We are now one day from the Super Bowl. Can you feel it? In honor of being a day away, we should pay homage to Super Bowl I and one of the most unforgettable stories in Super Bowl history. Forget Bart Starr, who was selected the most valuable player of the inaugural Super Bowl (which wasn’t even called the Super Bowl at the time).

No, we are talking about the legend of Max McGee.

The hard-partying McGee was at the end of his career in 1966. He had only four receptions for 91 yards and a touchdown for the 12-2 Packers, who advanced to play the Chiefs in Los Angeles.

Assuming he wouldn’t play much against Kansas City, and being in one of his favorite party towns, McGee figured he’d pull the all-night bender to end all benders. Packers coach Vince Lombardi warned McGee about sticking to curfew, but he still snuck out, slipping back in time to catch the team bus to the Los Angeles Coliseum.

Sweating, dizzy and fighting blurry vision, McGee told starter Boyd Dowler, “I hope you don’t get hurt. I’m not in very good shape.”

Do you need to be told what happened next? Dowler went down, and McGee likely passed a brick when Lombardi called for him to get into the game.

Borrowing a lineman’s helmet — McGee had left his in the locker room –  he scored the first touchdown in Super Bowl history on a 37-yard reception from Starr.

McGee finished the game with seven receptions for 138 yards and two touchdowns. As McGee once said, with the game on the line, you can have the milk-drinkers. Give me the whiskey-drinkers.

Well, this one is for Max, the true MVP of Super Bowl I.

Be sure to Tweet along with Rank during Super Bowl XLVI @adamrank.

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