Editing Super Bowl XXII (section)

===Washington Redskins===
{{further|1987 Washington Redskins season}}

The primary storyline surrounding Super Bowl XXII was that Washington's [[Doug Williams (quarterback)|Doug Williams]] was the first African-American quarterback ever to start in a Super Bowl. This was even more meaningful given that the Redskins had been among the last teams to sign a black player after they reentered the league.

[[File:1988 Redskins Police - 15 Barry Wilburn (crop).jpg|thumb|right|Redskins cornerback Barry Wilburn was a key player in Washington's defensive unit, who snagged two interceptions during Super Bowl XXII.]]

Williams had taken a rather unconventional route to the Super Bowl. He began his career as the first round draft pick of the [[Tampa Bay Buccaneers]] in 1978. After five seasons (including a trip to the NFC championship game in 1979), a contract dispute caused him to leave the team and sit out the entire 1983 season before signing with the [[Arizona Outlaws|Oklahoma Outlaws]] of the newly formed [[United States Football League|USFL]]. When that league folded a few years later, Williams found himself out of a job until Redskins coach [[Joe Gibbs]] asked him to join the team to be the backup for quarterback [[Jay Schroeder]]. Williams played just one game in 1986, and spent most of the 1987 season on the bench. But injuries and inconsistent play from Schroeder made Gibbs promote Williams to starting quarterback.

[[File:1988 Redskins Police - 16 Doug Williams (crop).jpg|thumb|Redskins [[quarterback]] [[Doug Williams (quarterback)|Doug Williams]] became the first black quarterback to start in a Super Bowl and was the only one to have emerged victorious until [[Russell Wilson]] won [[Super Bowl XLVIII]] with the Seattle Seahawks.<ref>As of the [[2014 NFL season|2014 season]], he is one of only two African-American quarterbacks to win a Super Bowl, the other being [[Russell Wilson]]; [[Steve McNair]], [[Donovan McNabb]] and [[Cam Newton]] have all started at quarterback in the Super Bowl, but each of the three lost their Super Bowl appearance.</ref>]]
Williams had played extremely well in his five regular season games, passing for 1,156 yards, 11 touchdowns and five interceptions. The Redskins' main receiving threat was wide receiver [[Gary Clark (American football)|Gary Clark]], who caught 56 passes for 1,066 yards, an average of 19 yards per catch.  Wide receivers [[Ricky Sanders]] and [[Art Monk]] were also deep threats, combining for 80 receptions and 1,130 yards. Running back [[George Rogers (American football)|George Rogers]] was Washington's leading rusher with 613 yards. However, Rogers saw limited action in Super Bowl XXII due to injuries that later forced him into early retirement.  Rookie running back [[Timmy Smith]] started in his place. Fullback [[Kelvin Bryant]] also was a big contributor, rushing for 406 yards, and catching 43 passes for 490 yards during the 1987 season.  The Redskins offensive line was anchored by tackle [[Joe Jacoby]], a 4-time pro bowl selection, and future Hall of Fame Center [[Russ Grimm]].

The Redskins also had an excellent defensive unit, led by defensive backs [[Barry Wilburn]], who recorded nine interceptions for 135 return yards and one touchdown; [[Todd Bowles]], who intercepted four passes; and [[Darrell Green]]. Their line was anchored by defensive ends [[Charles Mann (American football)|Charles Mann]], who led the team with 9.5 sacks and recovered a fumble; and [[Dexter Manley]], who recorded 8.5 sacks.

The Redskins finished the 1987 strike-shortened regular season as NFC East champions with an 11–4 record and the third seed in the NFC playoffs.