Feb. 6, 2006

Former Notre Dame running back Jerome Bettis became the 32nd former Irish football player to earn a Super Bowl title on Sunday, Feb. 5, as the Pittsburgh Steelers running back helped his team earn a 21-10 victory over Seattle in Super Bowl XL at Ford Field in Detroit, Mich. Bettis, who was one of the main subjects of the pre-game hype for returning to his hometown for the Super Bowl, rushed for 43 yards on 14 carries in the victory and announced his retirement shortly after the game.

Bettis rushed for 1,912 yards for Notre Dame from 1990-92 as a fullback. He scored 27 touchdowns in his career and caught 32 passes for 429 yards. Bettis becomes the third former Notre Dame player to win a Super Bowl ring for Pittsburgh, joining Terry Hanratty (1975-76) and Rock Bleier (1975-76, 1979-80).

Bettis also extends Notre Dame’s streak of at least one alumnus on a Super Bowl Champion to three years (David Givens, New England, 2004-05). Also, at least one former Irish player has appeared on five of the last seven Super Bowl champion rosters.

Of the 40 Super Bowls competed, only 13 teams have won the event without an Irish player on the roster. Looking at both participating team rosters, there have only been six Super Bowls that did not feature at least one former Notre Dame player on either team’s roster – Denver vs. Atlanta, 1999; Dallas vs. Pittsburgh, 1996; Dallas vs. Buffalo, 1994; Washington vs. Denver, 1988; Dallas vs. Denver, 1978; and Baltimore vs. Dallas, 1971.

Former Notre Dame players year-by-year in the Super Bowl –

2006 – Pittsburgh – Jerome Bettis
2005 – New England – David Givens
2004 – New England – David Givens
2003 – Tampa Bay – None
* – Tim Brown was on the Oakland Raiders team that lost to Tampa Bay
2002 – New England – Marc Edwards, Brock Williams, Jabari Holloway
2001 – Baltimore – None
* – Luke Petigout and Dusty Zeigler were both on the N.Y. Giants team that lost to Baltimore
2000 – St. Louis – Todd Lyght
1999 – Denver – None
1998 – Denver – None
* – Derrick Mayes and Aaron Taylor were on the Green Bay team that lost to Denver
1997 – Green Bay – Derrick Mayes, Aaron Taylor, Lindsay Knapp, Craig Hentrich
1996 – Dallas – None
1995 – San Francisco – Ricky Watters, Junior Bryant, Bryant Young, Anthony Peterson
1994 – Dallas – None
1993 – Dallas – Steve Beuerlein
1992 – Washington – None
* – Mike Brennan was on the Buffalo Bills team that lost to Washington
1991 – N.Y. Giants – Mark Bavaro, Eric Dorsey, Tom Rehder, Dave Duerson
1990 – San Francisco – Joe Montana
1989 – San Francisco – Joe Montana
1988 – Washington – None
1987 – N.Y. Giants – Mark Bavaro, Eric Dorsey
1986 – Chicago – Dave Duerson, Tom Thayer
1985 – San Francisco – Joe Montana
1984 – L. A. Raiders – Steve Sylvester
1983 – Washington – Joe Theismann
1982 – San Francisco – Joe Montana, Bobby Leopold
1981 – Oakland – Steve Sylvester
1980 – Pittsburgh – Rocky Bleier
1979 – Pittsburgh – Rocky Bleier
1978 – Dallas – None
1977 – Oakland – Steve Sylvester, Dave Casper
1976 – Pittsburgh – Rocky Bleier, Terry Hanratty
1975 – Pittsburgh – Rocky Bleier Terry Hanratty
1974 – Miami – Nick Buoniconti, Bob Kuechenberg
1973 – Miami – Nick Buoniconti, Bob Kuechenberg
1972 – Dallas – None
* – Buoniconti and Kuchenberg were both on the Miami team that lost to Dallas
1971 – Baltimore – None
1970 – Kansas City – Jim Lynch
1969 – N.Y. Jets – None
* – Dick Szymanski was on the Baltimore team that lost to the N.Y. Jets
1968 – Green Bay – None
* – Daryle Lamonica was on the Oakland team that lost to Green Bay
1967 – Paul Hornung, Red Mack

Former Irish Players with Super Bowl Championships –

Mark Bavaro – New York Giants – 1987, 1991
Jerome Bettis – Pittsburgh – 2006
Steve Beuerlein – Dallas – 1993
Rocky Bleier – Pittsburgh – 1975, 1976, 1979, 1980
Junior Bryant – San Francisco – 1995
Nick Buoniconti – Miami – 1973, 1974
Dave Casper – Oakland – 1977
Eric Dorsey – New York Giants – 1987, 1991
Dave Duerson – Chicago – 1986
Marc Edwards – New England – 2002
David Givens – New England – 2004, 2005
Terry Hanratty – Pittsburgh – 1975, 1976
Craig Hentrich – Green Bay – 1997
Jabari Holloway – New England – 2002
Paul Hornung – Green Bay – 1967
Lindsay Knapp – Green Bay – 1997
Bob Kuechenberg – Miami – 1973, 1974
Bobby Leopold – San Francisco – 1982
Todd Lyght – St. Louis – 2000
Jim Lynch – Kansas City – 1970
Red Mack – Green Bay – 1967
Derrick Mayes – Green Bay – 1997
Joe Montana – San Francisco – 1982, 1985, 1989, 1990
Anthony Peterson – San Francisco – 1995
Tom Rehder – New York Giants – 1991
Steve Sylvester – Oakland – 1977, 1981 Los Angeles – 1984
Aaron Taylor – Green Bay – 1997
Tom Thayer – Chicago – 1986
Joe Theismann – Washington – 1983
Ricky Watters – San Francisco – 1995
Brock Williams – New England – 2002
Bryant Young – San Francisco – 1995