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USA TODAY
Published 7:27 AM ET Jan.30, 2021
Crafting a list of the greatest players in Super Bowl history is
a near-impossible endeavor. Do you favor the biggest stars? Those who shone
brightest on Super Sunday? The ones
with sustained levels of excellence? While undertaking this fool's errand, I
weighed each consideration, attempting to also make it representative of all
positions rather than skew too heavily toward quarterbacks or offensive players
who more easily show up in the box score (and MVP log).
With that prologue in mind, here's my list of the
55 greatest players in Super Bowl history as we head into Super Bowl LV between the Kansas City
Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers:
44. OLB Mike Vrabel: A consummate Patriot, he played in four Super Bowls and wound up
with three rings. He also racked up 16 tackles, three sacks, a forced fumble ...
and two TDs on two receptions while lining up as a tight end in goal-line
packages. Not bad.
USA TODAY
Crafting a list of the greatest players in Super Bowl history is
a near-impossible endeavor. Do you favor the biggest stars? Those who shone
brightest on Super Sunday? The ones with sustained levels
of excellence? While undertaking this fool's errand, I weighed each
consideration, attempting to also make it representative of all positions
rather than skew too heavily toward quarterbacks or offensive players who more
easily show up in the box score (and MVP log).
With that prologue in mind, here's my list of the
55 greatest players in Super Bowl history as we head into Super Bowl LV between the Kansas City
Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers:
1. QB Tom Brady: The
longtime New England Patriots star has more rings (6) and Super Bowl MVPs
(4) than any other player. His record nine Super Bowl starts – soon to be 10 –
have allowed him to become the game's all-time leader in pass attempts (392),
completions (256), yards (2,838) and TDs (18). Brady aired it out for a Super
Sunday record 505 yards in the Super Bowl 52 loss to the Philadelphia
Eagles following the 2017 season, breaking his mark of 466 set the previous
year. But his Super Bowl 51 effort may be the most impressive given he
orchestrated the greatest comeback in the game's history, leading the Super
Bowl's lone overtime drive against Atlanta after digging out of a 25-point
hole. And yet the book still isn't closed.
2. QB Joe Montana: He's been overtaken in several categories by Brady, who grew up idolizing the man who set the gold standard for Super Bowl quarterback play. Montana went 4-0 on Super Sunday, was named MVP thrice and had 11 TD passes with nary an interception, which explains his remarkable record for passer rating (127.8). And who can forget the methodical, 92-yard TD drive he led – capped by the game-winning throw to John Taylor in the final minute – to win Super Bowl 23?
3. WR Jerry Rice: As you'd expect of the original "GOAT," he's in a class by himself. He owns Super Bowl career records for receptions (33), receiving yards (589) and TDs (8). No one else has more than three TD catches, a total Rice matched in Super Bowl 29. His single-game record of 215 receiving yards made him Super Bowl 23's MVP.
4. QB Terry Bradshaw: He'll always have his detractors. But it was Bradshaw, not the Pittsburgh Steelers' famed Steel Curtain, who showed the way to victory in Super Bowls 13 and 14, taking MVP honors in both games. He was the first quarterback with four Lombardi Trophies, and his nine TD strikes trail only Brady and Montana. And what about the toughness factor? Bradshaw threw the game-winning touchdown in Super Bowl 10 while taking a helmet to the jaw that literally knocked him out.
5. OLB/DE Charles Haley: Count
'em, five Super Bowl rings (two with the 49ers, three with the Dallas Cowboys)
– a figure exceeded only by Brady. Since sacks became official in 1982, Haley's
4½ are the most in the Super Bowl record book. He bagged Cincinnati Bengals QB
Boomer Esiason twice in Super Bowl 23, the Niners' narrowest Super Sunday win.
6. QB Doug Williams: He
only played in one Super Bowl. But all the Washington star did was prove to any
remaining naysayers that a Black quarterback could win it all ... while doing
it on a hyperextended knee ... while throwing four TD passes in an unreal
35-point second quarter.
7. RB Emmitt Smith: The
Super Bowl 28 MVP was the Cowboys' closer that night (132 yards, 2 second-half
TDs) and again in Super Bowl 30. Smith's five rushing TDs are a record, and his
289 rushing yards rank third.
8. QB Eli Manning: We're
not suggesting he's better than big brother Peyton. But Eli is definitely
more deserving of a spot on this list given his heroics in twice winning Super
Bowl MVP honors for the New York Giants with some truly miraculous plays in
upsets of the Patriots.
9. RB Terrell Davis: In
what was arguably the greatest Super Bowl effort by a tailback, he ran for 157
yards and a record-tying three TDs – while combating a migraine – on his way to
Super Bowl 32 MVP honors as the Denver Broncos won their first title. Davis
added 102 rushing yards and 50 more receiving when Denver repeated the
next year.
10. QB Joe Namath: He
was more game manager than gunslinger on Super Sunday and didn't throw a
touchdown in the New York Jets' monumental upset of the Baltimore Colts in
Super Bowl 3. But Broadway Joe was still that contest's MVP, wisely
calling for effective gainers from his backs while delivering on his epic
pregame guarantee and changing the course of pro football history by
vanquishing the NFL establishment.
11. K Adam Vinatieri: His
34 Super Bowl points trail only Rice's 48. None were bigger than the pair of
game-winning field goals Vinatieri drilled for the Patriots to end Super Bowls
36 and 38. He snagged a fourth ring with the Indianapolis Colts in 2006.
12. QB Bart Starr: The
numbers won't wow you – 452 passing yards and three TDs combined over the
course of two games – but the steady hand of the Green Bay Packers great also
clutched the first two Super Bowl MVPs as a capstone to a legendary dynasty.
13. WR Lynn Swann: He
basically built a Hall of Fame career over four Super Sundays. Three of his
four catches (totaling 161 yards) in Super Bowl 10 were of the acrobatic
variety, including the game-deciding 64-yard TD in the fourth quarter, which is
why Swann was the MVP. His three career TD grabs and 364 yards trail only Rice.
14. QB Steve Young: His
six TD passes in the Niners' Super Bowl 29 victory remain a single-game Super
Bowl record. And don't forget, Young collected two more rings as Montana's
backup.
15. MLB Jack Lambert: The
vampire-toothed man in the middle racked up 46 tackles during Pittsburgh’s four
victories and famously chucked Cowboys S Cliff Harris after he taunted Steelers
K Roy Gerela in Super Bowl 10.
16. QB Kurt Warner: With
a break here and there, he'd have three championships instead of one. But credit
Warner for leading the long woebegone Rams and Cardinals out of the wilderness.
And not only did the Super Bowl 34 MVP set a then-record with 414 passing
yards, his 377 yards in Super Bowl 43 and 365 in Super Bowl 36 gave him the
three most prolific passing days in the game's history until Brady's explosions
in Super Bowls 51 and 52.
17. RB Franco Harris: A
four-time champion, nearly half of his career record 354 rushing yards came
when the Super Bowl 9 MVP posted a since-broken standard of 158 en route
to Pittsburgh's first title. Harris' four rushing scores trail only Smith.
18. MLB Ray Lewis: He
was the villain of the week prior to the game, but Lewis emerged as Super Bowl
35's MVP after the dominant 2000 Baltimore Ravens defense shut out the Giants
offense. Twelve years later, Lewis collected more bling in his final ride.
19. DE L.C. Greenwood: His
four sacks of Dallas QB Roger Staubach in Super Bowl 10 represent an unofficial
record since the NFL didn't officially recognize sacks until 1982. Same goes
for the five career sacks of Greenwood, who started all four of Pittsburgh's
victorious Super Sundays in the 1970s.
20. RB Roger Craig: The
Niners' main man in the backfield, he earned three rings as one of the original
do-it-all backs. He piled up 410 yards and four TDs from scrimmage, both
figures good for third place in the Super Bowl record book.
21. OLB Ted Hendricks: He's
usually remembered as a Raider, but the first of Hendricks' four Super Bowl
wins came with the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl 5. None of the defenses he
played on surrendered more than 14 points.
22. WR John Stallworth: Like
Swann, his Steelers wingman, he has three Super Bowl TD grabs, two covering
more than 70 yards. Stallworth's 73-yard TD from Bradshaw in the fourth quarter
of Super Bowl 14 broke the backs of the plucky Los Angeles Rams.
23. RB Larry Csonka: The
workhorse for the Miami Dolphins, including the 17-0 1972 team, his 297 rushing
yards in three games are second only to Harris. Csonka scored twice and had a
then-record 145 yards to net Super Bowl 8 MVP honors and had 112 yards the
previous year when Miami capped its perfect season.
24. WR Julian Edelman: He
owns three rings after his 10-catch, 141-yard showing in Super Bowl 53 earned him the MVP trophy. Two
years earlier, Edelman's epic shoestring scoop of a Brady pass that was
deflected by Falcons CB Robert Alford helped spark New England's epic comeback.
The Super Bowl 52 loss to Philadelphia might have had a different outcome had
Edelman not been sidelined by a knee injury. His 337 Super Bowl receiving yards
trail only Rice and Swann.
25. QB Phil Simms: He
threw 25 passes in Super Bowl 21, and only three hit the ground. Pretty high
bar as the MVP led the Giants to the first of their four Lombardi Trophies.
26. QB Troy Aikman: He
captained the '90s Cowboys to three titles and was named MVP for the first one
in Super Bowl 27 after throwing for 273 yards and four TDs. Aikman's 70%
completion rate in his three appearances makes him the most accurate Super
Sunday passer.
27. S Jake Scott: His
pair of interceptions, including the game-clincher, put a bow on the Dolphins'
perfect season and brought him Super Bowl 7's MVP.
28. OLB Rod Martin: The
only man to pick off three passes in one Super Bowl – Martin thrice victimized
the Eagles' Ron Jaworski in Super Bowl 15 – he got one ring when the Raiders
were in Oakland and another after they moved to L.A.
29. DT Joe Greene: No
one embodies the Steel Curtain Steelers more than Mean Joe, who started all
four Super Bowls in the 1970s.
30. WR Deion Branch: He's
best remembered as MVP of the Patriots' Super Bowl 39 triumph (then
record-tying 11 catches for 133 yards). But Branch may have been even better
the previous year against Carolina, when he snatched 10 Brady passes for
143 yards and a TD.
31. CB Malcolm Butler: He
was an undrafted rookie no-name when he made arguably the clutchest of all
Super Bowl plays by undercutting Seattle Seahawks WR Ricardo Lockette's route
at the goal line to intercept Russell Wilson's pass and turn what seemed near
certain defeat into the Patriots' fourth title. Butler will never be a no-name
the rest of his life ... though he did garner unwanted attention for
essentially being benched by Bill Belichick in Super Bowl 52, a decision that
surely seemed to backfire.
32. OLB Chuck Howley: He's
the only man to win the MVP award despite playing for the losing side when the
Cowboys fell in Super Bowl 5. Howley, who established the Super Bowl career
record with three INTs, won a ring the following year.
33. DT Manny Fernandez: He
had a remarkable 17 tackles and one sack – unofficial totals – in the Dolphins'
Super Bowl 7 win and almost certainly should have been named the MVP.
34. CB Ty Law: His
47-yard pick-six off Warner in Super Bowl 36 helped chart the course for New
England's dynastic run. Law wound up winning three championships with the
Patriots.
35. DT Justin Tuck: His
contributions typically get overshadowed in the Giants' dual victories over New
England. But Tuck was Brady's personal nemesis, sacking him twice in each game.
36. G Gene Upshaw: The
Oakland Raiders stalwart played in three Super Bowls, each in a different
decade. In Super Bowls 11 and 15, he teamed with fellow Hall of Famer Art Shell
– they formed probably the best left side of any O-line in history – to
embarrass both the Minnesota Vikings' famed Purple People Eaters and Eagles
defense as the Silver & Black won their first two titles.
37. CB Mel Blount: The
Steelers' super-sized corner collected a pair of Super Bowl picks and four
rings.
38. CB Deion Sanders: The
original shutdown corner went back-to-back with the 49ers and Cowboys in Super
Bowls 29 and 30, respectively. Sanders picked off a pass for San Francisco, and
the Steelers’ unwillingness to test him the following year was a big reason MVP
Larry Brown snagged two INTs.
39. OLB Von Miller: A
rare defender who won the Super Bowl MVP, Miller was picked as the guy from the
vaunted 2015 Broncos defense to take the hardware home after registering 2½
sacks and two forced fumbles in Super Bowl 50.
40. DE Richard Dent: A
rare defender who won the Super Bowl MVP, Dent was picked as the guy from the
vaunted '85 Bears defense to take the hardware home after registering 1½ sacks
and two forced fumbles in Super Bowl 20.
41. DE Reggie White: Maybe
the greatest defensive end ever, he set the official Super Bowl record with
three sacks of Drew Bledsoe in the Packers' Super Bowl 31 victory.
42. DB Ronnie Lott: The
tone-setting defender of the 49ers’ great teams started at both cornerback and
safety on his way to four championships.
43. T Joe Jacoby: He
was one of only two Hogs to start on the offensive line in all three of the
Redskins' Super Bowl wins. RBs John Riggins (166 rushing yards in Super Bowl
17) and Timmy Smith (204 yards in Super Bowl 22) both had record days running
behind Jacoby and Co.
44. OLB Mike Vrabel: A consummate Patriot, he played in four Super Bowls and wound up
with three rings. He also racked up 16 tackles, three sacks, a forced fumble
... and two TDs on two receptions while lining up as a tight end in goal-line
packages. Not bad.
45. OLB James Harrison: He
picked up a pair of Lombardis in three trips with the Steelers. He also left
his imprint with an unforgettable 100-yard INT return off a Warner misfire –
producing at least a 10-point swing – In Pittsburgh's 27-23 victory over the
Cardinals in Super Bowl 43.
46. TE Rob Gronkowski: No
tight end has ever taken over a Super Bowl, but Gronk came pretty close against
the Eagles, finishing with nine receptions, 116 yards and a pair of scores in a
losing effort. His impact in New England's Super Bowl 49 victory went
beyond six catches for 68 yards and a TD as he thoroughly occupied the
attention of the Seahawks. In Super Bowl 53, his 29-yard reception on a badly
bruised thigh set up the game's only touchdown (a 2-yard run by Sony Michel) on
the following play. And despite playing on a bum ankle that would require
surgery, Gronkowski nearly corralled what would have been a game-winning Hail
Mary on the final play of Super Bowl 46. Gronk is the only tight end with three
Super Bowl TD grabs and his 23 career receptions on Super Sunday are the
most at his position – a mark he can improve while with the Tampa Bay
Buccaneers.
47. C Mike Webster: Another
four-time Steelers champ, he was a tough-as-nails throwback who also handled
long-snapping duties.
48. RB James White: Compelling
case to be made that White, not Brady, should have been Super Bowl 51’s MVP. He
set single-game records with 14 receptions and 20 points (he scored 3 TDs and a
key 2-point conversion in New England’s comeback). White’s 2-yard TD run in overtime
provided the winning margin against the Falcons. He added another 66 yards from
scrimmage and a TD against Philadelphia the next year.
49. WR Max McGee: Love
this guy. After a long night of partying on the eve of the first Super Bowl –
McGee thought he'd be warming the pine for the Packers – he stepped in for
injured Boyd Dowler and scored again. Despite being less than 100%, McGee
caught seven passes for 138 yards and two scores, one a behind-the-back snare.
50. OLB Lawrence Taylor: He
never notched a Super sack, but we're not leaving the two-time champion and
greatest pass-rushing linebacker ever off the all-time team.
51. CB Dwight Smith: He
had a pair of pick-sixes (covering 94 yards) in the Bucs' Super Bowl 37
beatdown of the Raiders.
52. KR/WR Jacoby Jones: He
gets the nod over Super Bowl 31 MVP Desmond Howard as our return ace. Jones had
a strong case to be the Ravens' Super Bowl 47 MVP after posting a single-game
record 290 all-purpose yards, which included a record 108-yard TD on the
opening kickoff of the second half. And that was after he ended the first half
with his only catch of the game – a 56-yard TD.
53. OL Randy Cross: Had
to give the linemen a little more love. Cross was a Pro Bowl guard for the
49ers' first two title teams and moved to center for their third Super Bowl
win, which happened to be his final game.
54. LB Mike Jones: A
journeyman who would have receded into NFL anonymity had he not seized his Super Bowl moment by
making a game-ending, title-saving tackle of Tennessee Titans WR Kevin Dyson
just shy of the goal-line (and a potential game-tying TD) in the Rams' only
Super Bowl victory.
55. P Thomas Morstead: He's
always been a fine punter. But it was the perfectly executed onside kick by the
New Orleans Saints kickoff specialist – the play was designated
"Ambush" – to start the second half of Super Bowl 44 against
Indianapolis that forever minted him as a legend in The Big Easy.
***
Follow USA TODAY Sports' Nate Davis
on Twitter @ByNateDavis
