Bama in the Big Game: Top Super Bowl Performers
Alabama consistently pumps out NFL talent year after year and has been for as long as many people can remember. Every single NFL team has at least one player that has passed through Tuscaloosa, so seeing former Tide players in the big game is bound to happen. Alabama did, after all, produce the first three Super Bowl MVPs.
While there have been many former Alabama players to grace the big game, there have been just a few that stand out from the rest of the pack.
Joe Namath
Broadway Joe, as he is affectionately known, was the champion and MVP of Super Bowl III with the New York Jets in 1969. Namath famously guaranteed an upset win for the Jets just days before the game, and delivered with 17/28 passing for 206 yards, guiding the Jets to their first and only Super Bowl Victory.
Namath was drafted in first round of the NFL and AFL Draft in 1965 by the St. Louis Cardinals and the Jets, eventually signing with New York after contract negotiations went south with the Cardinals.
Bart Starr
Bart Starr, drafted to the Green Bay Packers in the 17th round of the NFL Draft in 1956 saw time as a backup and a part-time starter for the first part of his career before taking over as the full-time starter in 1961. Starr guided the Packers to three NFL championships in '61, '62, and '65. When the first Super Bowl between the AFL and NFL took place in 1966, Starr took home the game's MVP award throwing for 250 yards and a touchdown on 16/23 passing, leading his team to a victory.
The following season, Starr helped take the Packers back to the Super Bowl, and they defeated the Oakland Raiders 33-14 behind 202 yards and a touchdown from Starr who took home the MVP for the second year in a row.
Dont'a Hightower
A member of Nick Saban's first recruiting class at Alabama, Dont'a Hightower saw his fair share of collegiate success. Alongside the extreme success Hightower saw in college with two BCS titles, the ninth year linebacker has spent each of his nine seasons in New England amidst one of the greatest dynasties in the history of sports.
Drafted in 2012, Hightower was an immediate impact player for the Patriots, seeing time in 14 games his rookie season. The Patriots have won three Super Bowls since drafting Hightower and have appeared in four, boasting top 10 defenses each year. While Hightower has not won any Super Bowl MVPs, he has performed well in three wins, recording 12 tackles and 3 sacks. Hightower opted out of the 2020 NFL season, but remains on the Patriots for the upcoming 2021 year.
Alabama Football Players in the Hall-of-Fame