The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

College Sports

February 2, 2013

Hostetler recalls his Super Bowl win

by Mickey Furfari For The Register-Herald

MORGANTOWN — Jeff Hostetler of Morgantown knows all about how it really feels to win pro football’s Super Bowl.

The former West Virginia quarterback did just that 25 years ago. He piloted the underdog New York Giants to a memorable 20-19 upset of the Buffalo Bills.

That was Super Bowl XXV in the finale of the 1990 season. And Hostetler was making only the seventh start of his NFL career.

He talked about his unlikely heroic performance recently in a lengthy copyrighted story by Jim Corbett in USA Today Sports.

Phil Simms, the Giants starter, broke his foot in that year’s 14th game. So that was the reason Hostetler got the start.

“I was going to have fun because I didn’t know if I’d ever be back in that situation again,” Hostetler told USA Today Sports.

“I just went out and put it all on the line. Honestly, I never got any help from Phil (Simms) at all. But I could see it from his standpoint.

“To have played really well all season, and then to get hurt and not be able to finish out, it would have been tough.”

Hostetler, who was WVU’s starting quarterback in 1982-83, is rooting for Colin Kaepernick of the San Franciso 49ers in Sunday night’s Super Bowl XLVII against the Baltimore Ravens. The two have a lot in common. This will be only the 10th start of Kaepernick’s pro career. He was promoted early in the season.

Hostetler has been impressed by the 49er quarterback. The former Mountaineer sees a lot of himself in that kid. “He has been through a number of tough situations,” Hostetler noted, “and he looks like he is having fun.

“He needs to do it for just one more (Sunday).”

The Giants’ 20-19 win over the favored Buffalo Bills is the only one-point victory in Super Bowl history.

Hostetler completed 20 of 32 passes for 222 yards and one touchdown. What’s more, he had no interceptions.

He had thrown only 93 passes in his seven seasons with the Giants before Simms went down.

With Hostetler managing the game, New York set a Super Bowl record for time of possession with 40 minutes, 33 seconds.

Hostetler rushed just six times for 10 yards. He had the ability to scoot for a first down, but he wasn’t quite as fast as the 49ers youngster.

After falling behind Buffalo 12-3 on a second-quarter safety, Hostetler hit Mark Ingram for 14 yards on a third-and-13 play to key a 14-play, 75-yard drive which MVP Otis Anderson capped on a 1-yard touchdown run.

That gave the Giants their first lead at 17-12.

“You just go out knowing you prepared well and you lay it all on the line,” Hostetler said. “I look back on my playoff record, the opportunities I had and took advantage of.”

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