The Super Bowl is the mecca of American football that all players aspire to participate in and be a hero, too.
Super Bowl LVII will be a historic one when Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles face off against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.
This marks the first time two Black quarterbacks will start in the game. The feat comes exactly 35 years after Grambling State legend Doug Williams became the first Black quarterback to start and win a Super Bowl.
Looking at the Super Bowl record book, there are several HBCU players whose accomplishments remain intact to this day.
L.C. Greenwood – Arkansas-Pine Bluff
The infamous Steel Curtain defense of the Pittsburgh Steelers featured Hall of Fame names. But one player, Arkansas-Pine Bluff defensive end L.C. Greenwood was a major component of that legendary unit.
In Super Bowl X, Greenwood made his presence known with a record 4 sacks.
This performance beat out Grambling State defensive end Willie Davis who recorded 3 sacks in Super Bowl II for the Green Bay Packers.
Greenwood also holds the record for career sacks in a Super Bowl with 5 in four total games.
John Stallworth – Alabama A&M
Staying with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Alabama A&M standout John Stallworth found a way to set himself apart on a dominant defensive team.
In Super Bowl XIV, Stallworth put up 40.3 yards per reception with three receptions for 121 yards, setting a then-Super Bowl record.
While his teammate Lynn Swann technically also recorded 40.3 yards per reception in Super Bowl X, Stallworth gets the edge over him because Swann’s average was rounded up from 40.25 yards.
In addition, Stallworth also holds the record for highest career yards per reception with 24.4 in four games.
This includes Super Bowl XIII when he had 38.3 yards per reception (third highest in the game’s history) catching three passes for 115 yards.
Jerry Rice – Mississippi Valley State
With all the Super Bowl records to Jerry Rice’s name, it is no wonder why many consider him to be the greatest player in NFL history.
In Super Bowl XXIII, the Mississippi Valley State great posted 215 receiving yards and 220 yards from scrimmage, setting the record in each category. His San Francisco 49ers defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 20-16 and he was named Super Bowl MVP.
In Super Bowls XXIV and XXIX, he scored three touchdowns setting the record for receiving touchdowns in a game and tying the record for the most total touchdowns.
In addition, Rice also has several career Super Bowl records. These include career receptions (33), receiving and total touchdowns (8), and yards from scrimmage (604).
Rice is also the oldest player to record a receiving touchdown in the Super Bowl when he did so at age 40 as a member of the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl XXXVII.
Steve McNair – Alcorn State
Widely recognized by many as the greatest HBCU quarterback ever, Alcorn State’s own Steve McNair is one of six Black quarterbacks to start in a Super Bowl.
In his lone appearance in Super Bowl XXIV with the Tennessee Titans against the St. Louis Rams, McNair threw for 214 yards and rushed for 64 yards.
His 64 rushing yards set a record for rushing yards by a quarterback in the Super Bowl. Unfortunately, the Titans fell one-yard short of victory losing 23-16 to the Rams.
