All 26 Non-QBs Who’ve Managed To Win Super Bowl MVP

You probably won’t be shocked to learn the majority of the players who’ve been named the Most Valuable Player in the Super Bowl earned that distinction for their performance at quarterback. However, there are still plenty of guys at other positions who managed to have the biggest impact on The Big Game.

33 of the 59 players who’ve been named Super Bowl MVP were quarterbacks; Tom Brady was responsible for five of them and is one of the six QBs who comprise the entirety of the list of players who’ve won it at least twice while accounting for 17 of the awards that have been handed out.

With that said, plenty of guys at other positions have managed to take home the Pete Rozelle Trophy, and here’s every single one to achieve that feat ahead of Super Bowl LIV.

Super Bowl V: Cowboys LB Chuck Howley

Chuck Howley currently has a couple of claims to fame. He’ll always be the first non-QB to be named Super Bowl MVP, but his second distinction is pretty bittersweet: he remains the only player on the losing team to earn the honor.

The linebacker forced a fumble and picked off both Johnny Unitas and Earl Morrall, who replaced the legendary QB after he was knocked out of the game with a rib injury.

Unfortunately, his efforts weren’t enough to stop the Colts from beating the Cowboys 16-13, and he said he only accepted the award because it meant he got to take home a Dodge Charger he subsequently traded in for the wood-paneled station wagon he gave to his wife.

Super Bowl VII: Dolphins S Jake Scott

Jake Scott’s MVP win marked the start of an unparalleled run where a non-QB got the nod six years in a row.

The safety kicked things off by helping the Dolphins finish their season at 17-0 with two interceptions in their 14-7 win over Washington, the most notable of which was the one he snagged in the end zone in the fourth quarter before returning it for 55 yards.

Super Bowl VIII: Dolphins RB Larry Csonka

The Dolphins got the chance to defend their Super Bowl crown against the Vikings and managed to do exactly that with a dominant 24-7 win over a Minnesota team that didn’t score its lone touchdown until the start of the fourth quarter.

Larry Csonka was a workhorse for Miami, as he had 145 yards on 33 carries (averaging 4.4 per rush) while scoring a couple of touchdowns to lead his team to victory.

Super Bowl IX: Steelers RB Franco Harris

Franco Harris set what was then a Super Bowl record by rushing 34 times for 158 yards (4.65 per carry), which was more than the Vikings managed to gain on the ground and in the air the entire game thanks to the efforts of the stifling Steel Curtain defense.

The RB also had a touchdown in the 16-6 affair that marked the first of the four Super Bowl wins the Steelers would rack up in the span of six seasons.

Super Bowl X: Steelers WR Lynn Swann

Swann only caught four passes in Super Bowl X, but he certainly made them count when you consider he racked up a grand total of 161 receiving yards in the game (a record that stood until Ricky Sanders finished with 193 more than a decade later).

That included the 64-yard touchdown he scored with less than five minutes to go in the fourth quarter, which gave the Steelers a 21-10 lead and the insurance they needed to beat the Cowboys in a game they won by a score of 21-17.

Super Bowl XI: Raiders WR Fred Biletnikoff

Fred Biletnikoff only had four catches for 79 yards, but three of them were crucial receptions that brought the Raiders near the goal line to set up a few easy touchdowns.

He may not have been credited for a score, but he did enough to get the MVP nod (although he said he thought Raiders QB Kenny Stabler, who threw for 180 yards and a TD, had done more than enough to earn it over him).

Super Bowl XII: Cowboys DE Harvey Martin And DT Randy White

Super Bowl XII marks the only time two players have shared the MVP award, as Randy White and Harvey Martin split the honor for their contributions on defense in a game where the Cowboys got a 27-10 win over the Broncos.

MVP voters actually asked the NFL if they were able to award it to the entire Dallas defense, but they opted to go with White and Martin (who were responsible for some key turnovers and sacks) after being told they weren’t allowed to do so.

Martin became the first DE to win MVP (another would eventually join that club), while White is still the only DT to be recognized.

Super Bowl XVII: Washington RB John Riggins

The Washington offense revolved around John Riggins in this game, as the RB set two new marks to beat in the Super Bowl with a then-record 38 carries for 166 yards (he also added a 15-yard catch for good measure).

He was also responsible for the biggest moment of the game thanks to the 43-yard TD run he exploded for on 4th-and-1 with his team trailing at the start of the fourth quarter to give them the 20-17 lead over the Dolphins.

That ended up being the deciding factor, as Miami was unable to answer and lost by a score of 27-17.

Super Bowl XVIII: Raiders RB Marcus Allen

The Raiders coasted to a 38-9 win over Washington in Super Bowl XVIII, and Marcus Allen was easily the start of the show.

The RB set two Super Bowl records by rushing for 191 yards on just 20 carries—a number significantly boosted by the 74-yard TD run in the third quarter that was the longest rushing play in the history of The Big Game at that point.

He also had two catches for 18 yards, and MVP voters didn’t really have a tough decision to make.

Super Bowl XX: Bears DE Richard Dent

The Bears steamrolled the Patriots in a 46-10 rout in Super Bowl XX, and Richard Dent was a major reason New England had trouble scoring thanks to the two fumbles he forced while recording 1.5 sacks and three tackles.

Dent’s play also helped Chicago dominate to the point where it felt comfortable enough to pull off one of the more memorable plays in Super Bowl history at the time: the rushing TD William “The Refrigerator” Perry punched in from the one-yard line while costing one sportsbook a fortune in the process thanks to the prop bet the score triggered.

Super Bowl XXIII: 49ers WR Jerry Rice

Joe Montana had himself a game by throwing for 357 yards and tossing a couple of touchdowns while leading the comeback that ended with the 49ers beating the Bengals 20-16, but it’s easy to understand why his favorite target won the MVP award.

Jerry Rice had 11 catches for 215 yards (the second is a Super Bowl record that still stands) and also hauled in a TD from Montana during his stellar performance.

Super Bowl XXV: Giants RB Ottis Anderson

Ottis Anderson had 21 carries for 102 yards while scoring a TD in the game that still keeps Bills fans up at night, as the Giants clinched the 20-19 win over the Bills after Scott Norwood’s attempt at a game-winning field goal sailed… wide right.

Buffalo RB Thurman Thomas probably would have won MVP if the kick had been good when you consider he had 135 yards on 15  attempts and scored a touchdown of his own, but it was not to be.

Super Bowl XXVIII: Cowboys RB Emmitt Smith

The Bills were hoping to avenge their loss to the Cowboys the previous year during their fourth consecutive appearance in the Super Bowl, and while they had a 13-6 lead heading into halftime, things fell apart thanks in no small part to Emmitt Smith.

Both of the TDs Smith scored came in the second half, and the Cowboys RB ultimately finished the game with 130 yards on 30 carries and caught four passes for another 26 yards.

The Cowboys ended up scoring 24 unanswered points in the last two quarters and defended their title with the 30-13 win.

Super Bowl XXX: Cowboys CB Larry Brown

A cornerback had never been named Super Bowl MVP before the Cowboys faced off against the Steelers in 1996, but that was no longer the case once the contest wrapped up.

Pittsburgh QB Neil O’Donnell had a pretty brutal game where he threw three interceptions, and Larry Brown snagged two of them in the second half before the Cowboys turned each of those turnovers into the touchdowns that helped them put away the Steelers in the 27-17 win.

Super Bowl XXXI: Packers Returner Desmond Howard

Desmond Howard made a name for himself in the NFL as a kick return specialist, and he showed why that was the case when the Packers and the Steelers met in Super Bowl XXXI.

Green Bay had a 27–14 lead at halftime, but New England got a glimmer of hope after narrowing the deficit to six points toward the end of the third quarter.

However, it was quickly extinguished after Howard returned the ensuing kickoff for 99 yards to the house to help the Packers pull out to the 35-21 lead that stood until the final whistle.

The play was probably enough to earn the MVP on its own, but Howard finished with a total of 154 return yards on kickoffs and also brought back six punts for 90 yards.

Super Bowl XXXII: Broncos RB Terrell Davis

Terrell Davis found himself resigned to the sideline for a solid chunk of the second quarter of Super Bowl XXXII with a migraine that impacted his vision, but that wasn’t enough to stop him from taking home MVP honors.

The Broncos RB had 30 carries for 137 yards and punched the ball into the end zone three times—including the one he scored with less than two minutes to give Denver the 31-24 lead that was still on the scoreboard when they officially vanquished the Packers to give John Elway his first Super Bowl win.

Super Bowl XXXV: Ravens LB Ray Lewis

The Ravens didn’t have much trouble beating the Giants in their dominant 34-7 win, and as the final score suggests, New York had plenty of trouble getting things clicking on offense.

Ray Lewis was as disruptive as ever during a game where he had three tackles of his own, assisted on a couple more, and knocked down four passes while cementing his status as the most formidable defender in the NFL at the time.

Super Bowl XXXVII: Buccaneers S Dexter Jackson

The Buccanneers also rolled to a win over the Raiders with a 48-21 victory in Super Bowl XXXVII, and while that score doesn’t suggest it was close in the slightest, it was even more lopsided than it appears.

Raiders QB Rich Gannon may have posted 272 yards and two touchdowns, but those stats don’t really matter when you’re the same guy who managed to throw five interceptions in a single game—two of which ended up in the hands of MVP Dexter Jackson, who returned the first for nine yards and the second for 25.

Super Bowl XXXIX: Patriots WR Deion Branch

Tom Brady was named the MVP in five of the seven Super Bowls he won, and a couple of his wide receivers ended up getting the nod on those other two occasions.

Deion Branch was the first, as he tied the then-record for the most catches in Super Bowl history with 11 and recorded a grand total of 133 yards as the Patriots eked out a 24-21 win over the Eagles.

Super Bowl XL: Steelers WR Hines Ward

Hines Ward caught five passes for 133 yards in Super Bowl XL, and he was one of the two wide receivers responsible for the biggest moment of the game: the trick play that saw Antwaan Randle El connect with him for a 43-yard TD pass midway through the fourth quarter to give the Steelers a 21-10 lead over a Seahawks team that was unable to respond before the game ended.

Super Bowl XLIII: Steelers WR Santonio Holmes

Santonio Holmes had nine catches for 131 yards in Super Bowl XLIII, and he essentially clinched the MVP award thanks to what transpired during the drive that ensued after Larry Fitzgerald gave the Cardinals a 23-20 lead with less than three minutes to go in the fourth quarter with a majestic 64-yard TD.

Ben Roethlisberger repeatedly targeted Holmes, who snagged two passes to the tune of 14 and 13 yards before grabbing another that went for 40 and brought the Steelers to Arizona’s 6-yard line.

There was less than 45 seconds to go when the duo connected once again as Holmes managed to drag his feet in the corner of the end zone for what ended up being the game-winning score.

Super Bowl XLVIII: Seahawks LB Malcolm Smith

The Seahawks simply obliterated the Broncos in a game where Denver ended up on the wrong side of a 43-8 result.

There were plenty of members of the Seattle offense that made life difficult for Peyton Manning and the Broncos, but none of them stood out more than Malcolm Smith, who had nine tackles, recovered a fumble, and returned a 69-yard interception for a TD.

Super Bowl 50: Broncos LB Von Miller

The Broncos earned a chance at redemption a couple of years after that ugly loss, and they capitalized with a 24-10 win over the Panthers.

Von Miller set the tone for the Denver defense, as he had two strip sacks on Cam Newton (he recorded 2.5 sacks for a combined loss of 27 yards) and six tackles during the successful quest for vengeance.

Super Bowl LIII: Patriots WR Julian Edelman

Super Bowl LIII marked the only other time Tom Brady wasn’t named the MVP of a Super Bowl he won, as that honor went to Julian Edelman.

New England’s 13-3 win over the Rams is widely regarded as one of the dullest Super Bowls ever played, and Edelman’s performance on a night where he tallied 10 passes for 141 yards is really the only notable bright spot from an objective perspective.

Super Bowl LVI: Rams WR Cooper Kupp

Kupp was sidelined with an injury when the Rams lost to the Patriots, but he made up for lost time when Los Angeles got the 23-20 win over the Bengals three years later.

The wide receiver capped off his Triple Crown season with a Super Bowl victory and the MVP award he won by scoring two touchdowns and grabbing a total of eight passes for 92 yards.