Super Bowl XXIII was played on January 22, 1989, at Joe Robbie Stadium, and the 49ers beat Cincinnati 20–16. The winning drive went 92 yards, with Joe Montana finding John Taylor for the touchdown with 34 seconds left. But the game's Most Valuable Player was Jerry Rice: 11 catches, a touchdown, and 215 yards, a Super Bowl record.
Topps arranged its 1989 set by team, the best teams first. Card #1 is the Super Bowl itself, the next few are Record Breakers, and then come the champions, Montana and Rice among them. Rice is #7.
Card #1 is the Super Bowl. Its Most Valuable Player is six cards later.
The design is a thick white border with a band of stripes running behind the picture, like the top of an athletic sock. Rice, in the red jersey, number 80, has his hands out for the ball, and the bottom of the card reads JERRY RICE, SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS, WR, over TOPPS ALL PRO in blue.
He had been first-team All-Pro in 1988 as well, with 1,306 yards.
Topps printed this set in very large numbers.
