Great USC Super Bowl moments
The USC Trojans have left a significant imprint on the Super Bowl. 1965 Heisman Trophy winner Mike Garrett, a future athletic director at the University of Southern California, played in the very first Super Bowl, which was held in USC’s home stadium, the Los Angeles Coliseum. He won a Super Bowl three years later in Super Bowl IV against a Minnesota Vikings team with Ron Yary, who won the 1967 national championship at USC and became the cornerstone of an elite Viking offensive line which propelled the franchise to four Super Bowl appearances and a full decade of NFL relevance. Bud Grant’s Vikings were annual NFC contenders throughout the 1970s, always a threat to make the Super Bowl.
Over 50 years after Mike Garrett and Ron Yary met in Super Bowl IV, USC’s Ronald Jones won Super Bowl LV with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers against the Kansas City Chiefs. USC has written quite a story in the Super Bowl. Last year, JuJu Smith-Schuster made a difference for the Chiefs when they defeated USC’s Marlon Tuipulotu and the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII.
MIKE GARRETT, SUPER BOWL IV
Garrett didn’t win Super Bowl I against the Green Bay Packers. He got a second chance in the big game and made the most of it against the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IV. The Chiefs won the last Super Bowl played before the AFL-NFL merger.
LYNN SWANN, SUPER BOWL X
Lynn Swann made two epic catches against the Cowboys in Super Bowl X, establishing a Super Bowl legacy which only grew over time.
LYNN SWANN IN SUPER BOWL XIII
USC’s Lynn Swann became pro football’s ultimate big-game receiver in the 1970s for the Pittsburgh Steeler dynasty. Super Bowl XIII featured a brilliant catch which helped beat the Dallas Cowboys and enhance Swann’s legacy.
MARCUS ALLEN SB XVIII
Marcus Allen’s 75-yard touchdown run in which he circled around in the backfield and then scored against the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl XVIII is arguably the greatest single running play in Super Bowl history.
RONNIE LOTT SUPER BOWL XVI
Lott was able to immediately elevate the San Francisco 49ers’ defense. That defense created multiple turnovers against the potent Cincinnati Bengals, giving the Niners the edge in their first of several Super Bowl victories.
RONNIE LOTT SUPER BOWL XIX
The 1984 49ers are one of the greatest NFL teams ever. Lott was right at the heart of a winning performance against Dan Marino and the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl XIX.
RONNIE LOTT SUPER BOWL XXIV
Lott and the 49ers dominated the Denver Broncos and John Elway, 55-10, to win a fourth Super Bowl title and cement themselves as one of the great NFL dynasties of all time.
KEYSHAWN JOHNSON SUPER BOWL XXXVII
Keyshawn Johnson helped the Buccaneers win their first Super Bowl title, teaming with quarterback Brad Johnson under coach Jon Gruden to beat the Oakland Raiders in San Diego.
TROY POLAMALU SUPER BOWL XL
Polamalu helped coach Bill Cowher win an elusive Super Bowl championship with the Steelers. Pittsburgh and the New England Patriots are the only NFL teams with six Super Bowl titles. The San Francisco 49ers go for a sixth title in Super Bowl LVIII against the Kansas City Chiefs.
JUNIOR SEAU SUPER BOWL XLII
The Patriots didn’t complete their unbeaten season, but their defense was excellent in Super Bowl XLII against the New York Giants. Junior Seau’s career was magnificent, but his life story was deeply sad and painful.
TROY POLAMALU SUPER BOWL XLIII
Polamalu helped Mike Tomlin win the Super Bowl early in his tenure with the Steelers. Super Bowl XLIII had one of the most amazing finishes in the game’s history, littered with spectacular plays on both sides.
REGGIE BUSH SUPER BOWL XLIV
Reggie Bush’s NFL career wasn’t everything he hoped it would be, but it did reach the pinnacle when his Saints knocked off Peyton Manning and the Colts in Miami.
MALCOLM SMITH SUPER BOWL XLVIII
Getting a pick-six in a Super Bowl win is something Malcolm Smith will never forget. He helped the Legion of Boom deliver a first Super Bowl championship to Seattle and a former USC coach named Pete Carroll.
NELSON AGHOLOR SUPER BOWL LII
Nelson Agholor helped the Eagles win their first Super Bowl five years ago. We got a chance to see if Jalen Hurts, who played quarterback for Lincoln Riley, could hold up well in the Super Bowl spotlight one year ago. He did play well, but the Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes had the final say in Super Bowl LVII.
NICKELL ROBEY-COLEMAN SUPER BOWL LIII
Don’t blame the Rams’ defense for their loss to the Patriots in Super Bowl LIII. The Rams held Tom Brady and Company to just 13 points.
RONALD JONES SUPER BOWL LV
Ronald Jones helped the Buccaneers win their second Super Bowl, beating the Chiefs. This was the first time ever that an NFL team won a Super Bowl on its home field. Notably, the Los Angeles Rams pulled off the feat one year later in Super Bowl LVI against the Cincinnati Bengals.
JUJU SMITH-SCHUSTER SUPER BOWL LVII
JuJu Smith-Schuster didn’t just win Super Bow LVII with the Chiefs; he was centrally involved in a number of important plays which catapulted Kansas City to a second Lombardi Trophy in four seasons.
