Rick Wright: 49ers’ comeback years ago made ex-Aggie’s experience less than Super

Out of near-total boredom, a masterpiece broke out.

That was Super Bowl XXIII, the last time the Cincinnati Bengals participated in The Big One.

And for former New Mexico State Aggie Leo Barker, a Bengals nickel linebacker and a participating eyewitness to the late-game San Francisco 49ers artistry of Joe Montana and Jerry Rice, the portrait was less beautiful than painful.

Back when newspapers had money, the Albuquerque Journal – in the person of me – covered Super Bowls XVII through XXIV. Direct New Mexico connections were relatively few, and as SB XXIII in Miami approached, I’d looked forward to talking with Barker.

In turn, he was more than happy to talk with a New Mexico reporter, even one…