Pro. Jake Delhomme

[NewsCopy]

HOUSTON (AP) — Jake Delhomme stood on the sideline, grim-faced and gripping his helmet. He wanted so desperately to get back on the field and have one last chance to win the Super Bowl.

And when it didn't happen, he punished himself by watching the winners celebrate.

As he'd done all season, Delhomme led the Carolina Panthers to a thrilling fourth-quarter comeback, driving for touchdowns the last three times they had the ball. The second put them ahead with 6:53 remaining and the last one tied it with 1:08 to play.

Then Adam Vinatieri's 41-yard field goal with four seconds remaining to give New England a 32-29 lead. Delhomme stood at the edge of the sideline, hoping to get back on the field, but time expired on the kickoff return.

The Cajun comeback kid was out of chances.

"It's just the worst feeling in the world," he said.

Watched the celebration

Hands on his hips and biting his lip, his eyes became red-rimmed as he watched the Patriots hugging and dancing amid falling confetti. He didn't snap out of it until New England running back Kevin Faulk came by for a quick embrace.

"I just wanted to watch the celebration and let it hurt even more," Delhomme said. "In two days when I am going to be complaining and whining, I am just going to keep on working and try to get back here and be on the other side of the rope."

Of all the thoughts flooding Delhomme's mind, there had to be a sense of what might've been. After all, he'd missed two-point conversion passes after the first two of Carolina's three fourth-quarter touchdowns.

He also had a slow start, completing only one of his first nine passes for just 1 yard. Through seven drives, the offense had minus-7 yards and its only first down came via penalty. Delhomme also was sacked three times in that span, losing a fumble on one to set up New England's first touchdown.

Bounced back

But Delhomme rebounded to finish 16-of-33 for 323 yards with three TDs, including the longest pass in Super Bowl history (85-yard TD to Muhsin Muhammad for the go-ahead score) and a 39-yard toss to Steve Smith to cap second-longest drive (95 yards).

"I thought he kept us in the game and they kept battling back," said Carolina coach John Fox, who in two years took a 1-15 team to the verge of a championship. "Unfortunately, they had the ball last. If we had had a little more time, it might have been different."

The rest of the story

[CajunFanatic91]

How hard is it to keep your kick in bounds???
If the patriots hadn't started at there 40 there would have been OT!!!

But I had no idea Delhomme could play so well! 85 yard touchdown pass. I can't wait for next year!!

GEAUX Panthers!

[NewsCopy]

HOUSTON (Feb. 1, 2004) -- Given the overpowering strength of the Carolina Panthers' running game, it was obvious the New England Patriots would focus on stopping the run in Super Bowl XXXVIII and force Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme to beat them.

Well, Delhomme almost did. The former NFL Europe backup to Super Bowl XXXIV MVP Kurt Warner completed 16 of 33 passes for 323 yards and a season-high three touchdowns. The Panthers' 29 points were the second-most they had scored during the entire 2003 season.

"I hope this is not the game of my life," Delhomme said. "I don't want to lose a game of my life. No (I don't feel good about getting this far). It's not great to just play in the Super Bowl. It (the loss) is hard to take right now."

Delhomme might have finished the game in style, but he was an ugly duckling early in the game. He completed 1 of 6 passes for 1 yard in the first quarter, and his fumble on the Panthers' second drive of the second quarter led to New England's first touchdown.

"We didn't play well at all in the first half," Delhomme said. "During our rough stretch, we had to stay patient. They were a very good defense, and we knew they would win some of the time. We just kept battling and that's what kept us in the game."

"It usually takes Jake a couple of mistakes during the game, then he'll be really jacked up, and you'll really get the best out of him," Panthers receiver Muhsin Muhammad said. "We always joke how he practices on Friday or Saturday. Usually, he has to throw an interception or make a mistake on those days for me to feel comfortable about him playing a game. Then we go into a game and he's money. He's hitting everything."

With Carolina facing third-and-5 on its own 10-yard line and two minutes remaining in the first half, Delhomme began hitting everything. He calmly led the Panthers on a 90-yard touchdown drive by tossing a 13-yard pass to receiver Ricky Proehl, a 26-yard pass to Muhammad, a 15-yard pass to Proehl, and a 39-yard touchdown pass to wideout Steve Smith. That drive tied the score at 7.

"Anytime I see Steve (Smith) in one-on-one coverage that's a red light for me to send the ball his way," Delhomme said.

The first-year starting quarterback's ability to make big plays -- including a Super Bowl-record 85-yard touchdown pass to Muhammad -- kept Carolina in the game despite trailing New England in time of possession by nearly 20 minutes.

"On the big play to Muhsin, he ran a go route and was my first option," Delhomme said. "But I didn't like him early. I checked down underneath to Steve (Smith) and Ricky (Proehl). I almost threw it to Smith. But when I got flustered out of the pocket, I looked at Muhsin again. I saw that the safety had gotten lost in coverage, and I was fortunate to make a good pass. Muhsin made a great catch."

Delhomme posted a better passer rating (113.6) than eventual game MVP Tom Brady (100.5) and led the Panthers to 19 points in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl XXXVIII. Delhomme's success should not have been surprising.

The rest of the story

By Brian Peterson
Special to SuperBowl.com

[Rebel02]

Hey, at least Kasay made the extra point to tie the game. There is one kicker in the NFL who missed an extra point to tie the game in the closing seconds of the game. Why hasn't that kicker been cut?

Congrats Jake on a great season. I look forward to seeing many more great seasons by him!!

GEAUX CAJUNS!!!

[Turbine]

JAKE IS SUPERBOWL MVP

Jake made it a game.

Without Jake there was no game (not even close)

He was "THE GAMES" MVP

The "game" was "SUPER BOWL XXXVIII"

Jake was the MVP of Super Bowl XXXVIII

(imo)

[NewsCopy]

Neither Tom Brady nor Jake Delhomme is Hall of Fame material.

HOUSTON | Other NFL quarterbacks have stronger arms, more mobility, better touch and, at least until this morning, more lucrative endorsement deals. Yet the New England Patriots' Tom Brady and Carolina Panthers' Jake Delhomme were the two quarterbacks playing Sunday in Super Bowl XXXVIII.

''Everybody would love to have Elway,'' Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator Dan Henning said. ''He had the intangibles, and he had the tangibles. But even he didn't win a Super Bowl until career.

''He had to have a good team around him. He didn't win it until he had a running game and defense.''

But that doesn't mean Brady and Delhomme made it to Houston entirely on the merits of others.

That was hardly the case.

Brady already had a Super Bowl XXXVI championship ring for his efforts after taking over for Drew Bledsoe early in the 2001 season. He threw for 23 touchdowns during the 2003 regular-season and is one of the Patriots' leaders on and off the field.

''He was a good player two years ago, but he's got more experience,'' Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. ''We've asked him to do more things. He's got more command of the offense. He certainly has a better understanding and more experience working against the different defensive systems in this league.''

Delhomme took over for Rodney Peete with little similar experience, having thrown just 86 passes in six previous seasons with New Orleans.

After intending to find a high-profile quarterback in free agency during the offseason, the Panthers were left answering an obvious question after signing Delhomme: Huh?

''We just believe in our owner and believe in our coaching staff, knowing they won't bring a bum in here,'' Panthers safety Deon Grant said during Super Bowl hype week.

But Delhomme was unable to beat out Peete in training camp, and also had competition from former Heisman Trophy winner Chris Weinke, who had quarterbacked Carolina through its 1-15 season back in 2001.

As was the case with Brady two years before, Delhomme got an unexpected chance to play early in the season, and quickly earned the respect of his teammates with a can-do approach. Trailing Jacksonville 14-0 when Peete exited, the Panthers fell behind 17-0 in the opener before Delhomme led them to a 24-23 victory over the Jaguars.

''Especially early in the year, he would get in and start stumbling over himself,'' tackle Jordan Gross said. ''He would have to calm down and call the play again. But that is what we all love about Jake — his enthusiasm. He's a great leader.''

Delhomme is still at that stage where he is more of a leader by example.

''I prepare well and I am going to do whatever I can to win for them,'' Delhomme said. ''When I am out on the field, if it's me trying to throw a block, I'm going to try to throw a block. I may get teased about it the next day in film session, but that's fine with me because I know that they are going to see that I'm trying to do whatever it takes to win.''

The rest of the story

By Larry O'Rourke
Of The Morning Call

larry.orourke@mcall.com

610-820-6779

[NewsCopy]

Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme became only the fifth Louisiana-born signal-caller to start a Super Bowl when he took the opening snap Sunday night.

The Breaux Bridge native and former Louisiana-Lafayette quarterback joined a rather short list that includes Shreveport natives Terry Bradshaw, Stan Humphries and David Woodley, and Baton Rouge's Doug Williams.

Only Bradshaw and Williams have won Super Bowls as starters. Monroe native Bubby Brister was on the winning side twice, however, as a backup to John Elway with the Denver Broncos.

Two other Louisiana-born quarterbacks, Chalmette's Norris Weese and Marrero's Kordell Stewart, have also been on Super Bowl teams to give the state eight quarterbacks in the big game.

The source of the story

[Turbine]

Unless a SuperBowl had more than one Louisiana QB in the same game, Louisiana quarterbacks have been a part of 12 superbowls. That would be over 31% of every superbowl ever played.

[NewsCopy]

Proud Panthers say they will return to Super Bowl next year in Jacksonville

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The Carolina Panthers made their wishes clear: No Super Bowl title, no celebration.

Several hundred fans broke the deal Monday, waiting patiently at Bank of America Stadium to cheer the Panthers even though they came up short in their quest to win the Super Bowl.

Carolina lost, 32-29, to the New England Patriots on Sunday night in the franchise's first Super Bowl appearance.

Police put up barriers to keep the crowd confined to a grassy section of stadium property far away from the players' entrance. That didn't stop the fans from screaming and chanting as the five team buses rolled into the lot at mid-afternoon Monday -- even though most were too far away to even catch a glimpse of the players.

But just as it appeared the trip was for naught, coach John Fox, receivers Steve Smith and Muhsin Muhammad and running back Stephen Davis made their way over to the crowd on golf carts.

"We're real, real proud of this football team," Fox said into a microphone. "We're obviously disappointed, but not we're not embarrassed or ashamed."

Muhammad then worked the crowd into a frenzy by thanking them for their season-long support and encouraging them to look forward to next season.

"You guys just get ready because we're going to rock and roll next season," he shouted. "Make your reservations now for Jacksonville because we'll be there in the Super Bowl next year."

Several other players eventually wandered over to the crowd, including receiver Ricky Proehl, running back DeShaun Foster, defensive end Julius Peppers, defensive tackle Brentson Buckner and linebacker Mark Fields, who missed the entire season while battling cancer.

Buckner seconded Muhammad's promise.

"We came up short this year, but we guarantee you we'll be going to Jacksonville next year and we're bringing back the trophy," he said.

The loudest cheer went to quarterback Jake Delhomme, who could barely be heard over the chants of "Jake! Jake! Jake!"

The rest of the story

By JENNA FRYER
The Associated Press

[Turbine]

Here is a picture of the Breaux Bridge, bridge at night.

The banner seemed more visible in person, thankfully RaginCajun08 tooks the daylight photos.

[NewsCopy]

January 29th Dave Kindred wrote a rather unflattering story on Jake Delhomme LINK HERE

Below is a
rather lame retraction of sorts. If you read both and are not satisfied please email the writer using the link at the bottom of thsi page.

They call 'em Super Bowls and they give 'em Roman numerals to god 'em up even more.

Now we know why.

New England 32, Carolina 29.

And it was closer than that.

A classic. Bottle it, open it a hundred years from now, it'll be $1 million a glass.

Tom Brady may in fact be Joe Montana young. And anyone who dared write that Jake Delhomme could not win for the Panthers--that would be me--must now acknowledge Delhomme's performance in Supe 38 as thrilling, inspiring, even majestic in the face of the pressures brought to bear by a Patriots' team that now has earned a high place in NFL history.

Oh, my, 32-29, and the Patriots won, it says here, not because they were much the better team, but because the Panthers simply ran out of time for yet another miracle by Delhomme, who in every dark moment somehow led his team to the light. As Panthers coach John Fox said, "Jake kept us in the game. Unfortunately, they just got the ball last."

Oh, my, 32-29, on Adam Vinatieri's 41-yard field goal with 4 seconds to play. And who'd have guessed it early on when the Patriots and Panthers reminded everybody that football can send you sleepy-bye? "Longest time ever without a score in a Super Bowl game" was one of the ennui-inducing stats of Supe 38's early going. Also this: Vinatieri had more failed field-goal attempts (two) than Delhomme had completed passes (one).

Yawn.

Yeah, yeah. Run the ball; stop the run. The key to all football.

True. But look: Just because it's true doesn't mean we have to like it.

What we had early on, of course, was that most dreaded of football entertainments, "the defensive struggle." Massive men hurl their bodies into massive piles, the football disappearing into Middle Earth.

As testing of will, strength and character as the defensive struggle is, such massive gatherings comprise the ultimate football examination. Still. It's enough to make all but the most zealous football purist cry out, "When's the Lingerie Bowl start?"

But wait long enough, football's worth it. Wait for the nervous, anxious Jake Delhomme to become the swaggering, defiant Jake. Wait for Tom Brady to remind us again how Montana once did it. Wait for the Patriots and Panthers to remind us that Super Bowl champions are complete teams.

"Everybody said we had no superstars, no this, no that," said Patriots safety Rodney Harrison, the beating heart of a ferocious defense. "That's OK. What we have is a team." "An unbelievable team," is the way Patriots coach Bill Belichick defined his outfit. "It's been a real thrill for me to coach them."

The rest of the retraction

Dave Kindred is a contributing writer for Sporting News.
Email him at kindred@sportingnews.com.

[RaisingCajun08]

Great picture Turbine. Maybe we can meet up tomorrow night during the signing day festivities. I would love to meet more of you guys.

I will be the one with the youngest Cajun fan there (almost postitive). The 8 month old little one (pepper) will be with me and the wife.