Ricky Watters

In 1994, the 49ers scored 505 points, a 31.6 pointsper-game average, during the season while sporting a 13-3 mark. They set a record 131 points in three postseason games, averaging almost 44 points. And, they finally emerged from the Cowboys' shadows, defeating Dallas 38-28 in the NFC championship game in San Francisco.

Super Bowl XXIX was played in Miami, and San Francisco lived up to its billing as a heavy favorite, scoring four first-half touchdowns in a 49-26 rout that was even more lopsided than the score indicated (it was 49-10 late in the fourth quarter). Watters scored on touchdown passes of 51 and eight yards, and rushed for a nine-yard score in the second half; he rushed 15 times for 47 yards. "After you work so hard and finally attain it, it is just a beautiful thing," said Watters, who performed rap impersonations at the interview podium. "It's a dream come true, and it seems like I'm going to wake up and realize we haven't played yet. And I don't want that to happen." He added: "I hope we rank up there with the best of them. I think we put ourselves in a position to be ranked up there. But I'll leave that to those fat guys on ESPN who sit around and talk about it."