Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin, Legendary Broadcaster John Madden and Roster of NFL Legends Star in Super Bowl Weekend Finale of NFL's Rush Zone: Guardians of the Core Feb. 5 on Nicktoons

NEW YORK, Jan. 31, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- An all-star roster of current and legendary NFL players, including the AFC Champion Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, NY Giants quarterback Eli Manning, New England Patriots receiver Wes Welker and John Madden star in the hour-long finale of Rush Zone: Guardians of the Core – Saturday, Feb. 5, at 7:00 p.m. ET on Nickelodeon's Nicktoons channel. The animated special features an introduction by NFL Network analyst Rich Eisen, and will include its own "halftime show" featuring an exclusive musical performance by Nickelodeon's hit music group, Big Time Rush.

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Rush Zone wraps up its 22–episode premiere season with a riveting showdown at Cowboys Stadium as Cowboys Owner and General Manager Jerry Jones, Cowboys and Jets players and NFL superheroes, the Rusherz, help Ish, an unlikely 10-year-old hero, to defeat the evil Sudden Death.  During the hour-long finale, Nicktoons will also air segments featuring Nickelodeon's Pick Boy, reporting from Cowboys Stadium about the pre-Super Bowl excitement. On Sunday, Feb. 6, the finale will be available on iTunes as the exclusive download-to-own platform.

The NFL coaches, players and personalities who voice themselves in the finale are: Eli Manning (New York Giants quarterback), Larry Fitzgerald (Arizona Cardinals wide receiver), Brian Dawkins (Denver Broncos free safety), Steven Jackson (St. Louis Rams running back), Calvin Johnson (Detroit Lions wide receiver), Wes Welker (New England Patriots wide receiver), Marcus Allen (Hall of Fame running back, Los Angeles Raiders/Kansas City Chiefs), Mike Tomlin (Pittsburgh Steelers head coach), Norv Turner (San Diego Chargers head coach), Sean Payton (New Orleans Saints head coach), Cowboys Owner and General Manager Jerry Jones, John Madden (Hall of Fame coach and NFL commentator ), Michael Strahan (former New York Giants defensive end and NFL commentator), Shannon Sharpe (legendary Pro Bowl tight end and NFL commentator), Bob Papa (NFL Network and New York Giants sportscaster) and Rich Eisen (NFL Network analyst).

A private screening of the Rush Zone finale will be held at NFL Experience at the Dallas Convention Center (650 South Griffin Street/Media Entrance at Hall C) on Tuesday, Feb. 1, at 4:00 p.m.  The screening will feature appearances by Giants great Michael Strahan.

Rush Zone: Guardians of the Core follows Ishmael, a 10-year old boy who was just an ordinary kid until learning that all 32 NFL stadiums also serve as secret strongholds of an otherworldly benevolent life force that he has been chosen to guard.  That life force, once the core of a far-off peaceful planet, has been broken into pieces, or shards, which are hidden in every NFL stadium around the country.  An evil villain known as Sudden Death is determined to find the shards, reassemble them and end humanity.  To stop Sudden Death, Ish is given the physical abilities of an NFL football player (and a few additional super powers) to battle on and off the gridiron.  He must work with the Rusherz, the NFL superheroes representing all 32 teams, to stop the Blitz Botz, robots controlled by Sudden Death. Taught by his mentor, O.T. and guided by NFL players and coaches, Ish learns exactly what it takes to be a true hero.

Steelers' Mike Tomlin joins the roster of NFL legends in the finale of Rush Zone on Nicktoons Feb. 5: http://www.sendspace.com/pro/dl/37dpdp

The NFLRUSH ZONE, a role playing game on NFLRUSH.com, was launched in December 2007 and today has more than 2.5 million registered users. The NFLRUSH ZONE is an immersive virtual world where kids are able to create avatars, join their favorite team, play games, chat, and compete with friends in a safe and fun environment. All 32 teams are represented within the NFLRUSH ZONE with distinct team lands and team Rusherz and Avatars.

Nicktoons is the fastest growing kids' network and offers programming such as Dragon Ball Z Kai, Fantastic Four: The World's Greatest Heroes, Iron Man: Armored Adventures, Wolverine and The X-Men and Speed Racer: The Next Generation, as well as a roster of hits that have defined kids' and animation lovers' TV, including Avatar: The Last Airbender, Invader Zim, Danny Phantom, SpongeBob SquarePants, The Fairly OddParents and The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius. Nicktoons currently reaches almost 58 million homes via cable, digital cable and satellite, and can be seen on Cablevision, Charter Communications, Comcast Cable, Cox Communications, DirecTV, DISH Network and Time Warner Cable. Nicktoons and all related titles and logos are property of Viacom, Inc. For more information or artwork, visit http://www.nickpress.com.

SOURCE Nickelodeon