In Celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Super Bowl, USA Today compiled a list of the 60 Greatest Players in Super Bowl history, featuring legendary names in HBCU lore.
Unsurprisingly, all-time great Mississippi Valley State wide receiver Jerry Rice makes the list at number three with many of his records.
These include career points scored (48), touchdowns in a single game (tied with three), and career receiving yards (589), among others.
In four Super Bowl appearances, three with the San Francisco 49ers and one with the Oakland Raiders (now Las Vegas Raiders), Rice came out on the winning side three times.
He was named the MVP in Super Bowl XXIII after posting a record 215 receiving yards on 11 receptions and a touchdown.
Next on the list is Grambling State quarterback Doug Williams, ranked sixth for his iconic performance in Super Bowl XXII.
Notable for being the game in which he became the first black quarterback to start in the Super Bowl, Williams threw for 340 yards on 18-of-29 passing, scoring four touchdowns to just one interception.
All four of his touchdown passes came in the second quarter, marking the most for any player in Super Bowl history in a single period (and tied for the most in a half).
Coming in at number 20 is Arkansas-Pine Bluff defensive lineman L.C. Greenwood, who starred in four Super Bowl victories as part of the famed Pittsburgh Steelers’ “Steel Curtain” defense.
Greenwood’s most significant performance came in Super Bowl X against the Dallas Cowboys, notching a record 4.0 sacks to go along with three total tackles. He also holds the record for career sacks in Super Bowl history with 5.0.
His Pittsburgh Steelers teammate, Alabama A&M wide receiver John Stallworth, is not far behind in the 25th slot thanks to his big-play ability in the big game.
In Stallworth’s four Super Bowl appearances, he caught 11 passes for 268 yards and scored three touchdowns (two for 70+ yards).
Along with holding the career record for yards per reception (24.4), the Pro Football Hall of Famer also set the single-game record in consecutive years.
He first accomplished this feat against the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl XIII, averaging 38.3 yards per reception, hauling in three passes for 115 yards.
The following year, Stallworth lit up the Los Angeles Rams with 40.3 yards per reception, catching three passes for 121 yards, a record that still stands 46 years later.
Completing the hat trick of Pittsburgh Steelers stars is Southern defensive back Mel Blount. Ranked 42nd on the list, Blount snagged a pair of picks in his four career Super Bowls.
Next up is Tennessee State defensive lineman Richard Dent, who won two Super Bowls in his career, most famously as part of the 1985 Chicago Bears defense.
In a playoff run that saw him compile a record 6.0 sacks, Dent recorded 1.5 sacks in Super Bowl XX, helping his team secure a 46-10 win over the New England Patriots, and was named the game’s MVP.
Rounding out the list of HBCU players selected is former Lane College wide receiver Jacoby Jones, making the list at number 58.
Jones made the Super Bowl in his first season as a member of the Baltimore Ravens during the 2012 season.
He was named the game’s MVP thanks in part to a game-changing moment in which he took the opening kickoff of the second half 108 yards for a touchdown (also scored a 56-yard touchdown on his only reception).
The run to the big game featured another defining play in the Divisional Round against the Denver Broncos, in which he scored a 70-yard go-ahead touchdown in the final minute of regulation, sending the game to overtime and ultimately leading to their eventual win.
