The Best Former College Football Stars Playing in the Super Bowl
Super Bowl LVI will kick off this Sunday evening, as the Los Angeles Rams will take on the Cincinnati Bengals from SoFi Stadium in L.A.
Several players were college football stars before they made it to the NFL. Let's take a look at some who will suit up.
As you'll notice, there are several players from LSU, and others from SEC schools in Georgia and Alabama. Former college stars from ACC and Big Ten schools will be on display, too.
Bengals S Vonn Bell, Ohio State
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Cincinnati safety Vonn Bell played a pivotal role in the Bengals' playoff run. He caught a Patrick Mahomes pass—that was tipped by his teammate Jessie Bates III—in overtime to give his team the ball back on Cincy's 45-yard line. The INT helped set up the Bengals' game-winning field goal in the AFC Championship Game.
Before Bell was helping Cincy try to win its first-ever Super Bowl, he was a talented safety at Ohio State. Bell arrived in Columbus as a 5-star recruit. From the class of 2013, Bell was the No. 2-ranked safety prospect out of Rossville, Georgia. As a true freshman, Bell played in eight games, registering 19 total tackles and an interception against Clemson in the Orange Bowl.
He broke out as a sophomore and helped lead the Bucks to a CFP national championship. Bell finished second on the team with 91 total tackles and first with six interceptions. He had seven or more tackles in eight games, including a career-high eight solo tackles against Alabama in the Sugar Bowl semifinal and nine tackles against Michigan.
Bell's third season at Ohio State in 2015 was his last before declaring for the NFL draft. The safety finished fifth on the team in total tackles with 65, including two interceptions and nine pass breakups. Bell was a first-team All-American as well as a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award.
Bell was selected in the second round of the 2016 NFL draft by the New Orleans Saints, where he spent four seasons before going to Cincinnati.
Rams LB Von Miller, Texas A&M
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Linebacker Von Miller has a chance to win a second Super Bowl on Sunday. Miller was named the MVP of Super Bowl 50, which the Denver Broncos won 24-10 over the Carolina Panthers. Miller finished the game with 2.5 sacks, six total tackles, two quarterback hits, a defended pass and stripped Panthers quarterback Cam Newton twice. One of his strips was recovered in the end zone for a Broncos touchdown.
Prior to lighting up NFL quarterbacks, Miller made a name for himself at Texas A&M from 2007 to 2010. The linebacker was a 3-star recruit out of DeSoto, Texas, and was the No. 17 outside linebacker recruit from the class of 2007. As a true freshman, Miller appeared in nine games and finished with 22 total tackles and two sacks. During his sophomore season, he had 44 total tackles, including 7.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks.
Miller's best seasons at Texas A&M were his last two. His junior year in 2009, he was voted a first-team All-American after recording 47 total tackles, 21.5 tackles for loss and 17 sacks. His sack total led the nation.
Although Miller could have declared for the NFL draft following his junior season, the linebacker opted to return for his senior year in 2010. The decision paid off. Miller had 68 total tackles, including 17.5 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks. His efforts earned him the Butkus Award for the nation's best linebacker. It also helped TAMU win a share of the Big 12 South Division championship, and the Aggies played in the Cotton Bowl.
Miller was drafted No. 2 overall in the 2011 draft by the Denver Broncos, where he spent 10 seasons before being traded to the Rams in the middle of the 2021 season.
Bengals WR Ja'Marr Chase, LSU
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Bengals receiver Ja'Marr Chase played with Bengals QB Joe Burrow in Baton Rouge. Chase was a 4-star wideout prospect and the No. 15-ranked receiver in the class of 2018. During his true freshman season in 2018, Chase played in all 13 games for the Tigers and made seven starts. He finished with 313 receiving yards and three touchdowns and was tied for second on the team in receptions with 23.
Chase, thanks to the success of his teammate, Burrow, had a breakout season as a sophomore in 2019. He finished with 1,780 yards and 20 touchdowns, both single-season SEC records. He won the Biletnikoff Award, which is given annually to college football's top receiver.
After cementing himself as one of the best receivers in college football, Chase surprised everyone when he decided to opt out of the 2020 college football season. Citing COVID-19 concerns, Chase tweeted (and then deleted):
"The competitor in me badly wants to play the season and go to war with my brothers, but during this time with so much going on, this is what's best for my family," Chase wrote in part, as transcribed by Sporting News. "I cannot ignore what I feel in my heart, and this ultimately is the best decision for me. I'll look forward to returning to the field in 2021."
Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports subsequently reported that Chase's decision was not strictly COVID-19-related, but that agents convinced him to leave after his 2019 season. Per NFL rules, players can be drafted as long as it's three years after their high school graduation.
Chase's decision to sit out in 2020 didn't seem to affect his draft stock too much—the Bengals took him fifth overall. As a rookie in 2021, he's racked up 1,455 yards and 13 touchdowns, earning Pro Bowl and Offensive Rookie of the Year honors this season. It certainly helps that he's been able to catch balls from Burrow.
The Chase-Burrow duo has produced 206 catches for 3,801 yards and 37 touchdowns and a national championship. Can the two add a Super Bowl to their collection as well? We'll have to wait to find out.
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Rams WR Odell Beckham Jr., LSU
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Before Odell Beckham Jr. was making unbelievable one-handed touchdown grabs in the NFL, he was a dynamic playmaker at LSU. Beckham was a 4-star recruit from the class of 2011. Beckham committed to LSU as the No. 9-ranked prospect out of the state of Louisiana.
Beckham played receiver and was LSU's punt and kickoff return specialist over three seasons in Baton Rouge. During his true freshman season in 2011, he played in all 14 games for the Tigers, getting 41 receptions for 475 yards and two touchdowns. He had five kickoff returns for 120 yards, as well. During his sophomore season, he had 713 yards and two touchdowns. He had his best year as a return specialist in 2012, returning 35 punts for 320 yards and two touchdowns.
He had his best season as a junior in 2013, earning first-team All-American honors in the all-purpose/return specialist category. He finished third in the nation with his 178.1 all-purpose yards per game, a number that led the SEC, as well. He had 1,152 receiving yards and eight touchdowns on the year. His 2,315 all-purpose yards that season set an LSU record and placed second in SEC history.
Beckham was selected No. 12 overall by the New York Giants in the 2014 NFL draft.
Rams DL A'Shawn Robinson, Alabama
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A'Shawn Robinson was a 5-star defensive tackle recruit out of Fort Worth, Texas. Robinson was actually a longtime Texas commit before decommitting and flipping to Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Robinson, who checked in at 6'5" and 302 pounds as a high school recruit, was talented enough to play as a true freshman in Tuscaloosa. During his first season in 2013, he finished with 38 total tackles and 5.5 sacks in 12 games. He led the team in sacks that season, which was the first time a true freshman had led the team in sacks under Nick Saban.
His sophomore season, Robinson finished with 49 tackles and another 6.5 tackles for loss. As a junior in 2015, Robinson had 46 total tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks.
One of Robinson's most impressive plays came during the LSU game that season when he leapt over the center to block an extra-point attempt. Hilariously, Robinson answered pretty nonchalantly about his athletic feat, given his size:
"I was going to jump over the top," Robinson told reporters after the game. "I came to Coach the first time they kicked the field goal. I told him I was going to jump over the top, and so I just jumped over the top."
Robinson led Alabama in quarterback hurries in 2015, getting 10 on the year. The Tide defensive lineman declared for the NFL draft following his junior season and was taken in the second round by the Detroit Lions. He joined the Rams as a free agent in March 2020.
Rams CB Jalen Ramsey, Florida State
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Jalen Ramsey was one of college football's most talented defensive backs over his three years in Tallahassee at Florida State. In high school, Ramsey was a 5-star CB prospect, ranked as the No. 2 cornerback in the class of 2013. Ramsey opted to go to Florida State despite being committed to USC for the majority of his recruiting process.
As a true freshman, Ramsey started in all 14 games. In fact, he became the first true freshman to start at cornerback for Florida State since Deion Sanders in 1985. He finished the season recording 49 total tackles, one interception and one fumble recovery. FSU's defense helped the Noles win a national championship that season, and he had five tackles against Auburn in the BCS National Championship Game.
His best season at Florida State statistics-wise came during his sophomore year in 2014. He had 80 total tackles, including 10 for loss, three sacks, two interceptions and three forced fumbles. He finished the year ranked tied for second in the ACC with 12 PBUs. He earned second-team All-American accolades. The Noles went 13-1 and made it to the College Football Playoff semifinals.
Ramsey's last season at Florida State came in 2015. He finished with 52 total tackles, including 3.5 for loss. He was named a first-team All-American, as well.
The Noles cornerback decided to declare for the NFL draft following his junior season. He was drafted fifth overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars. In 2019, Ramsey was traded to the Rams.
Rams DL Aaron Donald, Pitt
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Before Aaron Donald was sacking NFL quarterbacks, he made quite the name for himself over four seasons at Pitt. Donald was a 3-star recruiting prospect from the class of 2010 out of Pittsburgh. As a true freshman, he played mostly in a backup role but finished with 11 tackles and two sacks.
As a sophomore, he finished with 47 total tackles, including 11 sacks and one forced fumble. He became just the fifth Panthers player since 1991 to reach more than 10 sacks in a single season. Donald had another great season as a junior in 2012. That year he accounted for 64 total tackles, including 18.5 for loss and 5.5 sacks. His 1.54 tackles for loss per game ranked 12th in the nation, as well.
Although Donald had the opportunity to declare for the NFL draft following his 2012 season, he opted to return to Pitt for his senior year. The decision paid off, to say the least. Donald finished his senior season accounting for 59 total tackles, including 28.5 for loss and another 11 sacks. His 28.5 tackles for loss was a Pitt school record, as were his tackles for loss in his career (66)—that same number was fifth in FBS history.
The best game of his Pitt career came on Nov. 2, 2013, against Georgia Tech. Donald finished with 11 tackles, all of them solo stops. He had six tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and a sack. Donald finished the season as one of Pitt's most decorated players, having won the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Chuck Bednarik Award, Outland Trophy and Rotary Lombardi Award as a senior.
He was taken 13th overall by the Rams in the 2014 NFL draft.
Rams QB Matthew Stafford, Georgia
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After spending 12 seasons struggling to win games with the Detroit Lions, it might be hard to remember how successful Stafford was in college. The No. 1 overall pick from the 2009 NFL draft had a prolific career at the University of Georgia. A 5-star recruit from the recruiting class of 2006, Stafford was the No. 1 pro-style QB prospect.
He was so good that he started at quarterback as a true freshman in Athens, and although he didn't have the best season statistics-wise (he threw for just 1,749 yards and seven touchdowns with 13 interceptions), he improved each year thereafter.
Georgia's best season under Stafford came in 2007, as the Dawgs finished 11-2. Stafford threw for 2,523 yards and 19 touchdowns with 10 interceptions. The Dawgs missed out on the SEC Championship Game that year thanks to a 35-14 loss to Tennessee. Still, Georgia finished the year ranked second in the nation with a 41-10 Sugar Bowl victory over Hawaii.
2008 was Stafford's best season stats-wise and vaulted him up NFL draft boards. He finished the year with 3,459 yards, 25 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. His five touchdown passes thrown against Georgia Tech at the end of the season tied a Georgia school record, and his 3,499 total yards of offense finished second in school history. Stafford went 30-9 as a starter over three seasons in Athens.
If Stafford and the Rams defeat the Bengals on Sunday, he will be the first UGA QB to win a Super Bowl in school history. Former Dawgs QB Fran Tarkenton made three Super Bowl appearances but was unable to get a victory.
Bengals QB Joe Burrow, LSU
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Joe Burrow's collegiate journey is one for the ages. A 4-star QB prospect out of The Plains, Ohio, Burrow started his career at Ohio State as part of the Buckeyes' 2015 recruiting class. After taking a redshirt in 2015, he spent two years sitting behind J.T. Barrett and Dwayne Haskins.
He transferred to LSU in 2018 and won the starting job over Myles Brennan as a redshirt junior. Although he led the Tigers to a 10-3 finish and threw for 2,894 yards, 16 touchdowns and five interceptions that season, he didn't burst onto the national scene until his 2019 season.
That year, Burrow cemented himself as the greatest quarterback in LSU history. He led the Tigers to the first 15-0 season in SEC history and their first national championship since 2007. He finished the season having thrown for a whopping 5,671 yards and 60 touchdowns with just six interceptions. His season was impressive enough to earn him the Heisman Trophy, and he finished the year as the only player in SEC history to have thrown for 5,000 yards and 50 touchdowns in a single season.
His 60 touchdown passes and 65 total touchdowns were both single-season NCAA records (until Western Kentucky's Bailey Zappe broke the former and tied the latter during this past 2021 season). Burrow completed 76.3 percent of his passes in 2019 as well, which was second in NCAA history. He set numerous SEC records as well, including ones for passing yards (5,671), completions (402), completion percentage (76.3), total yards (6,039) and total yards per game (402.6).
In the CFP National Championship Game against Clemson, Burrow finished with 463 passing yards and five touchdown passes. His six total touchdowns were a record for the CFP title game, as well.
College football fans aren't too surprised at Burrow's success in Cincinnati. In fact, with a win on Sunday over the Rams, Burrow would become the first quarterback in history to win a Heisman, a national championship and a Super Bowl. For the 2020 No. 1 overall pick to do that in just three years would be nothing short of remarkable.
Recruiting rankings via the 247Sports' composite.
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