Professional NFL players are blessed with an excellent lifestyle that provides them with luxuries which most can only dream about. High-paying contracts, making money playing the game you love the most, and the ability to spend lavishly are all great aspects of being an NFL player. But beyond this, winning the Super Bowl and etching your name in the history of this sport forever are equally important. Every player entering this league has the same goal at heart.
But reaching the Super Bowl means you need a team that has the talent and the willingness to work hard for it. In a team sport and especially like that of gridiron football, individual brilliance matters but it can only get you so far. However, exceptional players will always perform no matter what. And one of the greatest moments to do this is of course during the Super Bowl leading the team to victory.
As American Football has a variety of positions in which an individual can excel, there are some more important than others. For instance, everyone is aware that the most important player on a team is usually the quarterback. If he plays well, there is a good chance of winning the game. Yet, make no mistake, a Super Bowl hero can come from anywhere on the turf even though it may not be the most common position in the game.
Going through the history of all the players who have won this grand award, it is easy to realize that the quarterbacks have completely dominated the Pete Rozelle Super Bowl MVP Award, but you will be amazed to find some unique winners as well. However, one more interesting thing to note is that even if the quarterback wins are not considered, the number of players to have won the Super Bowl MVP from the offense is greater than those on defense.
List of Super Bowl MVP winners by position
Position | Total |
Quarterback | 32 |
Wide receiver | 8 |
Running back | 7 |
Linebacker | 4 |
Defensive end | 2 |
Safety | 2 |
Cornerback | 1 |
Defensive tackle | 1 |
Kick returner/Punt returner | 1 |
As it is quite clear from the above table out of the fifty-seven Super Bowls we have had till now, 32 times the Super Bowl MVP award has gone to a quarterback which is well over half the times. Furthermore, the offensive players also lead the defensive players by a whopping margin of 47 to 10. Intriguingly, only one special teams member won this prestigious award which was when Desmond Howard of the Green Bay Packers lit up the field with his kick and punt returns in Super Bowl XXXI against the New England Patriots.
FAQs
A. The quarterbacks have won a total of 32 Super Bowl MVPs which is the most by a distance.
A. Defensive players have won a total of ten Super Bowl MVPs.
A. Desmond Howard is the only special teams player to have won the Super Bowl MVP while playing for the Green Bay Packers. He had 244 all-purpose yards with one touchdown in Super Bowl XXXI against the Patriots.
A. A total of eight Super Bowl MVPs have gone to wide receivers.
A. The Super Bowl MVP is named after former NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle.