Super Bowl: Story of redemption

Sometimes realising your dream can all be a bit much. Leonard Russell was drafter 14th overall when the Patriots signed him. The franchise was on the brink of a historic dynasty and Russell was right there, winning the NFL Rookie of the Year in 1991. But being at the top causes its own challenges. Leonard turned to illegal substances to deal with the pressures., and it didn't take long before it had taken his career, marriage and very nearly his life. Ejected from the NFL and sat in a jail cell Leonard realised he needed a radical change of life. Leonard Russell's story is one of revival and responsibility. His comeback is inspirational and shows what can be achieved no matter how far you fall

How do we as individuals balance the challenges thrown at us in life and not engage in damaging behaviour. For Steve Wright there was an added layer of difficulty. His job as an NFL player required him to act in and occupy an aggressive state of mind. But flicking a switch to go from his natural mild mannered to threatening and destructive and back again was not easy. Alongside his wife Lizzy Wright, we explore living with Jekyll and Hyde.

Jaime Coffee became the first woman to call an NFL game in the stadium when she did so at Levi Stadium (where the Super Bowl is to be played) a couple years back. She had previously broken glass ceilings in basketball by calling NBA games and again when invited by the 49ers to be their stadium announcer for a game back in August 2023

Whichever team wins the Super Bowl will not only receive the Vince Lombardi trophy and have a homecoming parade they also receive a Super Bowl ring! Over the years these have got bigger and more elaborate. Chris Poitras is vice president and chief operating officer of Jostens. They are the jewelers who have made the vast majority of Super Bowl rings over the years.

This episode was updated on 9 February 2026 due to music rights restrictions.

(Photo: Running Back Leonard Russell #32 of the New England Patriots runs the ball against the Phoenix Cardinals at Sun Devil Stadium, 10 October,1993 in Tempe, Arizona. The Patriots won 23-21. (Bernstein Associates/Getty Images)