Ever wonder which schools have had the most offensive players in the Super Bowl by position? If so, you're in luck because this piece breaks down each offensive position by the top three schools. Grab a beer, take a look at the players and waste some time as you wait for Super Bowl LI's kickoff.
As a bonus you will find information on all of Ohio State's offensive starters in the Super Bowl.
| Rank | School | Number of players to Start |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ALABAMA | 3 (B. Starr, J. Namath, K. Stabler) |
| 1 | CAL | 3 (J. Kapp, C. Morton, A. Rodgers) |
| 1 | NOTRE DAME | 3 (D. Lamonica, J. Theismann, J. Montana) |
| 1 | PURDUE | 3 (L. Dawson, B. Griese, D. Brees) |
Ohio State has never had a quarterback start in the Super Bowl.
| RANK | SCHOOL | NUMBER OF PLAYERS TO START |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ILLINOIS | 4 (B. Brown, P. Pearson, P. Thomas, R. Mendenhall) |
| 1 | MIAMI | 4 (P. Banaszak, C. Foreman, E. James, F. Gore) |
| 3 | OHIO STATE | 3 (M. Snell, T. Matte, E. George) |
| 3 | ALABAMA | 3 (T. Nathan, B. Humphrey, S. Alexander) |
| 3 | AUBURN | 3 (J. Brooks, S. Davis, B. Jacobs) |
| 3 | CAL | 3 (M. Lynch, S. Vereen, CJ Anderson |
| 3 | OKLAHOMA STATE | 3 (W. Garrison, T. Thomas, O. Anderson) |
| 3 | USC | 3 (M. Garrett, M. Allen, R. Bush) |
Matt Snell and Tom Matte started for opposing teams in Super Bowl III. Snell and the Jets defeated Matte's Colts 16-7 giving the AFC its first Super Bowl title.
Eddie George scored twice and as the Titans came up just short of defeating the Rams in Super Bowl XXXIV.
Eddie George is the only Ohio State player to score two touchdowns in the same Super Bowl.
| RANK | SCHOOL | NUMBER OF PLAYERS TO START |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | STANFORD | 5 (C. Buford, T. Hill, J. Lofton, E. McCaffrey, D. Baldwin) |
| 1 | FLORIDA | 5 (C. Collinsworth, R. Nattiel, E. Mills, I. Hilliard, D. Jackson) |
| 1 | MIAMI | 5 (B. Miller, E. Brown, M. Irvin, K. Williams, R. Wayne) |
| 1 | MICHIGAN STATE | 5 (G. Washington, M. Ingram, A. Rison, M. Muhammad, P. Burress) |
Ohio State is just off of the list with four wide receivers to start in the big game.
Paul Warfield started in three Super Bowls with the Miami Dolphins and won two rings.
The second Buckeye receiver to start in the Super Bowl was Terry Glenn. His Patriots lost to the Packers 35-21 in SB XXXI.
Santonio Holmes is the only Ohio State player to earn Super Bowl MVP honors. His heroics in the game-winning drive of Super Bowl XLIII gave the Steelers a 27-23 victory over the Cardinals.
Ted Ginn Jr. started for the Panthers last year. He finished the game with four receptions for 74 yards. Three of Ginn's catches resulted in a first down.
Philly Brown led the Panthers in receiving yards (80) last year, but is not included in the list above because he did not start in Super Bowl 50.
| RANK | SCHOOL | NUMBER OF PLAYERS TO START |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | GEORGIA | 4 (C. Kay, J. Wiggins, B. Watson, L. Pope) |
| 2 | MICHIGAN STATE | 3 (F. Arbanas, B. Dupree, D. Young) |
| 2 | ARIZONA STATE | 3 (J. Smith, B. Hardy, Z. Miller) |
| 2 | BYU | 3 (T. Christensen, D. Jolley, D. Pitta) |
Like wide receivers, Ohio State just missed making the cut at tight end. John Frank and Jake Ballard represented the Buckeyes and the NFC in Super Bowls.
Frank earned a ring with the 49ers in Super Bowl XXIII and Ballard started for the Giants in the SB XLVI win over the Patriots.
Jake Ballard and the Giants ruined the Patriots run at an undefeated season.
| RANK | SCHOOL | NUMBER OF PLAYERS TO START |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ARKANSAS STATE | 3 (L. Harris, M. Carthon, D. Johnson) |
| 1 | ILLINOIS | 3 (H. Griffith, R. Holcombe, C. Davis) |
| 1 | PENN STATE | 3 (F. Harris, M. Suhey, S. Gash) |
| 1 | SAN JOSE STATE | 3 (C. Harraway, G. White, J. Parry) |
Pete Johnson and Keith Byars represent the Buckeyes as starting fullbacks. Johnson's Bengals came up just short against the 49ers in Super Bowl XVI and Byars' Patriots fell to the Packers in SB XXXI.
Pete Johnson led the Bengals with 36 yards on 14 carries as the starting full back in Super Bowl XVI.
| RANK | SCHOOL | NUMBER OF PLAYERS TO START |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | USC | 6 (B. Svihus, R. Yary, J. Vella, S. Riley, A. Munoz, K. Van Horne) |
| 2 | OHIO STATE | 5 (J. Tyrer, B. Vogel, D. France, J. Lachey, O. Pace) |
| 2 | MICHIGAN | 5 (J. Giesler, B. Paris, J. Elliott, J. Runyan, M. Schofield) |
Ohio State is tied for second with the most offensive tackles to start in the Super Bowl. What is more amazing is that the five Buckeyes all started at left tackle.
Jim Tyrer started for the Chiefs in Super Bowls I and IV. Kansas City lost to the Packers in the inaugural Super Bowl, but bounced back with a 23-7 victory over the Vikings three years later in Tulane Stadium.
Bob Vogel also had two starts in the Super Bowl. Like Tyrer, Vogel experienced a loss in his first Super Bowl and victory with his second. He started for the Colts in the loss to the Jets in SB III and earned his ring when the Colts defeated the Cowboys 16-13 in Super Bowl V.
Doug France started at left tackle for the Rams in Super Bowl XIV. His team led 13-10 at halftime, but were unable to hold off Terry Bradshaw and the Steelers in the 31-19 loss.
Jim Lachey had his start and ring in Super Bowl XXVI. The Redskins defeated the Bills 37-24 in a game played in Minneapolis' Metrodome.
Orlando Pace started in two Super Bowls for the Rams. The Hall of Fame left tackle went 1-1 with the victory coming over Eddie George's Titans in Super Bowl XXXIV.
Orlando Pace celebrates his Super Bowl victory.
| RANK | SCHOOL | NUMBER OF PLAYERS TO START |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BOSTON COLLEGE | 4 (J. Fitzgerald, T. Nalen, D. Woody, D. Koppen) |
| 2 | OREGON | 3 (F. Quillan, R. Cross, M. Unger) |
| 2 | WASHINGTON | 3 (R. Mansfield, B. Bush, O. Kreutz) |
Ohio State has not had a center start in the Super Bowl.
| RANK | SCHOOL | NUMBER OF PLAYERS TO START |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | USC | 6 (J. Vellone, G. Mullins, R. Foster, D. Deese, B. Matthews, D. Lutui) |
| 2 | MICHIGAN | 5 (E. Budde, C. Godfrey, S. Humphries, J. Cocozzo, S. Hutchinson) |
| 2 | IOWA | 5 (C. Merz, J. Niland, P. Laaveg, M. Bortz, M. Yanda) |
Ohio State has had three players start at guard in the Super Bowl.
William Roberts started at left guard in two Super Bowls. His first start was with the Giants in Super Bowl XXV. His team defeated the Bills 20-19. Six years later he started for the Patriots in the loss to the Packers in Super Bowl XXXI.
Alex Boone earned his start with the 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII. His team lost to the Ravens 34-31 and became the first 49ers team to lose a Super Bowl. This game was delayed for 34 minutes after a power outage in the second half. Disappointed for Boone, but glad Jim Harbaugh did not get his ring.
William Roberts shows his pleasure after Scott Norwood's missed field goal in Super Bowl XXV.
