Two of the biggest names in National Football League (NFL) history will team up with two of Team 2012's gold medal hopes for the London 2012 Olympic Games to act as honorary captains in the Pepsi Max International Series game at Wembley on Sunday (October 31).
Three-time Olympic gold medallist yachtsman Ben Ainslie will wear the colours of home team San Francisco 49ers, while Mo Farah, 10,000m and 5,000m gold medallist at this summer's European Athletics Championships, will line up on behalf of the Denver Broncos.
They will be joined by two Hall of Fame legends from the respective teams. Wide receiver Jerry Rice, a three-time Super Bowl winner and holder of numerous league records, will take part in the coin toss for the 49ers, with quarterback John Elway, who led the Broncos to back-to-back Super Bowls, doing the honours for his former team.
Farah said: "I'm really excited to be representing Team 2012, presented by Visa, at this NFL game. It will be an amazing experience to walk out in front of a huge British crowd - as we are all striving to do in less than two years' time at the London Games."
Ainslie and Farah follow in an impressive line of UK sports and entertainment stars who have filled the roles of honorary captains in the NFL's annual competitive regular-season game in London, including Martin Johnson, Didier Drogba, John Terry, Lewis Hamilton, Rebecca Adlington, Joe Calzaghe and Vernon Kay.
BRONCOS CAPTAINS
Mo Farah: Became the first British runner to win the 10,000m and 5,000m double in the European Championships when he won both titles in Barcelona earlier this year. He is also a former European Indoor champion at 3,000m and is the British record holder at 5,000m.
John Elway: Was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 2004 after becoming the first quarterback to start in five Super Bowls. After being the first player selected overall in the 1983 draft, he played his entire 16-year NFL career for the Broncos, winning Super Bowls XXXII and XXXIII and being named Super Bowl MVP in his final game.
49ers CAPTAINS
Ben Ainslie, CBE: Won his first Olympic gold medal in the Laser class in the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games and won the Finn class in 2004 in Athens and 2008 in Beijing. He had previously won silver in the Atlanta Games of 1996.
Jerry Rice: Was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 2010 after a career in which he was selected for the Pro Bowl 13 times. The league's all-time record-holder in most receiving categories, he helped the 49ers win Super Bowl following the 1988, 1989 and 1994 seasons and also appeared in a Super Bowl for the Oakland Raiders.