Jackie Slater made seven Pro Bowls and three All-Pro first teams, and was the first to play 20 seasons with one franchise (Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams). His No. 78 jersey is retired in St. Louis, and he has a plaque in Canton.

There is one thing he does not have: A ring.

His son, Patriots wide receiver, safety and special teamer, Matthew, has a chance to get family redemption Sunday when New England faces the Giants in the Super Bowl.

"He's told me not to take this time for granted," Matthew said Tuesday. "For him to play 20 years and never win one, I know it's kind of a sting to him because he was the ultimate team player."

Jackie made it the big time once. In 1979, Slater's Rams won road playoff games at Dallas and Tampa to reach Super Bowl XIV in Pasadena. Playing virtually in their home city against the Steelers, the Rams took a 19-17 lead into the fourth quarter. But Terry Bradshaw and friends turned the tide in the final minutes for 31-19 Pittsburgh victory.

Some have Willie Cauley as the next great hoops hero at Kentucky. Some have him as the next Tyson Chandler.

Kansas City Chiefs legend Will Shields has Cauley go to his room.

Late last year, the 6-11, 230-pounder from Olathe Northwest (Kan.) High wanted to stay out late after a football game. Though Cauley arrived home before his 12:30 a.m. curfew, he did not text Shields or his wife to check in and give his whereabouts.

So Cauley (far left in photo) had to answer to his legal guardian, a 6-3, 315-pound former offensive guard who went to 12 Pro Bowls and is now a first-ballot finalist for the NFL Hall of Fame.

And more frightening still, Cauley had to answer to Will Shields' wife.

"He didn't really even get mad," Cauley says. "It was Senia (Will's wife). She was real mad."

The Shields grounded the prep star and took away his driving privileges. Welcome to tough love -- Shields style.

"Most of the time, it's the boss lady running the roost," Will Shields says. "I get the backup and to sort of be the hammer behind it."

But Senia, Will and their three children also represent the structured support group which has helped Cauley, 18, develop from a raw big man to a conscientious student who will play basketball -- and get a shot at a degree -- at Kentucky next year.

So is this similar to another lineman's tale -- the famous book-turned-movie about Michael Oher?

There are many ways to get ready for a game: Music, meditation, dancing, or just plain banging your head against a locker.

Dave Tollefson dials momma.

Before every game, the Giants' defensive end heads to a secluded area of the locker room to call his mother. But this isn't your normal don't-get-hurt speech. Tollefson's mom gives him a loud, bombastic, fire-and-brimstone pep talk, reported the New York Times.

With his father not in the picture, Tollefson grew up enjoying a special bond with his mother, who encouraged him to play football even though the family didn't have a lot of money. He credits his mom's sacrifices, along with her pep talks, in helping him find success in the NFL.

"I wouldn't be where I'm at if it wasn't for her," Tollefson told the Times. "I'm a momma's boy."

Tollefson has Giants equipment manager Ed Wagner scout out a quiet part of every locker room. Tollefson first calls his wife, Megan, before mom delivers her Al Pacino-like speech.

Does anyone really outgrow claw machines? It seems like the wrong word. Perhaps the more accurate assessment is that we all get tired of them stealing our spare change in the name of largely innocuous prizes. It's the thrill of victory in an unfair game that always got you fired up, and once you failed enough to determine you'd never have a fair shot, it was curtains for your sideshow distraction.

Your prize-picking past may be years behind you, but what if you had been a freaking wizard with that joystick and claw? Matt Magnone has dedicated his young adult life to a plethora of games, but at the top of his game obsession list is the claw machine. How good is he? Just watch below has he collects a staggering 33 stuffed animals in 20 minutes, with $23 (jump ahead to the 3 min mark to dive into the streak as it unfolds). Magnone claims this number is a record for what's been caught on video, and we have trouble challenging that claim, since the video market isn't exactly flooded with claw record attempts.