(Dec. 14, 2006) -- The NFL will salute two of the most revered names in South Florida sports history during Super Bowl XLI on Feb. 4, 2007, it was announced. The Super Bowl coin toss featuring Dan Marino and the Vince Lombardi Trophy presentation with Don Shula will be televised live by CBS at Dolphin Stadium in South Florida.
Marino, the Dolphins' Hall of Fame quarterback, will toss the coin moments before the start of the game. Shula, the winningest coach in NFL history who led the Dolphins to five Super Bowls, will participate in the Vince Lombardi Trophy ceremony following the game. Shula will carry the Vince Lombardi Trophy, given to the Super Bowl champion, to the stage for its presentation to the winning team.
Watched by more than 141 million viewers in the U.S. last year, the Super Bowl is annually the nation's highest-rated TV program. The game will be broadcast to a potential worldwide audience of 1 billion people in more than 230 countries and territories. Pregame activities begin at Dolphin Stadium at 5:40 p.m. ET.
Elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2005, Marino ranks among the NFL's all-time greatest quarterbacks. Marino, who was the 1998 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year, holds 17 NFL records and is tied for six others. He played in 242 games, ranking first all-time in pass attempts (8,358), completions (3,686), passing yards (61,361) and touchdowns (420).
Marino joins an esteemed list of Super Bowl coin toss participants, including former Presidents Ronald Reagan (from the Oval Office in 1985) and George H.W. Bush; Marie Lombardi, wife of Vince Lombardi; and Pro Football Hall of Famers Earl Campbell, Frank Gifford, Red Grange, George Halas, Don Hutson, Tom Landry, Bronko Nagurski, Alan Page, Art Shell, and Gene Upshaw.
The two-tone commemorative flip coin is silver with 24kt gold highlights and is minted by The Highland Mint Company. The coin will feature the Super Bowl XLI logo on one side and the Vince Lombardi Trophy and competing team logos on the other.
Shula has coached in the most Super Bowls ever (one with the Baltimore Colts, Super Bowl III, and five with the Dolphins, VI, VIII, VIII, XVII and XIX). Shula's record as head coach of the Baltimore Colts from 1963 to 1969 and the Miami Dolphins from 1970 to 1995 is unmatched in NFL history. In 1995, he concluded his 33rd season as the winningest NFL head coach ever with a career mark of 347-173-6 (.665). Of all NFL coaches, only Shula and the immortal George Halas attained 300 victories. The Colts under Shula enjoyed seven straight winning seasons and in 26 years at Miami, his Dolphins experienced only two seasons below .500. Shula's teams reached the playoffs 20 times in 33 years and won at least 10 games 21 times. In Super Bowl VII, the 1972 Dolphins completed their historic 17-0-0 campaign -- the only perfect season in NFL history -- with a 14-7 win over the Washington Redskins. In 1973, Miami defeated the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl VIII to culminate a two-season span in which the Dolphins won 32 of 34 games.
Bart Starr, Super Bowl I MVP, participated in last year's Vince Lombardi Trophy ceremony, which was expanded to include a legend from a prior Super Bowl.
History of Super Bowl coin toss
I-XI: Game Official
XII: Red Grange
XIII: George Halas
XIV: Art Rooney
XV: Marie Lombardi
XVI: Bobby Layne
XVII: Elroy Hirsch
XVIII: Bronko Nagurski
XIX: Hugh McElhenny (with President Ronald Reagan on video)
XX: Bart Starr (representing 17 MVP's who were present)
XXI: Willie Davis
XXII: Don Hutson
XXIII: Nick Buoniconti, Bob Griese* and Larry Little
XXIV: Mel Blount, Terry Bradshaw, Art Shell and Willie Wood*
XXV: Pete Rozelle
XXVI: Chuck Noll
XXVII: O.J. Simpson
XXVIII: Joe Namath
XXIX: Otto Graham, Joe Greene, Ray Nitschke and Gale Sayers
XXX: Joe Montana, representing 25 MVPs present
XXXI: Mike Ditka, Tom Flores, Tom Landry, Chuck Noll, George Seifert and Hank Stram
XXXII: Joe Gibbs, Eddie Robinson and Doug Williams
XXXIII: Raymond Berry, Sam Huff, Roosevelt Brown, Art Donovan, Frank Gifford, Tom Landry, Gino Marchetti, Don Maynard, Lenny Moore, Jim Parker and Andy Robustelli
XXXIV: Bud Grant, Lamar Hunt, Bobby Bell, Paul Krause, Willie Lanier, Alan Page and Jan Stenerud
XXXV: Marcus Allen, Ottis Anderson, Tom Flores and Bill Parcells
XXXVI: Former President George H.W. Bush* and Roger Staubach
XXXVII: Miami Dolphins Hall of Famers from Undefeated '72 Team: Don Shula*, Bob Griese, Larry Csonka, Larry Little, Jim Langer, Nick Buoniconti and Paul Warfield
XXXVIII: Hall of Famers from Texas—Earl Campbell, Ollie Matson, Don Maynard, Y.A. Tittle, Mike Singletary and Gene Upshaw
XXXIX: Four young players, ages 7-10, from Jacksonville's Pop Warner and Police Athletic League teams and two coaches from New Orleans and Hyattsville, Maryland (2004 NFL HS COY)
XL: Super Bowl MVPs. Tom Brady performed toss.
XLI: Dan Marino
