TTB: Michigan Wolverines in the Super Bowl

Submitted by Magnus on February 10th, 2021 at 9:43 AM

I apologize for starting a post to link to my own site, but you might find this interesting and I've never seen this compiled elsewhere before (though MGoBlue probably has it somewhere).

I looked back through all the box scores for past Super Bowls to pick out the Michigan skill players and defensive players who recorded statistics in every Super Bowl. I may have missed some guys (I'll be honest: unless you're super famous, I don't know the names of guys who played at Michigan in the 1960s, 1970s, and early 1980s, for example). 

I took those stats and compiled them in one place for my own knowledge and your viewing pleasure.

For example, did you know that Rob Lytle is the only former Michigan player to score a rushing touchdown in Super Bowl history? I didn't. I figured Tom Brady would have scored on a QB sneak from the 1-yard line in one of his 73 Super Bowl appearances.

LINK

If you have any additions, updates, errors, etc., please let me know.

RockinLoud

February 10th, 2021 at 9:48 AM ^

I figured Tom Brady would have scored on a QB sneak from the 1-yard line in one of his 73 Super Bowl appearances.

Oh Magnus you jokester you. 

Some interesting info, nice work!

jmblue

February 10th, 2021 at 12:38 PM ^

Honestly, I think it's time for them to stop counting Super Bowls and just use the year like every other sporting event.  

This isn't because I think Roman numerals are too hard to remember - I know that V is 5, X is 10, L is 50 and all that.  My problem is that I don't remember what year the 40th Super Bowl was, or 43rd, 48th, etc.  If you just tell me the year of that season, I can remember it a lot more easily.

MGolem

February 10th, 2021 at 10:04 AM ^

I was at the most recent Patriots Eagles Super Bowl (Brady's stats listed first on Magnus' site) and it does not get talked about enough. Bill Belichick is obviously a great coach but Brady set the Super Bowl record for yards in that game, threw 3 TDs and zero picks, the Patriots did not punt a single time, and they still lost to Nick Foles. This was also the last game before Patricia was hired by the Lions. How can anyone watch that defensive performance and think this is the guy we want running our team? 

Phaedrus

February 10th, 2021 at 1:29 PM ^

It should also be noted that the next year, with mostly the same players, the Patriots were amazing on defense. Patricia’s bend-don’t-break defenses often broke. I don’t know what the Lions saw in him. He wasn’t an schematic mastermind and he didn’t seem like a player’s coach. The Belichick tree is full of busts so that shouldn’t have been considered a positive. It was an odd hire. 

Perkis-Size Me

February 10th, 2021 at 10:23 AM ^

Very interesting, especially considering that plenty of Michigan players outside of Brady have still made memorable plays in the game. Especially in recent years. 

-Desmond running a kickoff back against the Pats in Super Bowl 31. 

-Manning's sideline pass to Manningham to keep the drive alive in Super Bowl 46. Not quite Manning to Tyree, but still a remarkable play. 

-Graham strip-sacking Brady in Super Bowl 52 to essentially ice the game. 

Michigan Men have still made their mark on this game. 

fishgoblue1

February 10th, 2021 at 10:27 AM ^

So I'm going to get killed for this, but Ryan Mundy and Trevor Pryce didn't finish their college careers at UM, it was WVU and Clemson respectively. 

Claiming them as UM Super Bowl stats is like O$U fans claiming Joe Burrow's Heismen Trophy.

Magnus

February 10th, 2021 at 10:36 AM ^

I don't think you deserve to get killed for it, but they still played at Michigan. Michigan didn't develop them into the players they are, but the fact is, they're former Wolverines who played in the Super Bowl.

Jon Ritchie is another one. He played at Michigan for two years and then transferred to Stanford.

BuddhaBlue

February 10th, 2021 at 10:55 AM ^

Someone on r/cfb posted a link to an article for all colleges. It just gave point totals by school, but didn't break down those totals explicitly. It came up with 30 for UM, which I think jibes with your numbers. 

As it goes with scoring stats, kickers often have a lot to do with it, but in the lead by a good margin was Miami YTM with over 80 points, and then PSU 

oriental andrew

February 10th, 2021 at 11:18 AM ^

So what you're saying is that Michigan Wolverines have recorded counting statistics in every single Super Bowl

 

 

 

 

except for the ones in which they didn't

EDIT: apparently, Michigan players have been on the rosters for 45 of 55 super bowls. The ones in which they did not appear: 2, 4, 9, 11, 26, 27, 28, 30, 32, 48

The early 90s weren't great for Michigan players in the Super Bowl (26 through 30)

Perkis-Size Me

February 10th, 2021 at 5:24 PM ^

Just goes to show the NFL is a total crapshoot. Doesn't matter what school you came from or how dominant you were in college. The NFL is a whole other ball game. 

It's why some guys can get drafted out of D-III and turn into great players, while the top-5 stud from Alabama can flame out after three years and then be out of a job.