Super Bowl 2011: 10 Greatest Players in Packers/Steelers Super Bowl History
Super Bowl XLV will be featuring two of the most historic teams in NFL history.
The Green Bay Packers have won 12 League Championships, more than any other team in the NFL. Three of those were Super Bowl victories.
It took the Pittsburgh Steelers 41 years to win their first championship. Once they did, they haven't slowed down. The Steelers have won six Super Bowls, more than any other team.
The Super Bowl is the biggest sporting event in the world. The stage provides more pressure on the players than most people can even imagine. Some players crumble under this pressure, others become stars.
Here are 10 of the greatest players for the Packers and Steelers in the Super Bowl.
10: Antonio Freeman
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Freeman had a solid career in Green Bay. He ranks sixth on the all time receiving list for the Packers. Most importantly, he stepped up and played big in the two biggest games of his career.
In Super Bowl XXXI, Freeman had the momentum shifting score. The Patriots had taken an early 14-10 lead in the first quarter. After a few stalled drives to start the second quarter, Freeman had an 81 yard reception for a touchdown. The score gave the Packers the lead, and they never looked back eventually winning the game 35-21. Freeman had three receptions for 105 yards and the one touchdown.
Freeman actually had a better performance in the following Super Bowl. He ended the game with nine receptions totaling 126 yards for two touchdowns. Both scores were monumental, one to give the Packers an early lead and the other to tie the game late in the fourth quarter.
The Packers ultimately lost the game; otherwise, Freeman may have been considered for the MVP award.
9: James Harrison
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This season, James Harrison has been the subject of many unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. He is known for his hard hitting, ruthless attitude on the field. However, it was not his strength that made him a star in Super Bowl XLIII.
It's hard to forget the play, it was of course the longest in Super Bowl history. The Steelers had a slim 10-7 lead against the Cardinals with 18 seconds remaining in the first half. The Cardinals were on the Steelers two-yard line and were looking to take a lead going into halftime.
Harrison had other plans.
Cardinals receiver Anquan Boldin ran a slant underneath Larry Fitzgerald on the goal line. Harrison stepped in front of the pass for the interception, following it with a 100-yard return as time ran out in the first half. The play gave the Steelers a 17-7 lead and ultimately made at least a 10 point difference in the game. The Steelers only won by six.
8: Desmond Howard
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Don't kick the ball to Devin Hester. No, don't kick the ball to Desmond Howard.
Howard was drafted fourth overall in the 1992 draft by the Washington Redskins. Overall, his career was a bit of a disappointment. He never became a playmaking wide receiver like many anticipated. However, he was one of the greatest special teams players of all time.
The MVP of Super Bowl XXXI? It wasn't Antonio Freeman. Not Reggie White. Not Brett Favre.
It was Desmond Howard. He became the only player in NFL history to win Super Bowl MVP based solely off his performance on special teams.
Howard had six punt returns in the game for 90 yards. He also returned four kickoffs for 154 yards, including a 99-yard touchdown late in the third quarter. The score put the Packers ahead 35-21, a score they would ultimately win by.
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7: Santonio Holmes
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The play by James Harrison in Super Bowl XLIII would have been lost in the shuffle if it was not for one of the greatest catches in Super Bowl history.
It's hard to compete with the David Tyree catch in Super Bowl XLII. The catch in the closing seconds by Santonio Homes in Super Bowl XLIII may be second.
The Steelers had a comfortable 20-7 lead heading into the fourth quarter. They watched it quickly crumble behind the arm of Kurt Warner. Two touchdowns and a safety later, the Cardinals were up 23-20 with 2:37 remaining in the game.
Pittsburgh moved into field goal range quickly and pounded the ball down to the six-yard line with 35 seconds remaining. Holmes made a tip-toe catch along the right side of the endzone for the game winning touchdown.
He finished the day with nine receptions for 131 yards and the game winning touchdown. The performance earned him MVP honors.
6: Reggie White
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Reggie White was dominant in every game he played, and Super Bowl XXXI was no exception.
White had a fantastic showing, recording three sacks in the game and applying non-stop pressure on quarterback Drew Bledsoe. The pressure forced Bledsoe into three interceptions as well.
The key two plays made by White came in the third quarter. Bledsoe and the Patriots were poised to start trying to attempt a comeback. White shut it down with two consecutive sacks.
White and Darnell Dockett are currently tied for the record of most sacks in a single Super Bowl.
5: Ben Roethlisberger
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Big Ben's showing was anything but impressive in Super Bowl XL against the Seahawks. Keep in mind it was only his second season in the NFL, but the showing he had was one of the worst for a quarterback in recent years.
He completed nine of his 21 passes for only 123 yards and had two interceptions. He did manage to score one rushing touchdown. Despite his performance, the game was managed well enough for a Pittsburgh victory.
It's amazing how far Roethlisberger progressed in three years. In Super Bowl XLIII, he completed 21 of 30 passing for 256 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. The touchdown was the game winning throw to Holmes with little time remaining.
Statistically, Roethlisberger has been an average player in his two Super Bowls. However, in the NFL, only one thing matters. Winning. Roethlisberger is 2-0 as a starter in the Super Bowl. He has a chance to improve on that next week.
4: Brett Favre
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What would a list of Green Bay Packers players be without Brett Favre?
Yes, I think Favre is one of the most overrated players in the history of the NFL. It's hard for me to give the man credit even when he does deserve it, and this is a list he deserves to be on.
The Packers were primarily a running team when they won Super Bowl XXXI, but Favre did do a fantastic job at managing the game. He completed 14 of his 27 attempts for 246 yards and two touchdowns. The performance was enough for the Packers to claim their first championship in 29 years.
The following year, Favre actually had a better performance, completing 25 of his 42 attempts for 256 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. The Packers lost that game, primarily due to the running ability of Terrell Davis.
Despite all of the accolades Favre has achieved throughout his career, there is one that he doesn't have and actually may deserve. Super Bowl MVP.
3: Franco Harris
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Franco Harris holds the NFL record for most carries and rushing yards during a career while playing in the Super Bowl. This may be because he was a fantastic running back or because the Steelers went to four Super Bowls when Harris was there.
Or maybe a little bit of both.
In Super Bowl IX, Harris finished the game with more rushing yards than Terry Bradshaw had passing. His 34 carries for 158 yards and a touchdown were a record at the time. The Steelers won the game 16-6 and Harris received MVP honors.
Harris never had another Super Bowl with over 100 yards rushing, but he still did play a big role in each of the teams victories.
Over the next three Super Bowls, Harris accumulated 67 rushes for 196 yards and three touchdowns.
2: Bart Starr
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Bart Starr is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame for a reason. He is in the Packers Hall of Fame for a reason. His No. 15 jersey is retired in Green Bay for a reason.
Starr is a seven time champion, but most people only know about two. Before winning Super Bowl I and Super Bowl II with the Packers, Starr won five NFL Championships with the team.
Since we are only talking about Super Bowls, we will focus on those two games. Simply put, Starr won MVP honors in both games.
In Super Bowl I, Starr threw 16 for 23 for 250 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. The Packers dominated the Chiefs 35-10. The following year, the Packers won Super Bowl II 33-14. Starr threw for 202 yards on 13 of his 24 passes and one touchdown.
1: Terry Bradshaw
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Roethlisberger may be 2-0 for the Steelers in the Super Bowl, but Terry Bradshaw is 4-0.
Bradshaw is usually the subject for much criticism and often does not receive enough credit for the Steelers Super Bowl victories in the 70s.
\The Steelers defense and Franco Harris deserve the credit for Super Bowl IX. But, Bradshaw did an excellent job at managing the game. He threw the ball just 14 times and completed only nine passes for 96 yards. He did have a touchdown. The Steelers didn't need him to be a hero, though, and he got the job done.
It was a similar story in Super Bowl X, although there were signs of progression. Bradshaw had a decent game, completing nine of 19 passes for 209 yards and two touchdowns.
Bradshaw finally became the star of the offense in Super Bowl's XIII and XIV. In the two games, he completed 31 of 51 passes for 627 yards. He had six touchdowns to three interceptions. His performance in both games won him MVP honors.
Most Importantly: The Steel Curtain
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I couldn't pick just one of these guys.
I'm not talking about just the defensive line, I mean the entire defense.
During the Steelers four Super Bowl wins in the 70s, not one individual player deserved credit over the Pittsburgh defense.
The top performance came in Super Bowl IX, where they held the Minnesota Vikings to just six points. The Vikings gained only 119 yards of total offense.
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