Grading the Three Greatest Ohio State Player Performances in Super Bowl History

Three former Buckeyes are currently preparing to make their Super Bowl debuts. Thayer Munford Jr. and TreVeyon Henderson are with the New England Patriots, while Jaxon Smith-Njigba is with the Seattle Seahawks.

The Super Bowl is the time where any player can ascend to legendary status, just for making the one play that changes the course of the game. Ohio State fans should have their eyes on all three players, and a head coach, to see who rises to the occasion.

Let’s take a look back at and grade some of the greatest Super Bowl performances a Buckeye has ever had.

1. Santonio Holmes, Super Bowl XLIII, 10/10

The only Ohio State player to ever win a Super Bowl MVP, Holmes easily had the greatest Super Bowl performance in alumni history.

During the game, he caught nine passes for 131 yards. After Larry Fitzgerald put together one of the greatest individual players in Super Bowl History by catching a slant route and taking it all the way to the end zone to put the Arizona Cardinals up with just over two minutes left.

The Pittsburgh Steelers needed a miracle, and they got it with Holmes. He had four catches for 73 yards on their final drive of the game, including a 40-yard gain to set them up in scoring position.

Holmes would then finish the Super Bowl off with one of the greatest catches of all time, hanging onto a ball thrown by Ben Roethlisberger, dragging his toes as he fell out of bounds. The touchdown won the Steelers the game, and Holmes earned his Super Bowl MVP trophy.

2. Orlando Pace, Super Bowl XXXIV, 9.5/10

The Hall of Fame left tackle for the “Greatest Show on Turf,” Pace put together an all-time performance as the Rams took down the Titans.

The Rams offensive line gave Kurt Warner a clean pocket all day long, giving up just one sack on the day. They also had 436 total yards of offense, and they needed it all as they clung on to win decided by one yard for the Titans.

Pace was outstanding all game long. Without him, the Rams offense wouldn’t have been able to soar through the air like they did all season long.

Eddie George, another Buckeye, also put together a great performance for the Titans despite the loss. He had 130 total yards and two touchdowns, but it still wasn’t enough to get past Pace’s Rams.

3. Mike Vrabel, Super Bowl XXXVIII and Super Bowl XXXIX, 9/10

Before Vrabel was leading the Patriots to Super Bowls as a head coach, he was doing it as a linebacker in back to back years. It’s too difficult to pick one performance, so it’s easier to combine them as two legendary defensive performances.

In Super Bowl 38, Vrabel came in as a tight end, where he caught a touchdown pass with 2:51 left to play to put New England up 29-22. The Patriots would end up winning 32-29.

Vrabel also logged two sacks in the game and six total tackles for a dominant performance.

He followed that up in Super Bowl 39, where he caught another touchdown in a 24-21 win. He also had four total tackles defensively, including a sack on Donovan McNabb that forced McNabb to overcompensate later in the drive, leading to a pick.

Vrabel had back-to-back incredible performances, and will be looking to have another as a head coach this season.