Did Craig Woodson Have the Best Super Bowl Performance Ever by an Ex-Cal Player?

Even though the New England Patriots lost to the Seattle Seahawks in Sunday’s Super Bowl, it certainly wasn’t the fault of former Cal star Craig Woodson, who had one of the best Super Bowl performances of any ex-Golden Bear ever.

Woodson, a rookie starting safety for New England, was arguably the best defensive player on the field in Santa Clara on Sunday. You could even make a case that he was the best player in that game, period, given the offensive struggles of both teams.

He had 10 total tackles, including seven solo stops, and had three tackles for loss while also recording two passes defended.

Playmaker on the big stage @_CraigWoodson 🐻#GoBears pic.twitter.com/QrEMag6DtU
— Cal Football (@CalFootball) February 9, 2026

The Patriots other starting safety, Jaylinn Hawkins, is also a Cal alumnus, had a solid game as well with five tackles and one quarterback hurry.

But it was Woodson who stood out despite being a rookie.

Was it the best Super Bowl performance ever by a former Cal player?

We ranked the top seven Super Bowl showings of former Golden Bears:

7. Jim Breech

Kicker, Cincinnati Bengals, 1989 Super Bowl

Breech went 3-for-3 on his field goals attempts from 34, 43 and 40 yards, and his 40-yarder with 3:44 left put the Bengals ahead 16-13. But that’s when Joe Montana directed the flawless, 12-play touchdown drive that won the game for the 49ers, 20-16.

6. Shane Vereen

Running back, New England Patriots, 2015 Super Bowl

Vereen rushed for just 13 yards, but he caught 11 Tom Brady passes for 64 yards. Four of his receptions came in the Patriots’ 80-yard drive that ended with what turned out be the winning touchdown with 2:06 to play in the New England’s 28-24 win over Seattle.

5. CJ Anderson

Running back, Denver Broncos, 2016 Super Bowl

The Broncos only had 90 yards rushing in that game, and Anderson had all 90 of them. Plus he had four pass receptions and scored a touchdown on a 2-yard run with 2:06 left that clinched Denver’s 24-10 win over the Panthers, coaching by current Cal general manager Ron Rivera.

4. Marshawn Lynch

Running back, Seattle Seahawks, 2015 Super Bowl

Lynch rushed for 102 yards and caught a 31-yard pass to start what should have been a game-winning touchdown. But Russell Wilson threw that interception on a second-and-goal play from the 1-yard line instead of handing the ball off to Lynch. Had Lynch scored the winning touchdown, he probably would have been named the game’s MVP.

3. Desmond Bishop

Linebacker, Green Bay Packers, 2011 Super Bowl

Bishop had a performance similar to that of Woodson. Bishop had eight tackles, three tackles for loss and a fumble recovery in the Packers’ 31-25 victory over Pittsburgh.

2. Craig Woodson

Safety, New England Patriots, 2026 Super Bowl

Woodson is the only rookie on this list, and that makes his performance special. If the Patriots had put together any kind of offense, Woodson would have received more publicity after recording three tackles for loss and two passes defended.

1. Aaron Rodgers

Quarterback, Green Bay Packers, 2011 Super Bowl

As impressive as Desmond Bishop’s performance was in the 2011 Super Bowl, another Cal alumnus had an even better game. In his one and only Super Bowl, Rodgers completed 24-of-39 passes for 304 yards, three touchdowns, no interceptions and a 111.5 passer rating in the Packers’ 31-25 victory over the Steelers. Rodgers was named the game’s MVP.

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