The Los Angeles Cobras were a professional arena football team based in Los Angeles, California that played one season (1988) in the Arena Football League .
15-712: On March 16, 1988, it was announced that team would be nicknamed the Cobras, as well as the introduction of head coach Ray Willsey . The Cobras played their home games at the Los Angeles Sports Arena , which they shared with the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association . The team's logo consisted of an interlocking "LA" in which the left upright of the "A" was formed by the hooded head and "neck" of
30-472: A cobra. The team debuted April 30, 1988 against the New York Knights . The Cobras started the season 0–3, but finished the season 5–3–1, clinching a playoff spot. Despite a lineup that featured former NFL all-pro receiver Cliff Branch , ex- UCLA quarterback Matt Stevens and future Arena Football Hall of Famer Gary Mullen , Los Angeles drew dismal crowds: just 7,507 per game, second-worst in
45-597: Is Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes . Tom Brady is the only player to have won five Super Bowl MVP awards (four with the New England Patriots and one with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers ); Joe Montana and Mahomes won three times and three other players— Bart Starr , Terry Bradshaw and Eli Manning —have won the award twice. Starr, Bradshaw, and Mahomes are the only ones to have won it in back-to-back years. The MVP has come from
60-580: Is presented annually to the most valuable player of the Super Bowl , the National Football League 's (NFL) championship game. The winner is chosen by a panel of 16 football writers and broadcasters, and, since Super Bowl XXXV in 2001, fans voting electronically. The media panel's ballots count for 80 percent of the vote tally, while the viewers' ballots make up the other 20 percent. The game's viewing audience can vote on
75-763: The Los Angeles Cobras during that team's only year of existence in the Arena Football League , in which his team compiled a 5–6–1 record. He was defensive coach of the London Monarchs when they won the World League title in 1991, and he became their head coach for the 1992 season. He was defensive coordinator for the Scottish Claymores in the mid-90s, and became director of personnel for NFL Europe in 1996. He
90-679: The University of Texas in 1957. His first NFL position was at defensive coordinator with the Saint Louis Cardinals in 1961, where he went 2–0 as co-head coach. Willsey coached the California Golden Bears from 1964 to 1971. His 1968 team finished 7–3–1, recording three shutout victories and holding eight of 12 opponents to 12 points or less, earning its defensive unit the nickname "The Bear Minimum." In 1971, Willsey resigned from Cal, and in 1973, he rejoined
105-644: The AFL. The Cobras lost in the semifinals to the Chicago Bruisers , 29–16. It turned out to be their last game ever as the Cobras folded after the 1988 season, temporarily cutting the league down Wide receivers/Defensive backs Offensive linemen/Defensive linemen Kickers Rookies in italics Roster updated February 5, 2013 28 Active, 0 Inactive, 0 PS The following Cobras players were named to All-Arena Teams: Ray Willsey Ray Willsey (September 30, 1928 – November 4, 2013)
120-636: The California Golden Bears, helping the Bears win 26–0 against Stanford in 1952. He graduated from the University of California in 1953 with a degree in business. During 1953, Willsey toured Australia and New Zealand playing rugby league for the American All Stars. When the team landed in Australia, they did not know what the sport was. One week later, they played against the best players in
135-770: The Cardinals as defensive coordinator under head coach Don Coryell . He moved to the Oakland Raiders in 1977 as backfield coach. With the Raiders, Willsey was an assistant coach for Super Bowl-winning teams in 1980 ( Super Bowl XV ) and 1983 ( Super Bowl XVIII ), the latter of which Marcus Allen , whose position coach was Willsey, was named the MVP of Super Bowl XVIII. Allen mentioned Willsey as one of his favorite and most influential coaches during his Hall of Fame enshrinement speech. In 1988, Willsey served as head coach of
150-488: The Internet or by using cellular phones; Media voters are asked to vote with about five minutes remaining in the game, but are allowed to change their mind when the game ends. They can nominate one player from each team, with instructions to count their vote for the player on the winning team. Voters cannot select an entire unit. The Super Bowl MVP has been awarded annually since the game's inception in 1967. Through 1989,
165-645: The award was presented by SPORT magazine. Bart Starr was the MVP of the first two Super Bowls. Since 1990, the award has been presented by the NFL. At Super Bowl XXV , the league first awarded the Pete Rozelle Trophy , named after former NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle , to the Super Bowl MVP. Ottis Anderson was the first to win the trophy. The most recent Super Bowl MVP, from Super Bowl LVIII ,
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#1732787424083180-621: The winning team every year except 1971, when Dallas Cowboys linebacker Chuck Howley won the award despite the Cowboys' loss in Super Bowl V to the Baltimore Colts . Harvey Martin and Randy White were named co-MVPs of Super Bowl XII , the only time co-MVPs have been chosen. Including the Super Bowl XII co-MVPs, seven Cowboys players have won Super Bowl MVP awards, the most of any NFL team . Quarterbacks have earned
195-741: The world in front of 65,453 people at the Sydney Cricket Ground . He then played for three years for the Edmonton Eskimos in Canada, but his playing career was ended by an elbow injury. He was a member of the Edmonton teams that won the 42nd Grey Cup and 43rd Grey Cup . Willsey's first assistant coaching job was at the age of 28 with the Washington Huskies under head coach Darrell Royal . He followed Royal to
210-609: Was an American gridiron football player and coach. He was the head football coach at the University of California, Berkeley from 1964 to 1971. During his tenure he compiled a 40–42–1 record. He was inducted into the Orange County Sports Hall of Fame in 1993. Willsey was born in Regina, Saskatchewan , and played defensive back and quarterback at Tustin High School and Santa Ana College . He played for
225-513: Was awarded the Glenn T. Seaborg Award in 2002, an annual honor given by Cal's football alumni association to a former Cal football player for his career accomplishments. Willsey died on November 4, 2013, at the age of 85. # denotes interim head coach # denotes interim athletic director Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award This is an accepted version of this page The Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award , or Super Bowl MVP ,
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