Super Bowl heroes Mark Rypien, Jerry Kramer headline night of ‘Super Stories’

Two Northwest NFL legends. One stage. Plenty of Super Bowl memories.

On Jan. 28, The Spokesman-Review and KHQ/SWX will host an evening of great storytelling – “Super Stories: Tales from our Super Bowl Champions” – featuring Super Bowl XXVI MVP Mark Rypien and NFL Hall of Famer Jerry Kramer, who played in Super Bowls I and II.

It’s the first time these two local stars have gathered in one place to talk about their experiences in the NFL’s biggest game.

This once-in-a-lifetime experience will be held at the historic Bing Theater.

General admission is $7, which includes a postevent autograph session and free posters of each player, with doors opening at 6 p.m.

A VIP package is available for $70, which includes reserved seating, access to a pre-event reception with the speakers, a drink and appetizers at The S-R’s Northwest Passages event room, a football autographed by Rypien and Kramer, and four collectible posters – including exclusive reprints of The Spokesman-Review pages from Super Bowl II and Super Bowl XXVI.

Rypien, 56, threw for 3,564 yards and 28 touchdowns in 1991, leading Washington to Super Bowl XXVI after recording a 14-2 regular-season record.

He was named the Most Valuable Player of the game, passing for 292 yards and two touchdowns, leading his team to a 37-24 win over the Buffalo Bills. He was also a member of Washington’s Super Bowl XXII team as a backup.

Rypien played parts of 14 seasons in the NFL. He was a two-time Pro Bowl player, was a second-team All-Pro in 1991 and was voted as a member of the 70 greatest players in DC football history.

He was a star three-sport athlete at Shadle Park and led the Highlanders to the state title in basketball as a senior in 1981. All three of his varsity numbers (football, basketball, and baseball) have been retired by the school.

Rypien played at Washington State and was selected by Washington in the sixth round of the 1986 NFL draft.

Kramer, 82, is part of the most recent class inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame. He became eligible for induction in 1974.

With Kramer at right guard, the Green Bay Packers won five NFL titles and the first two Super Bowls. He was also the team’s place-kicker in 1962, 1963 and part of 1968. Kramer was selected as an All-Pro five times and is a member of the NFL’s 50th anniversary all-time team.

He graduated from Sandpoint in 1954 and was a standout two-way player for Idaho and coach Skip Stahley. He became the school’s first All-American, earning those honors in 1956 and ’57.

While in college, Kramer played in the East-West Shrine game and the College All-Star game in 1957, in which the college players defeated the NFL champion Detroit Lions. His No. 64 was retired by the school in 1963.

Kramer was the 39th selection of the 1958 NFL draft, taken in the fourth round by the Packers.