The 1978 Pro Bowl in Tampa

Since the 1930s the NFL has held an all-star game in various formats with the AFC-NFC Pro Bowl configuration since 1971. An all-star game was first played at Wrigley Field in Los Angeles on January 15, 1939. That game saw the league champion New York Giants play a team made up of NFL players and players from independent pro teams called the Los Angeles Bulldogs and the Hollywood Stars. The league champion played an all-NFL, all-star team from 1940-43. After an eight year break, the game returned in January 1951 as a battle between conference all-star teams. It was a contest between American and National Conferences from 1951 to 1953, then Eastern versus Western from 1954 until the NFL merger with the American Football League. Since 1971, it has been AFC against NFC.

After the 1977 season, the Pro Bowl was played in Tampa. The first NFL postseason game at Tampa Stadium was played January 23, 1978 and 51,337 fans came out on a Monday night. John Madden coached the AFC team, while Bud Grant lead the NFC squad. Players from the winning team would receive $5,000 and the losing team got $2,500 apiece. No member of the home standing Tampa Bay Buccaneers was selected for the contest.

The AFC team took an early lead. A 21 yard field goal by the Baltimore Colts place kicker Toni Linhart opened the scoring with 2:46 left in the first quarter. The key play on that scoring drive was Miami quarterback Bob Griese hooking up with New England's Russ Francis on a 43 yard pass. With six minutes left in the first half, Ken Stabler threw a 16 yard touchdown pass to Oakland Raiders teammate Cliff Branch for a 10-0 AFC lead. With just three seconds on the clock, a 39 yard field goal by Linhart made it 13-0 at the intermission.

The NFC responded in the second half. Los Angeles Ram QB Pat Haden hit St. Louis Cardinals receiver Terry Metcalf on a 4 yard touchdown pass to put the NFC on the board. St. Louis QB Jim Hart engineered a 12 play, 63 yard, drive capped off by a 1 yard run by Chicago's Walter Payton. Dallas' Efren Herrera kicked the extra point and the NFC lead 14-13 with 7:37 left in the game.

Ken Stabler and the AFC moved the ball down the field, then there was a controversial finish. The AFC had a second down and 9 at the NFC's 26 yard line, when San Francisco 49ers linebacker Cleveland Elam sacked Stabler for a 9 yard loss. Toni Linhart tried a 52 yard field goal, but the kick was well short. The NFC was able to run the last 2:58 off the clock.

The controversy involved the sack by Cleveland Elam. Blitzing is illegal in the Pro Bowl, except on third down and short yardage situations. Ken Stabler felt, "They brought the linebackers and that's not legal." Dallas Cowboys defensive end Harvey Martin stated, "The AFC's crying 'cause they lost, the game's over with, I didn't see no blitz."

Walter Payton earned the Most Valuable Player award. He rushed 13 times for 77 yards and scored the winning touchdown. The series between the NFC and AFC was evened at four wins apiece.

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