Remembering the unlikeliest of Super Bowl MVPs

The Super Bowl is a showcase that allows stars to cement their legacies, but it also has given unexpected players a chance to etch their name in the history books. We’ll fondly look back at the unlikeliest players to win Super Bowl MVP. All statistics are sourced from Football Reference and ESPN.

Given his hot play heading into Super Bowl XLVIII, Nick Foles winning the MVP may not have come as that much of a surprise. However, the fact that he didn’t start a game until Week 14, and the notion that he caught a touchdown pass in the Super Bowl makes Foles one of the most unlikely players to receive the supreme individual honor.

Although he'll be a legend in Philadelphia forever, Foles wasn't able to reach the same level of adulation in any of his NFL stops since.

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The Seattle Seahawks boasted one of the best defenses in recent NFL history, and were at the top of their game approaching Super Bowl XLVIII. However, Smith was not a headline player on that unit, but stepped up tremendously during the big game. He ran a Peyton Manning interception back for a touchdown, and also recovered a fumble on that night.

Despite his super moment, Smith was largely a journeyman linebacker during his NFL career, never having made a Pro Bowl.

Jackson’s narrative is very similar to Smith’s. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive back played on a defense featuring future Hall of Famers, but he made important plays to snatch momentum away from the Oakland Raiders during Super Bowl XXXVII. Jackson came away with two interceptions in the first half.

Jackson would end up playing 10 years in the NFL, leaving Tampa Bay to play with the Arizona Cardinals and Cincinnati Bengals.

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Special teams is an often-forgotten phase of the game, but it played a critical role in the outcome of Super Bowl XXXI. Green Bay Packers kick returner Desmond Howard brought a kickoff back 99 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter to put the game out of reach. He posted 244 total yards on that magical evening, as reported by Football Reference.

Of course, Howard is also revered for the versatility that he showed as a college football player at the University of Michigan.

The Dallas Cowboys came into Super Bowl XXX with a target on their backs, having won two Super Bowls earlier in the decade. Their defense held the Pittsburgh Steelers to a modest offensive performance in large part thanks to Brown. The cornerback came away with two interceptions of Steelers quarterback Neil O’Donnell.

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Brown isn't a player that immediately comes to mind on the iconic Cowboys teams of the 1990's, but they may not have come out on top in that game without his big plays.

The 1985 Chicago Bears are an iconic NFL team, who were led by their ferocious defense. The New England Patriots were the final opponent on the team’s run to the championship, and Richard Dent made Steve Grogan’s life a living nightmare in the big game. Dent sacked him twice, and forced two fumbles en route to a 46-10 triumph.

Younger fans will remember the New England Patriots having weapons like Rob Gronkowski, Julian Edelman and Randy Moss on offense, but the early years of the dynasty didn’t feature those players. In Super Bowl XXXIX, New England wide receiver Deion Branch led the way to a victory, catching 11 passes for 133 yards, as stated by Football Reference.

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This lands on the list simply because it’s unlikely that we will ever see two players share Super Bowl MVP honors again. That was the case in Super Bowl XII, as Dallas Cowboys defensive linemen Harvey Martin and Randy White put their stamp made their mark over and over again. Dallas’ defensive forced eight turnovers on the way to a 27-10 win, as reported by ESPN at the time.

Another Dallas Cowboys defensive player makes the list, as Howley was a menace in Super Bowl V. He recovered a fumble and had two interceptions in that contest, but the Cowboys fell to the Baltimore Colts 16-13. Howley is the only player to win Super Bowl MVP from the losing team.

With Super Bowl LVIII just around the corner, who do you think is primed to rise to the occasion and take home MVP honors?

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