NFL Salutes Service, Courage and Bravery in Super Bowl XLIII

GENERAL PETRAEUS TO TOSS COIN

CREW MEMBERS OF US AIRWAYS FLIGHT 1549 RECOGNIZED ON FIELD

TAMPA, Fla., Jan. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- The NFL will salute the military and the heroic crew of US Airways Flight 1549 during Super Bowl XLIII pregame festivities at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay live on NBC on Feb. 1; it was announced today.

GENERAL DAVID H. PETRAEUS, commander of the United States Central Command, will toss the coin in a special ceremony moments before the start of the game.

The US Airways Flight 1549 crew -- Captain CHESLEY B. SULLENBERGER, III, first officer JEFFREY B. SKILES, and flight attendants DOREEN WELSH, SHEILA DAIL and DONNA DENT - will be recognized on the field for helping safely rescue 150 passengers on New York's Hudson River last month.

Joining General Petraeus in the coin toss ceremony will be greats from the Super Bowls of 10, 20 and 30 years ago -- LYNN SWANN (Super Bowl XIII, 1979), ROGER CRAIG (Super Bowl XXIII, 1989) and JOHN ELWAY (Super Bowl XXXIII, 1999).

FAITH HILL will sing "America the Beautiful" and JENNIFER HUDSON will perform the National Anthem prior to the coin toss.

NFL Commissioner ROGER GOODELL also will announce on the field prior to the game the winner of the NFL WALTER PAYTON MAN OF THE YEAR AWARD. The three finalists are MATT BIRK of the Minnesota Vikings, BRIAN DAWKINS of the Philadelphia Eagles and KURT WARNER of the Arizona Cardinals.

SOURCE National Football League