The first Nebraska football players to appear in a Super Bowl were cornerback Kent McCloughan and safety Warren Powers. Both played for the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl II. Since then, the Huskers have had 59 former players make 75 appearances in the Super Bowl, which dates back to 1967. Even more impressive is that at least one Husker has appeared in 24 straight Super Bowls, starting with Super Bowl XXVII.
The man keeping the tradition alive in Super Bowl LI is none other than current New England Patriots defensive tackle Vincent Valentine. He is one of 26 former Huskers currently listed on 17 NFL teams. For reference, Alabama has 42 former players currently listed on 23 NFL teams (per ESPN), which obviously produces better odds (the Crimson Tide have six players in this year’s Super Bowl, after all). Regardless, Valentine’s spot on the Patriots’ squad extended an impressive streak for the Huskers, which is currently the longest in the nation.
https://twitter.com/HuskerFBNation/status/823372712378830848
With that in mind, we’ve compiled a list highlighting every player since Super Bowl XXVIII, but the full list of all Nebraska players in a Super Bowl can be found here.
Super Bowl XXVIII
Dallas Cowboys 30, Buffalo Bills 13
- Nate Turner, RB, Buffalo Bills (Did not play)
- John Parrella, DT, Buffalo Bills (This was Parrella’s rookie season, but he was ultimately released from the Bills for choosing not to take a pay cut.)
Super Bowl XXIX
San Francisco 49ers 49, San Diego Chargers 26
- John Parrella, DT, San Diego Chargers
Super Bowl XXX
Dallas Cowboys 27, Pittsburgh Steelers 17
- Brenden Stai, G, Pittsburgh Steelers
- Donta Jones, LB, Pittsburgh Steelers
Super Bowl XXXI
Green Bay Packers 35, New England Patriots 21
- Calvin Jones, RB, Green Bay Packers
- Tyrone Williams, CB, Green Bay Packers
Super Bowl XXXII
Denver Broncos 31, Green Bay Packers 24
- Neil Smith, DE, Denver Broncos
- Tony Veland, CB, Denver Broncos
Super Bowl XXXIII
Denver Broncos 34, Atlanta Falcons 19
- Neil Smith, DE, Denver Broncos
- Michael Booker, CB, Atlanta Falcons
Super Bowl XXXIV
St. Louis Rams 23, Tennessee Titans 16
- Doug Colman, LB, Tennessee Titans
- Grant Wistrom, DE, St. Louis Rams
Super Bowl XXXV
Baltimore Ravens 34, New York Giants 7
- Christian Peter, DT, New York Giants
Super Bowl XXXVI
New England Patriots 20, St. Louis Rams 17
- Grant Wistrom, DE, St. Louis Rams
Super Bowl XXXVII
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 48, Oakland Raiders 21
- John Parrella, DT, Oakland Raiders
- Eric Johnson, S/LB, Oakland Raiders
- Adam Treu, C, Oakland Raiders
Super Bowl XXXVIII
New England Patriots 32, Carolina Panthers 29
- Russ Hochstein, G, New England Patriots
- Mike Minter, SS, Carolina Panthers
- Mike Rucker, DE, Carolina Panthers
Super Bowl XXXIX
New England Patriots 24, Philadelphia Eagles 21
- Russ Hochstein, G, New England Patriots
Super Bowl XL
Pittsburgh Steelers 21, Seattle Seahawks 10
- Grant Wistrom, DE, Seattle Seahawks
- Josh Brown, PK, Seattle Seahawks
Super Bowl XLI
Indianapolis Costs 29, Chicago Bears 17
- Mike Brown, S, Chicago Bears
Super Bowl XLII
New York Giants 17, New England Patriots 14
- Le Kevin Smith, DT, New England Patriots
- Russ Hochstein, G, New England Patriots
Super Bowl XLIII
Pittsburgh Steelers 27, Arizona Cardinals 23
- Ralph Brown, CB, Arizona Cardinals
Super Bowl XLIV
New Orleans Saints 31, Indianapolis Colts 17
- Scott Shanle, LB, New Orleans Saints
- Carl Nicks, OL, New Orleans Saints
- Cody Glenn, LB, Indianapolis Colts
Super Bowl XLV
Green Bay Packers 21, Pittsburgh Steelers 25
- Brandon Jackson, RB, Green Bay Packers
Super Bowl XLVI
New York Giants 21, New England Patriots 17
- Prince Amukamara, CB, New York Giants
Super Bowl XLVII
Baltimore Ravens 34, San Francisco 49ers 31
- Sam Koch, P, Baltimore Ravens
Super Bowl XLVIII
Seattle Seahawks 43, Denver Broncos 8
- Stewart Bradley, LB, Denver Broncos
Super Bowl XLIX
New England Patriots 28, Seattle Seahawks 24
- Alfonzo Dennard, CB, New England Patriots
- Eric Martin, LB, New England Patriots (Practice squad)
Super Bowl 50
Denver Broncos 24, Carolina Panthers 10
- Zaire Anderson, LB, Denver Broncos (Practice squad)
Super Bowl LI
New England Patriots vs. Atlanta Falcons
- Vincent Valentine, DT, New England Patriots
Erin is the Deputy Editor and Digital Marketing Strategist for Hail Varsity. She has covered Nebraska athletics since 2012, which has included stops at Bleacher Report, Cox Media Group’s Land of 10, and even Hail Varsity (previously from 2012-2017). She has also been featured on the Big Ten Network, NET’s Big Red Wrap-Up, and a varsity of radio shows nationwide. When not covering the Huskers, Erin is probably at Chipotle.
