Every Nebraska Football Player to Appear in the Super Bowl

Super Bowl LX is a tough game to find a rooting interest for die-hard Nebraska football fans.

The final game of the NFL's 2025-26 season concludes with no active rostered Nebraska football players on the New England Patriots or the Seattle Seahawks rosters. The Patriots do employ practice squad guard Brandon Jaimes, while the Seattle Seahawks have O'Neill native and former special teams walk-on Jake Peetz as the franchise's pass game coordinator.

However, the biggest game in sports has had many ties to Nebraska football through its 60-year run of title games between the AFC and NFC. In the 59 former Super Bowls to date, there have been 82 rostered appearances involving 62 former Husker football players. That includes 43 title games featuring at least one rostered Husker. Here's a look at some of the significant contributors from past Super Bowl Sundays. All former Huskers that participated in past Super Bowls are listed in bold.

Minnesota Vikings center Mick Tingelhoff (53) and quarterback Norm Snead at the line of scrimmage during a pre-season game against the San Diego Chargers at San Diego Stadium. | Manny Rubio-Imagn Images

It took six tries before a Nebraska alum would earn a Super Bowl ring despite several Cornhuskers playing in the first iterations of the NFL/AFL championship contest. Nebraska was represented in the second Super Bowl as safety Warren Powers and cornerback Kent McCloughan were starters for the Oakland Raiders in the 33-14 loss to the Green Bay Packers.

Center Mick Tingelhoff would begin his string of four appearances in Super Bowls in 1970 for the Minnesota Vikings, but would fail to earn a title in each appearance from 1970, 1974, 1975, and 1977. Fellow Vikings Joe Blahak and Rik Doug Dumler would join Tinglehoff in title game losses in 1975 and 1977, respectively. Likewise, a host of Washington Redskins defenders failed to overcome the unbeaten Miami Dolphins in 1973, featuring three former Huskers - defensive end Ron McDole and cornerbacks Pat Fischer and Ted Vactor.

In Super Bowl XI, the Raiders would put down the Vikings 32-14 and include the first NFL championship victory for a Nebraska football alum, as linebackers Rik Bonness and Monte Johnson would earn the title along with backup quarterback Dave Humm. The 1977 championship would end Tingelhoff's Super Bowl appearances, giving him the most all-time by a former Cornhusker with four.

San Francisco 49ers running backs Roger Craig (33) and Tom Rathman (44) celebrate against the Minnesota Vikings during the 1988 NFC Divisional Playoff game at Candlestick Park. The 49ers defeated the Vikings 34-9. | MPS-Imagn Images

The 1980s' Super Bowls brought more Huskers back to the NFL's biggest game after a three-year hiatus as the Los Angeles Rams Vince Ferragamo and George Andrews fell to the Pittsburgh Steelers to open the new decade. The following year, Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Ray Phillips could not overcome fellow linebacker Bob Nelson's Oakland Raiders in 1981 in Super Bowl XV. The start of the San Francisco 49ers' dynasty in the decade began in 1982, as linebacker Willie Harper helped secure the Bay Area's first championship over Cincinnati Bengals reserve nose tackle's Rod Horn.

Nebraska football saw a new string of championship victories continue with Humm and Nelson securing a second Super Bowl victory in 1984 as the now Los Angeles Raiders took down Washington 38-9 in Super Bowl XVIII. Running back and future NFL Hall of Famer Roger Craig would begin his first of three championships the following season, as the 49ers would beat defensive end Bill Barnett's Miami Dolphins, and Craig would become the first Husker to score in a Super Bowl. In Super Bowl XIX, Craig would set the single-game Super Bowl record for touchdowns (three) and points (18).

During a brief San Francisco Super Bowl sabbatical, two more Huskers would win titles as Chicago Bears defensive tackle Henry Waechter and Washington Redskins cornerback Brian Davis would topple Irving Fryar's New England Patriots and the Denver Broncos in the 1986 and 1988 Super Bowls, respectively. Craig would return to his championship title run in 1989, as fullback Tom Rathman would join the 49ers to create a Nebraska backfield, securing championships in back-to-back seasons. The 49ers would win over defensive end Jim Skow's Cincinnati Bengals in 1989, then take down Marc Munford's Denver Broncos the following season. Tight end Jamie Williams would join San Francisco for the Super Bowl XXIV title.

Denver Broncos Defensive End #90 Neil Smith and Linebacker John Mobley pressure Green Bay Packers Quarterback Brett Favre — Denver Broncos Defensive End #90 Neil Smith and Linebacker #51 John Mobley pressure Green Bay Packers Quarterback #4 Brett Favre during Super Bowl XXXII at Qualcomm Stadium. The Broncos defeated the Packers 31-24 giving the Broncos their first Super Bowl victory. | RVR Photos-Imagn Images

The 1990s would have fewer featured Huskers, despite coinciding with one of Nebraska football's most dominant runs in college football. Following the San Francisco/Denver Super Bowl in 1990, a Cornhusker would return to the title game four years later in 1994 as reserve running back Nate Turner and the Buffalo Bills would fall to the Dallas Cowboys. The losing skid continued for former Huskers as defensive tackle John Parrella would fall to the 49ers in 1995, while Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Donta Jones and guard Brenden Stai would fall in 1996 to the Cowboys.

A Super Bowl championship returned to Nebraska alumni in 1997 as running back Calvin Jones and cornerback Tyrone Williams would claim the Super Bowl XXXI title with the Green Bay Packers. Those Packers would fall to Denver in 1998, as defensive end Neil Smith would go on back-to-back title runs with the Broncos. Cornerback Tony Veland would join Smith in the title in 1998, as Smith's Broncos would take down cornerback Michael Booker's Atlanta Falcons in 1999.

The first Super Bowl of the new millennium included two former Huskers, as Tennessee Titans linebacker Doug Colman fell to defensive end Grant Wistrom and the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXIV.

New England Patriots offensive lineman (71) Russ Hochstein blocks after the snap during the gam against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

The winners in Super Bowls of the 2000s from former Huskers included only one name, guard Ross Hochstein, as the New England Patriots began their first run of championships in 2004. Prior to the title in 2004, defensive end Christian Peter would begin the Cornhusker Super Bowl losing skid in 2001 as the New York Giants fell to the Baltimore Ravens in Super Bowl XXXV. Wistrom would lose his second Super Bowl appearance in 2002, while defensive tackle John Parrella, center Adam Treu, and reserve defender Eric Johnson's Oakland Raiders would fall in 2003 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Hochstein would secure the Super Bowl XXVIII title over Mike Minter and Mike Rucker's Carolina Panthers in 2004, as the guard would go back-to-back with a win in 2005 over the Philadelphia Eagles. Kicker Josh Brown and Wistrom would fall the following year in Super Bowl XL as members of the Seattle Seahawks.

Nebraska alums would end the decade on a losing slide, with Hochstein and defensive tackle LeKevin Smith dropping the title game in 2008, cornerback Ralph Brown falling in 2009 with the Arizona Cardinals, and linebacker Cody Glenn dropping Super Bowl XLVI with the Indianapolis Colts. In that same Super Bowl in 2010, Nebraska alums would end the losing skid as New Orleans Saints' starters Scott Shanle and Carl Nicks earned the NFL championship.

New York Giants cornerback Prince Amukamara (20) runs the ball after an interception against the Washington Redskins during the second half at FedEx Field. | Brad Mills-Imagn Images

The 2010s continued the Super Bowl winning streak set by Shanle and Nicks as running back Brandon Jackson aided the Packers to their fourth Super Bowl title in Super Bowl XLV in 2011, followed by cornerback Prince Amukamara's championship with the New York Giants in 2012. Punter Sam Koch secured a second championship for the Baltimore Ravens in 2013, walking off the contest with an intentional safety to put the Ravens ahead 34-31 in the game's final moments.

The Super Bowl would not feature a former Husker for back-to-back title games, but a Nebraska alum would return in 2017 as defensive tackle Vincent Valentine would win another championship for the New England Patriots. Linebacker Nate Gerry would take down running back Rex Burkhead's Patriots the following season.

In Super Bowl LIII, another Husker-on-Husker rematch would take place as Burkhead would battle defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh and the Los Angeles Rams, with the former winning the 2019 showdown 13-3. Former quarterback turned quarterbacks coach Zac Taylor would be an assistant for the Rams in the Super Bowl loss, eventually appearing as the head coach for the Bengals in Super Bowl LVI.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Lavonte David (54) celebrates a play against the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV at Raymond James Stadium. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Following a no-show Nebraska appearance in 2020, Suh, defensive tackle Khalil Davis, and linebacker Lavonte David would join forces in 2021 on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to secure a hometown title for the Bucs in Super Bowl LV over the Kansas City Chiefs.

Despite the early decade success for Nebraska alums, a former Husker would not secure another Super Bowl title from 2022 through 2025, as receiver Stanley Morgan Jr. would fall with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2022, tight end Jack Stoll, center Cam Jurgens, Suh, and the Eagles would drop in 2023, and linebacker Randy Gregory would fail to take down the Chiefs in 2024.

Jurgens, a Beatrice native, would reclaim a Super Bowl for Philadelphia in 2025 as the center was a key force in the Eagles' 40-22 domination over Kansas City in Super Bowl LIX. With one more appearance in a Super Bowl, Jurgens would tie for the second-most appearances as a Nebraska alum, joining Suh and Hochstein.

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