzer]

I remember after the game I really wasn't that depressed.

That game was the ultimate 'Rocky' movie. Panthers weren't expected to even be in competition with the Pats, and we gave them everything they could handle, and more. They won in the end on an error on our behalf.

But we hung with the best, pretty damn happy about that, even though a W would have been even better :D

Great analogy of that game. I just remember them tying the game with 1:08 left and going crazy. I still rewatch highlights of that game and want to will them to victory.

Delhomme was absolute money in that game. I still maintain it was the best performance by a non-winning QB in Superbowl history.