Buffs in the NFL: Isaiah Oliver seeking first Super Bowl ring with San Francisco 49ers
It’s been seven years since offensive tackle Nate Solder and the New England Patriots came back from down 28-3 to defeat the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI. Solder is the last former Colorado Buffaloes player to win a Super Bowl ring.
Should the San Francisco 49ers defeat the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII on Sunday at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Isaiah Oliver can add his name to the list of former Colorado Buffaloes players to win the big game.
Here's a look at some interesting numbers involving former Buffaloes in the Super Bowl.
96: Including Oliver, the lone representative in Super Bowl 58, there have been 96 appearances by former Colorado Buffaloes players on Super Bowl rosters. Six players in this year’s Super Bowl hail from the University of Oklahoma, the most of any college program.
4: Two former Colorado players have appeared in four Super Bowls each. Inside linebacker Ted Johnson and Solder each appeared in four Super Bowls with the New England Patriots.
35: The number of former Colorado Buffaloes to win Super Bowl rings. Wide receiver Boyd Dowler was the first to accomplish the feat, winning titles with the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl I & II. He was a key contributor on the NFL's original dynasty of the 1960's
3: Three former Colorado Players have won three Super Bowl titles each. Wide receiver Cliff Branch, the lone Buffaloes player in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, was the first to reach that mark. He captured his first two with Oakland and another with the Los Angeles Raiders to cap off the 1983-’84 season. Offensive tackle Tom Ashworth and Johnson were part of the New England Patriots Super Bowl wins in the 2001-’02, 2003-’04 and 2004-’05 seasons. Fourteen different former Buffaloes have won as least two Super Bowl rings.
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10: The number of former Buffaloes to win back-to-back Super Bowls. Dowler, Dick Anderson (Miami Dolphins), Barry Helton (San Francisco 49ers), Matt Lepsis, Tom Rouen, Alfred Williams (Denver Broncos), Tom Ashworth, Christian Fauria, Daniel Graham, and Ted Johnson (New England Patriots) each won consecutive titles.
Honorable mention: While he didn’t win a Super Bowl as a player, Colorado’s all-time leading rusher Eric Bieniemy has two Super Bowl rings as a coach. He was the offensive coordinator for the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV and LVII. Current Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders also has a pair of rings. He’s one of eight players in NFL history to win a Super Bowl with two different teams. Coach Prime captured his first ring with the 49ers in Super Bowl XXIX and his second the following year with the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl XXX.
The Chiefs and 49ers will battle in Super Bowl 58 on Sunday, February 11. It marks the first time for Sin City to host the big game. Eight-time Grammy Award-winning recording artist Usher will perform the Apple Music halftime show