There are two main goals that most players have when they step onto a football field—win a Super Bowl and make it into the Hall of Fame. Achieving these goals, however, is no small task. After all, making it into Canton is a career-long journey—and there’s no shortage of obstacles between an NFL player and winning a Super Bowl.
What is interesting though—is that there have been quite a few players who’ve done both in one fell swoop! Let’s take a look back through the years at 10 Hall of Famers, who solidified their resume and made their names in the Big Game!
Ray Lewis
Ray Lewis had an illustrious career as the middle linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens, during which he was known for many different things… His nasty, hard-hitting play style, for his vocal leadership style, both on and off the field, and his football IQ.
But what really made Lewis the legend that he is, was the way that he performed in the two Super Bowls he made. During his first Super Bowl appearance against the Giants early in his career, he played a critical role in securing a 34-7 victory for the Ravens. So much so, that his performance earned him Super Bowl MVP honors, a rare feat for a defensive player.
When you factor in the second Super Bowl that he helped the Ravens to in his final NFL season—and the miraculous recovery he made coming back from a torn triceps to do so—it becomes clear how inextricable Ray Lewis’s Super Bowl lore is from the perception of him as a player.
Troy Aikman
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Troy Aikman’s legacy as one of the NFL’s all-time great quarterbacks is inseparably linked to his performances in the Super Bowl. There were a ton of talented, big personalities associated with the 90s Cowboys, but Aikman built his name on me being the captain of the ship that really steered Dallas towards their eventual dynasty status. Aikman set the tone for the entire organization with his cool demeanor during those big games. It seemed like whenever the pressure was the highest that was when his passing became its most precise. While his career statistics are impressive, it was really Aikman’s ability to deliver on the sport’s biggest stage that truly set him apart from his peers and solidified his status as a legend.
Tom Brady
Tom Brady’s NFL career is unparalleled, as it was marked by an unprecedented level of success that has firmly established him as the greatest quarterback of all time. Patrick Mahomes may one day have something to say about that, but for now, it is still indisputable, not just because of Brady’s other-worldly achievements year in and year out, but also because of his ability perform in Super Bowl.
Think about it… With Brady there were so many epic moments of Super Bowl glory. For example, the 28 to 3 comeback against Atlanta. Or knocking off the aforementioned Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs during his epic sunset run with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Number 12’s legacy was made on those kind of moments!
Terry Bradshaw
When you look back at the quarterbacks of yesteryear, obviously the statistical achievements have to be viewed through a different lens. Not only was the play style and general philosophy around the game completely different, there were also a bevy of rule changes through the years that have made accumulating big numbers for today’s signal callers much simpler. Even so, when you look back at Terry Bradshaw’s career, it can be hard to wrap your head around him being considered such a legendary name in the game. Across his 14-season Hall of Fame career, his completion percentage was just 51.9 and he threw 212 touchdowns to 210 interceptions.
But the rub for Bradshaw was that as the quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers, he led his team to four Super Bowl titles in six years during the 1970s, managing to earn Super Bowl MVP honors twice. This gave him the opportunity to showcase his leadership and put his big-play ability on the display on sport’s biggest stage. Safe to say that it was on that Super Bowl stage that Bradshaw really made his name.
Jerry Rice
Jerry Rice’s storied NFL career is an amalgamation of records, achievements, and moments, but it is the way that he showed up for his Super Bowl appearances that made his reputation what it is. The Super Bowl was the perfect opportunity for him to showcase his extraordinary talent, work ethic, and clutch playmaking ability on the NFL’s grandest stage.
Rice’s Super Bowl appearances with the San Francisco 49ers and to a lesser degree, with the Oakland Raiders at the end of his career, not only highlighted his individual abilities, but his unique gift to elevate the rest of his team, something that very few wide receivers are able to do. The counting numbers aren’t too shabby either. He holds the record for most career Super Bowl touchdowns with 8, had an epic 215-yard outing in Super Bowl XXIII when he won MVP honors, and put on display an unmatched consistency in the form of his 33 receptions and 589 receiving yards across four Super Bowls.
Marcus Allen
Marcus Allen might not have had the breadth of Super Bowl experience that some of the other players on this list did, but the legendary Raiders running back did have a heck of an impact during his one appearance, which really put him on the map. In Super Bowl XVIII, Allen’s extraordinary performance, and vision propelled the then-Los Angeles Raiders to victory. He set a record with 191 rushing yards—in part thanks to the epic 74-yard touchdown he broke off that put the Raiders firmly in the driver’s seat and prepared to cruise to victory.
John Elway
John Elway’s journey to Super Bowl success was long and winding, and characterized by perseverance. Before his victories, he had faced disappointment in three separate Super Bowl appearances, each loss more heart-wrenching than the last. However, these setbacks ultimately just served as a table setter for an epic redemption story arc that would later define his legacy. The Broncos quarterback rattled off back-to-back wins against the Green Bay Packers and the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl XXXII and XXXIII, winning MVP honors in the latter, capping off what was an already amazing career, but once that would’ve been undeniably incomplete without those accomplishments.
Derrick Brooks
Derrick Brooks was a cornerstone of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ dominant defense in the early 2000s, but it wasn’t until his epic showing in the Super Bowl against Tampa Bay that he became a true household name. During that game, Brooks was the clear leader of that nasty Bucs defense and his interception return for a touchdown sealed the Oakland Raiders fate. His performance throughout the game was a testament to his dynamic playmaking ability, leadership, and football IQ—and undoubtedly ensured his place in the Hall of Fame.
Franco Harris
While Franco Harris may have been best known for the “Immaculate Reception,” Harris was also a Super Bowl standout, throughout the rest of his career. His performances in Super Bowls IX, X, XIII, and XIV were instrumental in the Steelers’ ascent to the top echelon of NFL franchises. It wasn’t just the Steelers whose reputation was elevated though. By showcasing his ability to rise to the occasion when the stakes were highest, Harris became a household name and one of the most beloved players in the league—with the exception of the fans of the teams he continually dispatched on his championship runs, of course!
Joe Namath
There may be no better example on this list of NFL Hall of Famers than Joe Namath. Broadway Joe’s guaranteed Super Bowl victory over the heavily favored Colts is one of the most iconic victories of all time. It isn’t just the magnitude of that win, but rather, the disparity between the peak of that high and the rest of his career. After all, his counting numbers of 1,886 passes for 27,663 yards and 173 touchdowns, especially compared to his 220 career interceptions, in 12 seasons are somewhat underwhelming.
In fact, I might go as far as to suggest that Namath might not have even been selected to go into Canton if he didn’t deliver on that legendary promise back in 1969… But hey—that’s the great thing about the Super Bowl, an entire career, legacy even, can be made off it.
