Contact:                                                                                 Contact:
Seth Rubin                                                                              Matt Hill
Alan Taylor Communications                                                     National Football League
212-714-1280 x353                                                                   212-450-2080
seth@alantaylor.com                                                                hillm@nfl.com

WEEK TWO NOMINEES NAMED FOR THE
“LEVITRA^â (vardenafil HCI) PLAY OF THE WEEK”

Fan Voting Continues Through Noon ET Thursday at NFL.com

NEW YORK, SEPTEMBER 21, 2004 – Detroit Lions rookie wide receiver Roy Williams’ 14-yard touchdown reception from Joey Harrington against the Houston Texans is among the five Week 2 nominees for the “LEVITRA^â (vardenafil HCI) PLAY OF THE WEEK.” 

The award is presented each Thursday during the NFL regular season to recognize the single most exciting play that week as determined by the fans.  Voting is open to the fans each week from Tuesday at Noon ET until Thursday at Noon ET, exclusively on NFL.com.  Each weekly winner will be a finalist for the “LEVITRA^â PLAY OF THE YEAR” to be awarded at Super Bowl XXXIX in Jacksonville, Florida.

Fans who vote at NFL.com each week can also enter for their chance to win a three-day/two-night trip for two to Jacksonville, Florida to attend Super Bowl XXXIX on February 6, 2005, including round-trip airfare and hotel accommodations.

Philadelphia Eagles’ quarter back Donovan McNabb’s 3-yard touchdown pass to Terrell Owens against the New York Giants was voted last week’s winner of the “LEVITRA^â PLAY OF THE WEEK” by the fans at NFL.com.

For details and video of this week’s nominees, past winners and the results of fan voting, log onto NFL.com.

In July 2003, Bayer Pharmaceutical Corporation (Bayer) & GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), co-marketers of LEVITRA  (vardenafil HCI), a prescription medicine that is used to treat erectile dysfunction (ED), announced their groundbreaking sponsorship of the NFL.

Week 2 Nominees

Mike Brown, S- Chicago Bears- 95-yard fumble return for touchdown

With less than two minutes to play in the first half of Chicago’s road victory over the NFC North-rival Green Bay Packers, Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher stripped the football from Packers running back Ahman Green.  Bears safety Mike Brown scooped up the ball and raced 95-yards for a touchdown to give Chicago a 14-3 halftime lead. Brown set a team record with his fifth career defensive touchdown and recorded the second-longest fumble return in team history. The Bears went on to win 21-10. 

Brady Smith, DE- Atlanta Falcons- Forced fumble and recovery for touchdown

With his team leading by seven points in the fourth quarter, Atlanta Falcons defensive end Brady Smith stripped St. Louis Rams quarterback Marc Bulger of the ball in the end zone and maintained possession for a Falcons touchdown.  Smith was credited with a sack, forced fumble, fumble recovery and touchdown on the play, as he helped Atlanta to a 34-17 victory.

Roy Williams, WR- Detroit Lions- 14-yard touchdown pass from Joey Harrington

With 4:41 remaining in the game and his team leading 21-16, rookie wide receiver Roy Williams sealed Detroit’s second victory by hauling in a 14-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Joey Harrington. Williams extended for the pass in the front corner of the endzone and kept both feet inbounds as he secured the ball.  The catch was Williams’ second touchdown of the game, and his four receptions for 73 yards were critical in the Lions’ 28-16 win over the Houston Texans.

Chris McAlister, CB- Baltimore Ravens- 51-yard interception return for touchdown

With 4:10 left in the game and the Pittsburgh Steelers trying to rally from a 23-13 deficit, Ravens’ cornerback Chris McAlister stepped in front of rookie quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s pass and raced 51-yards down the sideline for a touchdown. Baltimore’s 30-13 victory over the Steelers improved the Ravens to 1-1 on the season.

Nick Harper, CB- Indianapolis Colts- Interception in end zone

On fourth down, with the game tied at 17-17 in the fourth quarter, Tennessee Titans quarterback Steve McNair fired a pass into the end zone to wide receiver Derrick Mason. As Mason gathered in the pass for the would-be go-ahead score, Indianapolis Colts cornerback Nick Harper wrestled the ball from his grasp for an interception and touchback.  The Colts would score on the ensuing drive, giving them a 24-17 lead en route to a 31-17 victory.

About LEVITRA

LEVITRA is a prescription medicine that is used to treat erectile dysfunction (ED). Men taking nitrate drugs, often used to control chest pain (also known as angina), should not take LEVITRA. Men who use alpha blockers, sometimes prescribed for high blood pressure or prostate problems, also should not take LEVITRA. Such combinations could cause blood pressure to drop to an unsafe level.

You should not take LEVITRA if your doctor determines that sexual activity poses a health risk for you. Men who experience an erection for more than four hours should seek immediate medical attention. LEVITRA does not protect against sexually transmitted diseases.  

The starting dose of LEVITRA is 10 mg taken no more than once per day. Your doctor will decide the dose that is right for you. In patients taking certain medications such as ritonavir, indinavir, ketoconazole, itraconazole, and erythromycin, lower doses of LEVITRA are recommended, and time between doses of LEVITRA may need to be extended.

In clinical trials, the most commonly reported side effects were headache, flushing, and stuffy or runny nose. LEVITRA is available in 2.5-mg, 5-mg, 10-mg, and 20-mg tablets.

About Erectile Dysfunction

The consistent or recurrent inability of a man to attain and/or maintain a penile erection sufficient for sexual performance¹ – is a common health condition among men that is largely untreated.  It is estimated that some degree of ED affects more than one half of all men over the age of 40²– 152 million men worldwide³ and 30 million men in the United States alone.⁴

Despite the high prevalence of sexual problems, nine out of 10 men in the U.S. have not yet sought treatment from a physician.⁵

1. Jardin A, Wagner G, Khoury S, et al. Recommendations of the 1^st International Consultation on Erectile Dysfunction.  Co-sponsored by the World Health Organization (WHO), International Consultation on Urological Diseases (ICUD) and Societe Internationale d’Urologie (SIU) and held July 1-3, 1999, Paris. 2000, p. 713.

2. Feldman HA, Goldstein I, Hatzichristou DG, et al. Impotence and its medical and psychosocial correlates: results of the Massachusetts Male Aging Study. J Urol 1994;151:54-61.

3. Aytac IA, McKinlay JB, Krane RI. The likely worldwide increase of erectile dysfunction between 1995 and 2025 and some possible policy consequences. BJU Int 1999;84:50-56

4. National Institutes of Health, Consensus Development Conference Statement, December 7-9, 1992. Online data: http://odp.od.nih.gov/consensus/cons/091/091_statement.htm. (accessed 8/26/02).

5. Laumann EO, Paik A, Rosen RC. Sexual dysfunction in the United States: prevalence and predictors.  JAMA 1999;281:537-544.

About Bayer Pharmaceuticals Corporation
Bayer Pharmaceuticals Corporation (www.bayerpharma.com) is part of the worldwide operations of Bayer HealthCare AG, a subgroup of Bayer AG. Bayer HealthCare, with sales of approximately 8.9 billion Euro in 2003, is one of the world’s leading, innovative companies in the health care and medical products industry. The company combines the global activities of the divisions Animal Health, Biological Products, Consumer Care, Diagnostics Professional Testing Systems and Diagnostics Self Testing Systems and Pharmaceuticals. 34,600 people are employed by Bayer HealthCare worldwide.

Our aim is to discover and manufacture innovative products that will improve human and animal health worldwide. Our products enhance well-being and quality of life by diagnosing, preventing and treating disease.

Forward Looking Statement

This news release contains forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer Group management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in Bayer’s public reports filed with the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (including its Form 20-F).  Bayer assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.

About GSK

GlaxoSmithKline – one of the world’s leading research-based pharmaceutical and healthcare companies – is committed to improving the quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer.

For more information about LEVITRA, please visit www.LEVITRA.com.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                      CONTACT:
NFL-65                      9/21/04                                                     MATT HILL, NFL, 212-450-2080
                                                                                                Hillm@nfl.com

DAVE DECECCO, PEPSI-COLA, 914-253-2655
            David.DeCecco@pepsi.com                              

SEAHAWKS S MICHAEL BOULWARE, JETS S ERIK COLEMAN,
EAGLES KR J.R. REED, JAGUARS WR ERNEST WILFORD
& LIONS WR ROY WILLIAMS

CANDIDATES FOR PEPSI NFL ROOKIE OF THE WEEK HONORS

Fans To Vote For Winner On NFL.com

Safety MICHAEL BOULWARE of the Seattle Seahawks, safety ERIK COLEMAN of the New York Jets, kick returner J.R. REED of the Philadelphia Eagles, wide receiver ERNEST WILFORD of the Jacksonville Jaguars and wide receiver ROY WILLIAMS of the Detroit Lions are the finalists for PEPSI NFL ROOKIE OF THE WEEK honors for games played on September 19-20, the NFL announced today. 

Fans can vote for one of these five players on NFL.com beginning Tuesday morning and ending on Thursday to determine the PEPSI NFL ROOKIE OF THE WEEK.  The PEPSI NFL ROOKIE OF THE WEEK will be announced Thursday afternoon on NFL.com.

After the regular season, five players will be nominated for Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year honors.  Fans can vote for the winner on NFL.com throughout the month of January.  The winner will be announced at a press conference at Super Bowl XXXIX in Jacksonville.

A closer look at the finalists:

• Seattle’s Michael Boulware recorded one tackle and one interception in the Seahawks’ 10-6 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  Boulware’s interception came on the Buccaneers’ final possession with 1:03 remaining and was his second interception in as many games.
• New York Jets’ Erik Coleman recorded four tackles, one interception and one fumble recovery in the Jets’ 34-28 win over the San Diego Chargers.  Coleman’s interception was his second of the season and led to a Curtis Martin touchdown run that put the Jets up 14-0 in the first quarter.
• Philadelphia’s J.R. Reed returned four kickoffs for 126 yards in the Eagles 27-16 victory over the Minnesota Vikings.  Reed’s 46-yard return to start the third quarter helped set up an Eagles touchdown and his 43-yard return late in the fourth quarter helped put the Eagles in position for David Akers’ 47-yard field goal to seal the win.
• Jacksonville’s Ernest Wilford once again caught the game-winning touchdown pass for the Jaguars in a 7-6 victory over the Denver Broncos.  A week after scoring a touchdown as time expired in a win over Buffalo, Wilford caught a 12-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Byron Leftwich in the second quarter that proved to be the difference in the game.
• Detroit’s Roy Williams caught four passes for 73 yards and two touchdowns as the Lions defeated the Houston Texans 28-16.  On Williams’ second touchdown catch of the game, the 6-3 receiver was at full extension in the front corner of the endzone, yet managed to keep both feet inbounds.

This is Pepsi’s third year as the official soft drink sponsor of the NFL.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                      CONTACT:
NFL-64                      9/21/04                                                     Matt Hill, NFL, 212-450-2080
                                                                                                 Hillm@NFL.com

Howard Clabo, FedEx, 901-434-7786
            Howard.Clabo@fedex.com                           

SAINTS QB AARON BROOKS, COLTS QB PEYTON MANNING

 & JETS QB CHAD PENNINGTON; PANTHERS RB DE SHAUN FOSTER,
COLTS RB EDGERRIN JAMES & BEARS RB THOMAS JONES
CANDIDATES FOR FEDEX AIR & GROUND
NFL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK HONORS

Fans To Vote For Winners On NFL.com

Quarterbacks AARON BROOKS of the New Orleans Saints, PEYTON MANNING of the Indianapolis Colts and CHAD PENNINGTON of the New York Jets are the finalists for FedEx Express NFL Player of the Week honors for games played on September 19-20, while running backs DE SHAUN FOSTER of the Carolina Panthers, EDGERRIN JAMES of the Indianapolis Colts and THOMAS JONES of the Chicago Bears are the finalists for FedEx Ground NFL Player of the Week honors, the NFL announced today.

Fans can vote for one player in each category on NFL.com from Tuesday morning through noon on Thursday to determine the FedEx Air & Ground NFL Players of the Week.  The FedEx Air & Ground NFL Players of the Week will be announced Thursday on NFL.com and Friday in USA Today. 

Fans will be voting for more than their favorite player.  The weekly FedEx Air & Ground NFL Players of the Week Awards are a win for the local community.  Along with the award, FedEx will donate $5,000 every week to the local children’s hospital in each winning market.  The children’s hospitals in the two season-long winner’s markets, announced at this year’s Super Bowl, will be awarded $25,000 each.  That means that FedEx will deliver nearly $250,000 to local children’s hospitals around the country in recognition of the FedEx Air & Ground NFL Players of the Week Award winners. 

A closer look at the FedEx Express NFL Player of the Week finalists:

• New Orleans’ Aaron Brooks completed 25 of 34 attempts for 279 yards and three touchdowns for a passer rating of 127.0 in the Saints’ 30-27 win over the San Francisco 49ers.  Brooks capped off his performance with a 16-yard, game-winning touchdown pass to Donte' Stallworth, with 1:01 remaining in the game.
• Indianapolis’ Peyton Manning passed for 254 yards and two touchdowns, completing 24 of 33 attempts for a 115.0 passer rating in the Colts’ 31-17 victory over the AFC South-rival Tennessee Titans.    
• The New York Jets’ Chad Pennington completed 22 of 29 passes for 258 yards and two touchdowns for a passer rating of 125.4 in the Jets’ 34-28 win over the San Diego Chargers. 

A closer look at the FedEx Ground NFL Player of the Week finalists:

• Carolina’s DeShaun Foster rushed for 174 yards and one touchdown on 32 carries in the Panthers’ 28-17 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.  Foster’s performance included a team-record 71-yard run. 
• Indianapolis’ Edgerrin James carried 21 times for 124 yards and two touchdowns in the Colts’ 31-17 win over the AFC South-rival Tennessee Titans.  With the score tied 17-17 midway through the fourth quarter, James scored touchdowns on consecutive drives to ice the game.
   

·         Chicago’s Thomas Jones rushed for 152 yards on 23 carries with one touchdown in the Bears’ 21-10 win over the NFC North-rival Green Bay Packers.  Jones’ longest run of the day was 54 yards. 

FedEx, the premier global provider of transportation, e-commerce and supply-chain management services, is the Official Delivery Service Sponsor of the NFL, Super Bowl and Pro Bowl.  Through the weekly FedEx Air and Ground Awards, FedEx recognizes those NFL players who represent the same speed, precision and teamwork that their customers have come to expect from the full range of FedEx air, ground, freight and international shipping services.