Sports: In 1995 the NFL used some bizarre mascots that were never seen again

For the 1995 Pro Bowl, the NFL produced new mascots for many of the teams. Most of those mascots were never seen again.

The NFL's Pro Bowl game rarely produces notable moments and is often just a glorified version of a touch football game.

However, a look back at the 1995 Pro Bowl unveiled something interesting. Many teams used new, bizarre mascots, and most of the mascots were never seen again.

The characters were originally introduced as a short-lived NFL merchandising effort called "Team NFL Heroes." You can read more about that project at Uni-Watch, and you can see an example for sale on eBay.

It's unclear if every team had a mascot made for this Pro Bowl, but there are several for teams that don't traditionally use a mascot during games, and at least one of the mascots is still used today.

A spokesperson for the NFL was unsure why the mascots were made or why they were only used once.

Check out the mascots below.

This story has been updated from its original version.

The Atlanta Falcons mascot had an absurdly long neck.

The New Orleans Saints mascot looked like a mix between Snuffleupagus from "Sesame Street" and Rowlf the Dog from "The Muppets."

[Update] This photo was originally identified as being the mascot for the Cleveland Browns. According to the new information provided by Uni-Watch.com, this is a dog and it is a mascot for the Saints.

This was the last game for the original Los Angeles Rams as the team moved to St. Louis the next season.

The Miami Dolphins mascot.

The Minnesota Vikings mascot, like many of the mascots, looked like a large plush doll.

The Philadelphia Eagles mascot was ready for flight.

The Pittsburgh Steelers mascot looked like a robot.

This appears to have been the only time the San Diego Chargers ever used a bull as a mascot.

The San Francisco 49ers mascot looks similar to the one used by the team now.

The Washington Redskins mascot was a bit disturbing and it is probably a good thing it was quickly retired.

Not all of the mascots disappeared. Rowdy, the Dallas Cowboys mascot, is still used today.

The Chargers and 49ers mascots also made an appearance at a fan event prior to the Super Bowl.

A "Mascot of the Year" award was given out during the game, although it is not clear if the one-time mascots were eligible or if they were the purpose of the award.

Of course, the mascots weren't the only bizarre costumes at the Pro Bowl. Here are the NFC uniforms being worn by Steve Young, Ricky Watters, and Deion Sanders.

And here is the AFC uniforms on John Elway.

Now check out some ex-players who were seen again, but looked a lot different.

Shocking before and after photos of 15 NFL players who lost a ton of weight in retirement

For the 1995 Pro Bowl, the NFL produced new mascots for many of the teams. Most of those mascots were never seen again. Read Full Story