Feb. 2, 2009

Notre Dame, Ind – The streak is over at five. With the Pittsburgh Steelers thrilling 27-23 victory over the Arizona Cardinals at Super Bowl XLIII, Notre Dame’s streak of five consecutive Super Bowls with a former player on the championship roster is over. The Steelers featured no former Irish players on its roster, while the Arizona Cardinals featured two former Irish football standouts in Bertrand Berry and Mike Gandy in the losing effort.

Berry, who was a four-time monogram winner from 1993-96, recorded zero tackles in Sunday night’s Super Bowl. In the playoffs this season, Berry recorded seven tackles and one sack.

Gandy, who was a three-time monogram winner from 1998-2000, helped to anchor one of the NFL’s best pass blocking units. In the Super Bowl, the Cardinals offensive line allowed only two sacks as quarterback Kurt Warner threw for 377 yards and three touchdowns.

Of 43 Super Bowls completed only 14 teams have won the event without an Irish player on the roster. Looking at both participating team rosters there have been only six Super Bowls that did not feature at least one former Notre Dame player on either team’s roster. The last time at least one Notre Dame player did not take the field in a Super Bowl was in 1999 as the Denver Broncos defeated the Atlanta Falcons.