Who are all the Super Bowl MVPs? What to know for your prop bet
They’re often known for those five famous words shouted every Super Bowl championship.
“I’m going to Disney World!”
A free vacation isn’t all the Super Bowl MVP typically receives, however. They get a trophy and the knowledge that they’ll live on in NFL history forever.
A superior player has been singled out after each Super Bowl since the game began. Quarterbacks have won the award 32 times in 57 years — by far the most of any position. Wide receivers come in second with eight selections, while running backs have seven. Just a little something to keep in mind when placing prop bets before Super Bowl 58 on Sunday at Allegiant Stadium.
Here is a list of every Super Bowl MVP:
Super Bowl 1: Bart Starr, QB, Green Bay Packers
Starr was the first recipient of this award after throwing for 250 yards and two touchdowns in the Packers’ 35-10 victory against the Chiefs.
Super Bowl 2: Bart Starr, QB, Green Bay Packers
Starr and the Packers went back to back by defeating the Oakland Raiders 33-14. He threw for 202 yards and a touchdown.
Super Bowl 3: Joe Namath, QB, New York Jets
After guaranteeing a victory, Namath threw for 206 yards in one of the most famous Super Bowl upsets of all time against the Baltimore Colts. The Jets won 16-7.
Super Bowl 4: Len Dawson, QB, Kansas City Chiefs
Dawson threw for 142 yards and a touchdown as the Chiefs pulled off the American Football League’s second consecutive upset against the NFL with a 23-7 win against the Vikings.
Super Bowl 5: Chuck Howley, LB, Dallas Cowboys
Howley, who finished with two interceptions, is the only member of the losing team to win MVP. The Colts defeated the Cowboys 16-13 on a field goal from Jim O’Brien with nine seconds left.
Super Bowl 6: Roger Staubach, QB, Dallas Cowboys
Staubach threw for 119 yards and two touchdowns as the Cowboys redeemed their loss from the season before with a 24-3 victory against the Dolphins.
Super Bowl 7: Jake Scott, S, Miami Dolphins
Scott had two interceptions to help the Dolphins cap an undefeated season with a 14-7 victory against Washington. Miami’s defense pitched a shutout, as the only touchdown the team allowed came on a fumble return.
Super Bowl 8: Larry Csonka, RB, Miami Dolphins
Csonka carried the ball 33 times for 145 yards and two touchdowns in the Dolphins’ 24-7 win against the Vikings.
Super Bowl 9: Franco Harris, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers
Harris ran for 158 yards and a touchdown in a 16-6 victory against the Vikings, giving the Steelers the first of their six championships.
Super Bowl 10: Lynn Swann, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
Swann’s four catches went for an incredible 161 yards and a touchdown as the Steelers defeated the Cowboys 21-17 in a Super Bowl classic.
Super Bowl 11: Fred Biletnikoff, WR, Oakland Raiders
Biletnikoff caught four passes for 79 yards in the Raiders’ 32-14 win against the Vikings, the fourth and final of Minnesota’s four Super Bowl defeats.
Super Bowl 12: Harvey Martin/Randy White, DL, Dallas Cowboys
Martin and White are the only players who have shared the MVP trophy. They were recognized for Dallas’ outstanding defensive performance in a 27-10 victory against the Broncos, as the Cowboys forced eight turnovers.
Super Bowl 13: Terry Bradshaw, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers
Bradshaw threw for 318 yards and four touchdowns in another great showdown between the Steelers and Cowboys. Pittsburgh won 35-31 after a late Dallas comeback came up short.
Super Bowl 14: Terry Bradshaw, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers
Bradshaw threw for 309 yards and two touchdowns on 21 passing attempts to lead the Steelers to a comeback victory against the Los Angeles Rams. Pittsburgh scored 14 fourth-quarter points to win 31-19.
Super Bowl 15: Jim Plunkett, QB, Oakland Raiders
Plunkett threw for 261 yards and three touchdowns in the Raiders’ 27-10 win against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Super Bowl 16: Joe Montana, QB, San Francisco 49ers
Montana threw for one touchdown and ran for another as the 49ers beat the Bengals 26-21 for their first championship.
Super Bowl 17: John Riggins, RB, Washington
Riggins rushed for 166 yards and one touchdown as Washington ran away from the Dolphins 27-17.
Super Bowl 18: Marcus Allen, RB, Los Angeles Raiders
Allen ran for 191 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries to lead the Raiders to a 38-9 victory against Washington.
Super Bowl 19: Joe Montana, QB, San Francisco 49ers
Montana threw for 331 yards, ran for 59 and totaled four touchdowns to outduel Dan Marino and defeat the Dolphins 38-16.
Super Bowl 20: Richard Dent, DE, Chicago Bears
Dent had 1½ sacks, forced two fumbles and blocked a pass as the Bears’ legendary 1985 defense defeated the Patriots 46-10.
Super Bowl 21: Phil Simms, QB, New York Giants
Simms completed 22 of 25 passes for 268 yards to set a playoff and Super Bowl record for completion percentage (88.0). The Giants defeated the Broncos 39-20.
Super Bowl 22: Doug Williams, QB, Washington
Williams, the first Black starting quarterback to win a Super Bowl, passed for 340 yards and four touchdowns on 29 attempts in a 42-10 rout of the Broncos. Washington scored 35 points in the second quarter.
Super Bowl 23: Jerry Rice, WR, San Francisco 49ers
Rice caught 11 passes for a Super Bowl-record 215 yards in the 49ers’ 20-16 victory over the Bengals. San Francisco took the lead on a last-minute drive led by Montana.
Super Bowl 24: Joe Montana, QB, San Francisco 49ers
Montana won his third MVP award in his final Super Bowl by throwing for 297 yards and five touchdowns in a 55-10 blowout against the Broncos. The 49ers’ 55 points scored and 45-point margin of victory remain records.
Super Bowl 25: Ottis Anderson, RB, New York Giants
Anderson ran for 102 yards and a touchdown in the Giants’ 20-19 victory against the Bills, though the game is remembered more for Bills kicker Scott Norwood’s field-goal attempt sailing wide right with four seconds remaining.
Super Bowl 26: Mark Rypien, QB, Washington
Rypien threw for 292 yards and two touchdowns to help his team defeat the Bills 37-24.
Super Bowl 27: Troy Aikman, QB, Dallas Cowboys
Aikman threw for 273 yards and four touchdowns in the Cowboys’ 52-17 rout of the Bills.
Super Bowl 28: Emmitt Smith, RB, Dallas Cowboys
Smith rushed for 132 yards and two touchdowns in the Cowboys’ second consecutive Super Bowl win against the Bills. Buffalo lost its fourth straight, this time by a score of 30-13.
Super Bowl 29: Steve Young, QB, San Francisco 49ers
Young threw a Super Bowl-record six touchdowns in the 49ers’ 49-26 win against the Chargers. The longtime San Francisco backup stepped out of Montana’s shadow forever.
Super Bowl 30: Larry Brown, CB, Dallas Cowboys
Brown picked off two passes to help the Cowboys defeat the Steelers 27-17. Dallas hasn’t been back to the Super Bowl, or even the NFC title game, since.
Super Bowl 31: Desmond Howard, KR/PR, Green Bay Packers
Howard returned a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter of the Packers’ 35-21 win over the Patriots. The victory was quarterback Brett Favre’s lone Super Bowl championship.
Super Bowl 32: Terrell Davis, RB, Denver Broncos
Davis ran for 157 yards and three touchdowns despite not getting a carry in the second quarter because of blurred vision. The Broncos beat the Packers 31-24, giving the franchise its first Super Bowl win after four defeats.
Super Bowl 33: John Elway, QB, Denver Broncos
Elway threw for 336 yards and a touchdown in his final NFL game. He retired after defeating the Falcons 34-19 and leading the Broncos to back-to-back championships.
Super Bowl 34: Kurt Warner, QB, St. Louis Rams
Warner completed his Cinderella rise from undrafted free agent to champion by throwing for 414 yards and two touchdowns in the Rams’ 23-16 win against the Titans. A last-second tackle before the goal line saved St. Louis’ victory.
Super Bowl 35: Ray Lewis, LB, Baltimore Ravens
Lewis made five tackles and blocked four passes in the Ravens’ 34-7 win against the Giants. The award could have gone to Baltimore’s entire defense, which allowed just 23 points in four playoff games.
Super Bowl 36: Tom Brady, QB, New England Patriots
Brady, in the first of his record 10 Super Bowl appearances, threw for 145 yards and a touchdown in the Patriots’ 20-17 victory. He led a late drive for New England that set up Adam Vinatieri’s winning field goal as time expired.
Super Bowl 37: Dexter Jackson, S, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Jackson had two of the Buccaneers’ five interceptions in a 48-21 win against the Raiders. Tampa Bay also sacked Oakland quarterback Rich Gannon five times.
Super Bowl 38: Tom Brady, QB, New England Patriots
Brady passed for 354 yards and three touchdowns in the Patriots’ 32-29 victory against the Panthers. He also set up another last-second winner from Vinatieri.
Super Bowl 39: Deion Branch, WR, New England Patriots
Branch caught 11 passes from Brady for 133 yards in the Patriots’ 24-21 victory against the Eagles. New England is the last team to win back-to-back Super Bowls.
Super Bowl 40: Hines Ward, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
Ward caught five passes for 123 yards and a touchdown in the Steelers’ 21-10 victory against the Seahawks. He also had one rushing attempt for 18 yards.
Super Bowl 41: Peyton Manning, QB, Indianapolis Colts
Manning threw for 247 yards and a touchdown in the Colts’ 29-17 win against the Bears, winning his first championship in his ninth season.
Super Bowl 42: Eli Manning, QB, New York Giants
Manning gave Brady a taste of his own medicine, leading a late touchdown drive in the Giants’ 17-14 win against the Patriots. Manning, helped by David Tyree’s famous “helmet catch,” finished with 255 passing yards and two touchdowns.
Super Bowl 43: Santonio Holmes, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
Holmes caught nine passes for 131 yards and a touchdown in the Steelers’ 27-23 victory against the Cardinals. Linebacker James Harrison also played a key role with an 100-yard interception return for a touchdown on the final play of the first half.
Super Bowl 44: Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans Saints
Brees threw for 288 yards and two touchdowns in the Saints’ 31-17 win against the Colts. A surprise onside kick to start the second half also helped lead New Orleans to victory.
Super Bowl 45: Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay Packers
Rodgers threw for 304 yards and three touchdowns in his lone Super Bowl appearance. The Packers defeated the Steelers 31-25.
Super Bowl 46: Eli Manning, QB, New York Giants
Manning beat Brady yet again with another late scoring drive. This time, it was an incredible throw to wide receiver Mario Manningham that powered the Giants to a 21-17 victory.
Super Bowl 47: Joe Flacco, QB, Baltimore Ravens
Flacco threw for 287 yards and three touchdowns in the Ravens’ 34-31 win against the 49ers to cap a near perfect postseason. He threw 11 touchdowns and no interceptions in four playoff games.
Super Bowl 48: Malcolm Smith, LB, Seattle Seahawks
Smith returned an interception for a touchdown, recovered a fumble and made nine tackles as the Seahawks’ “Legion of Boom” defense dominated the Broncos in a 43-8 victory.
Super Bowl 49: Tom Brady, QB, New England Patriots
Brady threw for 328 yards and four touchdowns as the Patriots erased a 10-point, fourth-quarter deficit in a 28-24 win against the Seahawks. Cornerback Malcolm Butler sealed the win with an interception with 20 seconds remaining.
Super Bowl 50: Von Miller, LB, Denver Broncos
Miller had six tackles, 2½ sacks and two forced fumbles in the Broncos’ 24-10 win against the Panthers. Peyton Manning retired after winning his second Super Bowl championship.
Super Bowl 51: Tom Brady, QB, New England Patriots
Brady threw for 466 yards and two touchdowns as the Patriots came back from a 28-3 deficit to defeat the Falcons 34-28. This is the only Super Bowl to be decided in overtime.
Super Bowl 52: Nick Foles, QB, Philadelphia Eagles
Foles, a backup most of the season, threw for 373 yards and three touchdowns in the Eagles’ 41-33 win against the Patriots. He also caught a touchdown on a trick play known as the “Philly Special” on a fourth down just before halftime.
Super Bowl 53: Julian Edelman, WR, New England Patriots
Edelman caught 10 passes for 141 yards in the Patriots’ 13-3 win against the Rams. This was New England’s sixth Super Bowl championship, tied with the Steelers for the most all time.
Super Bowl 54: Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City Chiefs
Mahomes threw for 286 yards and two touchdowns as the Chiefs overcame a 10-point, fourth-quarter deficit to beat the 49ers 31-20. The key play was “Jet Chip Wasp,” a 44-yard completion to wide receiver Tyreek Hill on a third-and-15.
Super Bowl 55: Tom Brady, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Brady threw for 201 yards and three touchdowns in the Buccaneers 31-9 win against the Chiefs. Brady’s five Super Bowl MVPs, seven Super Bowl championships and 35 playoff victories are all records for a player.
Super Bowl 56: Cooper Kupp, WR, Los Angeles Rams
Kupp caught eight passes for 92 yards and two touchdowns in the Rams’ 23-20 win against the Bengals. His second touchdown gave Los Angeles the lead with 1:25 remaining.
Super Bowl 57: Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City Chiefs
Mahomes threw for 182 yards and three touchdowns in the Chiefs’ 38-35 victory against the Eagles. Kansas City erased a 10-point, second-half deficit for its second Super Bowl win in four years.
Contact Ben Gotz at bgotz@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BenSGotz on X.
