48 and Counting

Not many people have seen all 48 Super Bowls, and fewer have seen them all from the sideline. Photographer John Biever’s been there, done that, and here’s what Broncos-Seahawks looked like through his lens

Emily Kaplan | Feb 4, 2014

48 and Counting /

48 and Counting

Joe Namath, old school.

Richard Sherman gets ready.

Seahawks celebrate a safety.

The universal sign for “two points.”

Percy Harvin on the loose.

Russell Wilson, up close and personal.

Between the lines.

Doug Baldwin, with one of his five catches.

Nate Irving breaks up a potential touchdown pass to Jermaine Kearse.

Harvin on the loose again.

Goal-line pileup.

Walter Thurmond in pursuit of Wes Welker.

Earl Thomas and Knowshon Moreno brace for impact.

Doug Baldwin listens for the 12th Man.

Peyton Manning, with a rare moment of peace in the pocket.

It takes a nation to tackle Marshawn Lynch.

Manning set a Super Bowl record for completions, not that it mattered much.

More effort to tame the Beast.

A tale of two Thomases: Earl goes low on Demaryius.

Wilson, in scramble mode.

Baldwin dives for glory.

Sherman, carted off with an ankle injury.

Harvin made his comeback a momentous one.

Owner Paul Allen, coach Pete Carroll, GM John Schneider.

Basking in the glow.

NEW YORK CITY — Four photographers have shot every Super Bowl. Two are Sports Illustrated staffers, including one who covered the inaugural game when he was just 15. Super Bowl XLVIII was just another day at the office for John Biever, who got his start as an assistant for his father, Vernon, the legendary Packers’ team photographer. Biever’s favorite shot from the 1967 game: Vince Lombardi walking off the field, Vernon Biever to his far right. “My two heroes in the same frame,” John says. For Super Bowl XLVIII, Biever was less concerned about the possible inclement weather (he grew up in Lambeau country, after all) as he was about access. Super Bowl I featured maybe 50 credentialed photographers. “Now there are over 400,” Biever says. “And the field hasn’t gotten any bigger. “Because of the overcrowded sidelines—and, in this case, a lack of drama in the game—Biever says good pictures often arise from being in the right place at the right time. “You’ve got to play your odds, and this game was definitely an odd start,” Biever says, referring to the bad snap on the Broncos’ first play that resulted in a safety. “I don’t know if many photographers were ready for it. A lot thought Peyton Manning was calling a timeout.” Biever didn’t get a great shot of the opening safety but captured a powerful image of Richard Sherman and Clinton McDonald celebrating, which frames a dejected Manning plodding toward the sideline.

Biever’s longevity stems from his passion for the game. He talks about Cover Two defenses with the same knowledge and fervor as shutter speed or aperture. “I don’t take as many pictures as most people do,” Biever says. “I’m just looking for the right shot.” He now has 48 years of them.

Published Feb 4, 2014

EMILY KAPLAN