1978 Pro Bowl

1978 NFL Pro Bowl
DateJanuary 23, 1978
StadiumTampa Stadium, Tampa, Florida
MVPWalter Payton (Chicago Bears)
RefereeFred Wyant
Attendance50,716
TV in the United States
NetworkABC
AnnouncersFrank Gifford, Howard Cosell & Don Meredith

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.

  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.