Super Bowl MVPs

Super Bowl MVPs

Malcolm Smith

Bill Frakes, David Bergman/SI

With the Broncos trailing 15-0 but driving in hopes of getting on the scoreboard, Smith nabbed a floating Manning pass and returned in 69 yards for a touchdown late in the first half. Later, Smith recovered a Demaryius Thomas fumble ? another of the four turnovers Denver committed in the blowout title game. Smith joins Ray Lewis (Super Bowl XXXV) and Chuck Howley (V) as the only linebackers ever to win the MVP award.

Joe Flacco

Damian Strohmeyer

Joe Flacco completed 22 of 33 passes with three touchdowns and no interceptions as the Baltimore Ravens defeated the San Francisco 49ers 34-31.

Eli Manning

Simon Bruty/SI

Eli did Peyton one better by securing his second world championship and MVP award on the back of 296 passing yards, 30 completions for 40 tosses and one touchdown.

Aaron Rodgers

Bob Rosato/SI

Rodgers helped banish the ghost of Brett Favre by leading the Packers back to Super Bowl glory, going 24 for 39 with 304 yards and three touchdowns in the process.

Drew Brees

Al Tielemans/SI

In many ways, the New Orleans QB's own struggle to revive his career embodied the spirit of his rebounding city. On his way to lifting both, he completed a record-tying 32-of-39 passes for 288 yards and two touchdowns.

Santonio Holmes

Al Tielemans/SI

Holmes brought down nine receptions worth 131 yards for the Steelers, but what stuck in the memory was his touchdown catch with 42 seconds left that put the Steelers out of Arizona's reach.

Eli Manning

Al Tielemans/SI

Little brother Manning might as well have done a rendition of 'Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better.' Eli brought home a Super Bowl ring and MVP trophy to match his brother's, racking up 255 passing yards and two touchdowns, including a dramatic 83-yard final drive to upset the Pats.

Peyton Manning

Simon Bruty/SI

He had to come from behind to do it, but Peyton finally got the championship that would silence his doubters. Throwing for one touchdown and 247 yards, he picked apart a Bears team that stood between him and his destiny.

Hines Ward

Bob Rosato/SI; G. Newman Lowrance/WireImage

Ward was kicking himself for a dropped TD pass late in the second quarter, but voters remembered the 37-yard third-down pass he caught moments later to set the Steelers up to take the lead. Well, that and his five catches for 123 yards and a touchdown that sealed the game.

Deion Branch

David Bergman, Steven Freeman/SI

It looked like Brady was heading for a third Super Bowl MVP in four years, but Branch had a thing or two to say about that. Tallying 11 receptions?tying Jerry Rice and Dan Ross for most in a single Super Bowl?for 133 yards and setting a new record with a combined 21 receptions in two championships, the receiver couldn't be stopped.

Tom Brady

John W. McDonough/SI; Rich Kane/Icon SMI

Brady put his last round of MVP stats to shame, throwing for 354 yards and three touchdowns against the Carolina Panthers. Oh yeah, he also led a clutch game-winning drive with just over a minute left to play?for the second time in as many Super Bowls.

Dexter Jackson

Robert Beck/SI

Jackson staked his claim as the most valuable player early picking off two passes in the first half, a Super Bowl record. They came late in the first quarter and early in the second to put the Tampa Bay in a dominating position they wouldn't relinquish.

Tom Brady

Damian Strohmeyer/SI

A touchdown and 145 passing yards look at home on an MVP stat sheet, but where Brady really shined was his late-game 53-yard drive that took the Pats from their own 17 into field goal range. After that, the story wrote itself.

Ray Lewis

John Biever/SI

For once, the intangibles were enough to lean voters toward a defensive player as Lewis was recognized for his leadership in a Ravens defense that did not once let the Giants score (New York's lone touchdown came on a 97-yard kick-off return).

Kurt Warner

John Biever/SI

Warner completed 24 of 45 passes for a Super Bowl record 414 yards for two touchdowns and no interceptions in the Rams' narrow 23-16 win over Tennessee.

John Elway

Bob Rosato/SI

Especially since he grabbed the award in '99. The 38-year-old QB threw for 336 yards and a touchdown as he led the Broncos to their second straight Super Bowl victory against Atlanta.

Terrell Davis

Ed Andrieski/AP; Walter Iooss Jr./SI

Davis' 157-yard, three touchdown performance in the big game eclipsed even John Elway. The Broncos running back had 30 carries and his final score proved to be the eventual game-winner. I guess Elway can't really complain.

Desmond Howard

Morry Gash/AP; Al Tielemans/SI

New England looked bound for a revival in the third quarter. That is, until they kicked off to Howard, who returned the ball a record 99 yards to knock the wind out of the Pats' comeback.

Larry Brown

Peter Read Miller/SI; Dave Martin/AP

Once again trailing, this time in the third quarter, Brown stepped up to put the Cowboys right where they wanted to be, snatching picks in the third and fourth quarter and returning them to the Red Zone. Emmitt Smith finished both, making Dallas the second team (after the 49ers) to win five Super Bowls.

Steve Young

Peter Read Miller/SI

Young threw a Super Bowl-record six touchdowns to help the 49ers beat the Chargers 49-26 and earn their fifth Super Bowl ring.

Emmitt Smith

Walter Iooss Jr./SI

Smith completed Buffalo's miserable streak of four trips to the Super Bowl without a win while winning a fourth for Dallas. After trailing 13-6 at halftime, Smith scored twice on 19 of his 30 total carries in an utterly one-sided second half.

Troy Aikman

John Biever/SI

Buffalo led 7-0 in the first half, and it was the only time. Aikman threw for 273 yards and four touchdowns in a rout of the Bills.

Mark Rypien

Walter Iooss Jr./SI

Rypien completed 18-of-33 passes for 292 yards and added two touchdowns to lead the Redskins to their third Super Bowl title. After struggling in a scoreless first quarter, Washington took a 17-0 lead into halftime and never looked back.

Ottis Anderson

Damian Strohmeyer/SI

Norwood's missed field goal stole all the attention, but the Giants' record possession total of 40:33 was essential to holding off the Bills. Anderson's 21 carries for 102 yards were key, as was his one-yard touchdown that finished a 14-play drive that killed a record 9:29 of the third quarter.

Joe Montana

John W. McDonough/SI

It's not easy to choose which Montana Super Bowl to include, because he won the MVP award three times and was brilliant in each game. But in Super Bowl XXIV he was absolutely unstoppable, hitting 22 of 29 passes for 297 yards and five touchdowns in a 55-10 rout of the Broncos.

Jerry Rice

Peter Read Miller/SI

Rice had 11 catches, a Super Bowl record 215 yards, and caught the game-winning touchdown in the 49ers' 20-16 win over the Bengals.

Doug Williams

John Biever/SI

Williams, the first African-American quarterback to play in a Super Bowl, completed 18 of 29 passes for a then-Super Bowl record 340 yards and four touchdowns. Williams won the MVP over running back Timmy Smith, who ran for 204 yards.

Phil Simms

Andy Hayt/SI

Simms set a Super Bowl record with 10 straight completions and finished the game 22-for-25 for 268 yards and three touchdowns in the Giants' 39-20 victory over the Broncos.

Richard Dent

John Iacono/Sports Illustrated

Two sacks and two forced fumbles helped Dent join the exclusive ranks of defensive Super Bowl MVPs. He led a Chicago D that held New England to a record low seven yards rushing and kept them from recording a first down until the second quarter.

Joe Montana

Andy Hayt/SI

Three passing touchdowns (plus one rushing for good measure) gave Montana a Super Bowl-record 331 passing yards as he brought the 49ers back from a second quarter deficit on the way to their second title in three years.

Marcus Allen

John Iacono/SI

Allen ran for a then-Super Bowl record 191 yards on 20 carries, including a brilliant 74-yard run in which he reversed the field on the Redskins and left 11 defenders in the dust.

John Riggins

Ronald C. Modra/SI

Riggins ran for a then-Super Bowl record 166 yards on 38 carries, including a 43-yard fourth-quarter touchdown run that gave the Redskins their first lead en route to a 27-17 win over the Dolphins.

Joe Montana

Vernon Biever/Getty Images

Montana kicked off the Niners' Super Bowl era with 157 yards and a touchdown against Cincinnati. His one scoring pass capped off a Super Bowl record 92 yard drive.

Jim Plunkett

Heinz Kluetmeier/SI

The Raiders rebounded from a first quarter interception when Plunkett found Kenny King for the longest scoring play in Super Bowl history (80 yards). He threw for a total of 261 yards and three touchdowns.

Terry Bradshaw

Walter Iooss Jr./SI

Bradshaw twice rallied the Steelers to rack up 309 throwing yards and two touchdowns. He completed 14-of-21 passes on his way to becoming the career leader in touchdown passes (nine) and passing yards (932) in a Super Bowl.

Terry Bradshaw

Walter Iooss Jr./SI

A personal best 318 passing yards was good, but a Super Bowl record four touchdown passes was better. One with 26 seconds left in the half gave Pittsburgh the lead while an 18-yarder to Lynn Swann sealed the Steelers' third championship in five seasons.

Harvey Martin and Randy White

Walter Iooss Jr./SI

Martin and White are the only players to share the MVP award in a Super Bowl. They combined for three sacks and a fumble in a Dallas defensive line that forced eight turnovers.

Fred Biletnikoff

Tony Triolo/SI

Biletnikoff did everything but score against the Vikings, setting up three of the Raiders' touchdowns on four receptions for a total of 79 yards.

Lynn Swann

Heinz Kluetmeier/SI

The acrobatic Swann caught just four passes, but they were for a total of 161 yards. His 64-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter sealed the 21-17 win over the Cowboys.

Franco Harris

Neil Leifer/SI

Harris ran for 158 yards on the night, and scored a pivotal third quarter touchdown that proved to be the difference as the Steelers withstood a fourth quarter push by the Vikings.

Larry Csonka

Walter Iooss Jr./SI

By the time Minnesota scored?in the fourth quarter?Csonka already had two touchdowns, having opened the scoring on his way to 33 carries for 145 yards.

Jake Scott

Walter Iooss Jr./SI

The only safety to win MVP in Super Bowl history, Scott engineered two picks for Miami, ending Washington drives that could have turned the tables on the Dolphins' one touchdown victory.

Roger Staubach

Neil Leifer/SI

The QB struck back in '72, with Staubach efficiently throwing two touchdowns in just 119 passing yards. Miami couldn't keep up and was hammered 24-3.

Chuck Howley

Walter Iooss Jr./SI

The first non-quarterback to win MVP, Howley made his case with two picks and a forced fumble in a low-scoring game where defense was key.

Len Dawson

Neil Leifer/SI

The Vikings didn't even get on the board until the third quarter, meaning Dawson's one touchdown and 142 passing yards for Kansas City almost did the job single-handedly.

Joe Namath

Tony Triolo/SI

Namath's numbers weren't staggering -- 17-of-28 for 206 -- but he was steady against a very good defense and his confidence was the inspiration for the AFL Jets' historic victory over the NFL Colts.

Bart Starr

Neil Leifer/SI

Starr made it two in a row, for him and for Green Bay, after 202 passing yards and another touchdown eased the Packers past the Raiders.

Bart Starr

Neil Leifer/SI

Two touchdown passes, including a 37-yard throw to Max McGee to take the lead, were enough for Starr to take home the first Super Bowl MVP award and put down the Chiefs.