Utah ties making a difference in the Super Bowl is becoming a more common occurrence — in Super Bowl LVII, there are six players and four coaches with ties to the state of Utah.

What Utah ties have had the best on-field performances over the past 50-plus years?

Here are the top five performances by players with Utah ties in a Super Bowl:

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Steve Young, Super Bowl XXIX

Young, the Hall of Fame quarterback out of BYU, had a record-setting performance while leading the San Francisco 49ers to a 49-26 victory over the San Diego Chargers in Super Bowl XXIX.

After winning two Super Bowl rings with the 49ers as the team’s backup, he made his first Super Bowl start against the Chargers and, three plays into the game, he threw a 44-yard touchdown pass to Jerry Rice.

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Young ended up throwing six touchdown passes that day, setting a Super Bowl record that still stands, while completing 24 of 36 passes for 325 yards.

He also ran for 49 yards on five carries.

Young led three touchdown drives that took under two minutes, including two in the game’s first five minutes, and he completed 10 passes to Rice for 149 yards.

That all led to Young earning Super Bowl MVP honors during the same season he was named the NFL MVP.


Washington running back Larry Brown is stopped in his tracks by Miami Dolphins defender Manny Fernandez during action at Super Bowl VII in Los Angeles on Jan. 14, 1973. The Dolphins defeated Washington 14-7 to complete the season undefeated. | Associated Press

Manny Fernandez, Super Bowl VII

Fernandez, an undrafted defensive tackle out of Utah, came up big for the Miami Dolphins in their 14-7 win over Washington in Super Bowl VII, a victory that ensured the Dolphins their perfect 17-0 season.

Fernandez had a game-high 10 total tackles in the defensive struggle, including six solo. He also added a sack as Miami held Washington to 228 yards of total offense.  

Fernandez had four tackles for loss in the game, highlighted by his 8-yard sack of Washington quarterback Billy Kilmer on a third and 10 inside the Dolphins red zone that led to a missed field goal on Washington’s first drive of the second half.

He added a 2-yard TFL on Washington’s first drive that led to a punt, a 3-yard TFL during the second quarter on a third and 7 play and assisted on a 6-yard loss to end the third quarter.

Fernandez played in three straight Super Bowls with the Dolphins, winning two rings, and all totaled he had 28 tackles, three sacks and a fumble recovery in those games.


Chicago Bears quarterback Jim McMahon pitches the ball against the New England Patriots during Super Bowl XX in New Orleans on Jan. 26, 1986. The Bears beat the Patriots 46-10. | Associated Press

Jim McMahon, Super Bowl XX

McMahon, the former BYU and Roy High star, was the first Utah tie to start at quarterback in a Super Bowl when he led the Chicago Bears to a 46-10 victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XX.

While the famous 1985 Bears defense was keeping the Patriots offense in check, McMahon and the Bears offense put up 408 yards of total offense and rattled off 44 straight points after New England took a quick 3-0 lead. 

McMahon completed 12 of 20 passes for 256 yards, including a 60-yard completion on Chicago’s first play of the second half, leading to a 1-yard McMahon touchdown run that capped a 96-yard scoring drive that pushed the Bears lead to 30-3.

McMahon scored two rushing touchdowns — adding a 2-yarder in the second quarter to his 1-yard TD in the third — and ran for 14 yards in the win.


Seattle Seahawks middle linebacker Bobby Wagner celebrates after intercepting a pass during the second half of Super Bowl XLIX against the New England Patriots Sunday, Feb. 1, 2015, in Glendale, Ariz. | David J. Phillip, Associated Press

Bobby Wagner, Super Bowl XLIX

Wagner, one of the best players to ever put on a Utah State uniform, was a part of two Seattle Seahawks teams to make the Super Bowl in the mid-2010s.

Though the Seahawks lost Super Bowl XLIX 28-24 to the New England Patriots, the All-Pro linebacker had a standout performance in leading the Seattle defense. 

Wagner finished with a game-high 12 tackles, including 10 solo tackles, and added a pass deflection. 

Midway through the third quarter, his most impactful play came when he intercepted Tom Brady in New England territory and returned the pick to the Patriots 34, setting up a Seahawks touchdown that gave Seattle a 24-14 lead.

Like Fernandez, Wagner has been impressive in multiple Super Bowl appearances. The previous year, when Seattle beat the Denver Broncos 43-8 in Super Bowl XLVIII, Wagner had a team-high 10 tackles (five solo) while earning a Super Bowl ring during his second year in the league.


New England Patriots running back Corey Dillon scores on a 2-yard run against Philadelphia Eagles free safety Brian Dawkins (20) in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl XXXIX at Alltel Stadium on Sunday, Feb. 6, 2005, in Jacksonville, Fla. | David J. Phillip, Associated Press

Corey Dillon, Super Bowl XXXIX

While Dillon is best known for his college playing days at Washington, he made a brief stop in southern Utah, playing one season at Dixie College, now Utah Tech, in 1995.

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The four-time Pro Bowl running back ended up winning a Super Bowl ring with the New England Patriots when the Patriots beat the Philadelphia Eagles 24-21 in Super Bowl XXXIX, capping a year when Dillon rushed for a career-best 1,635 yards during the regular season.

In the Super Bowl, he accounted for 106 yards of total offense, rushing for 75 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries, while adding three receptions for 31 yards.

Dillon’s 2-yard touchdown run on the third play of the fourth quarter gave New England a 21-14 lead, a lead the Patriots wouldn’t relinquish. 

Nearly half of his 106 total yards came on one drive in the second quarter, when Dillon caught back-to-back passes of 13 and 16 yards and later added a 25-yard run.


Other notable Super Bowl performances from Utah ties

  • Former Utah State kicker Jim Turner accounted for 10 points — including field goals of 32, 30 and 9 yards — in the New York Jets’ 16-7 win over the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III. He became the first Utah tie to score points in a Super Bowl.
  • Former Utah running back Jamal Anderson eclipsed 100 yards of total offense when he ran for 96 yards — with a 5.3 yards-per-carry average — and caught three passes for 16 yards for the Atlanta Falcons in their 34-19 loss to the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXXIII.
  • Former Utah wide receiver Steve Smith contributed both on offense and special teams for the Carolina Panthers in their 32-29 loss to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXVIII — he caught four passes for 80 yards, including a 39-yard touchdown grab in the second quarter for Carolina’s first score, and added a kickoff return for 30 yards and a punt return for 2 yards.
  • Former BYU and Snow College defensive end Brett Keisel, who won two Super Bowl rings with the Pittsburgh Steelers, had five tackles (four solo) and a QB hurry in the Steelers’ 27-23 win over the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII, then recovered a fumble on the Cardinals’ last-minute drive to seal the win.
  • Former Utah State cornerback Jarrett Bush made five tackles (four solo) and had a QB hurry, a pass deflection and a first-half interception near midfield for the Green Bay Packers that led to a Packers touchdown in their 31-25 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLV.
  • Former Utah and Timpanogos High edge rusher Paul Kruger had three tackles (two solo), two sacks, two QB hurries and a tackle for loss for the Baltimore Ravens in their 34-31 win over the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII. Kruger is the only Utah tie to record multiple sacks in a Super Bowl.
  • Former BYU linebacker Fred Warner made seven tackles (five solo) and had a tackle for loss, a pass deflection and an interception for the San Francisco 49ers in their 31-20 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV. His interception led to a third-quarter 49ers touchdown that gave them a 10-point lead.
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