John Ayers
John Ayers (April 14, 1953 – October 2, 1995) was an American professional football guard in the National Football League (NFL) from 1977 through 1987. During that span, he appeared in two Super Bowls: Super Bowl XVI and Super Bowl XIX for the San Francisco 49ers. Ayers was a key contributor on the final 89-yard drive that led to the play that has been immortalized as "The Catch" in the 1982 NFC Playoffs versus the Dallas Cowboys.
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| Position: | Offensive guard | ||||||
| Personal information | |||||||
| Born: | April 14, 1953 Carrizo Springs, Texas, U.S. | ||||||
| Died: | October 2, 1995 (aged 42) Canyon, Texas, U.S. | ||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | ||||||
| Weight: | 258 lb (117 kg) | ||||||
| Career information | |||||||
| High school: | Carrizo Springs | ||||||
| College: | West Texas A&M | ||||||
| NFL draft: | 1976 / Round: 8 / Pick: 233 | ||||||
| Career history | |||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||
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| Player stats at NFL.com · PFR | |||||||
John Ayers played college football for the West Texas A&M Buffaloes. He was also a member of the 1987 Denver Broncos team that lost Super Bowl XXII, but did not appear in that game.
Ayers also served for a brief period as the figurehead President of Bill Watts' Universal Wrestling Federation.
Ayers was diagnosed with liver cancer and died on October 2, 1995.
His daughter, Jolee, was a scholarship basketball player at Texas Tech University.