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Super Bowl Facts: 58 Factoids for 58 Big Games

by Joey House - 1/30/2024

Super Bowl facts Tom Brady Tampa Bay Buccaneers

While baseball may be America's pastime, it is American football that captures the world's attention today. In the eyes of the world, nothing is more American than the NFL's penultimate game, the Super Bowl. Here are 58 facts and stats about America's greatest game. I chose this number to represent Super Bowl 58, which will be played on February 11 between the Chiefs and Niners.

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Non-Playing facts

1- Super Bowl Sunday is the second biggest eating day of the year, right after Thanksgiving Day.

2- Each team gets 108 Super Bowl footballs, each hand-crafted at the Wilson Football Factory in Ada, Ohio.

3- The average price for the first Super Bowl tickets was $6, and the game was not a sellout. The average price for this year's game is reportedly $9,800, 70% more expensive than the previous year.

4- The first two Super Bowls were actually titled "AFL-NFL World Championship Game."

5- The Lombardi Trophy, given to each Super Bowl-winning franchise, is named after the NFL icon Vince Lombardi. It stands 22 inches tall and weighs 7 pounds. It is crafted of sterling silver by Tiffany & Co. and takes approximately four months to make, at a cost of $50,000.

6- In Super Bowl III, a 30-second TV spot for a commercial cost $30,000. The cost for the same commercial for this year's Super Bowl will be an estimated $7 million.

7- There are 150 Super Bowl rings created for the winning franchise to dole out. Each edition of the rings is unique, designed by the owner for his troops. The rings for the 2022 Super Bowl champs Los Angeles Rams have a removable top that reveals pieces of the actual game ball in them.

8- Phil Simms, Super Bowl XXI-winning QB of the New York Giants, became the first Super Bowl MVP to say "I'm going to go to Disneyworld." He was paid $75,000 by Disney. Simms was reluctant to agree to it until he caught wind that Denver Broncos' QB John Elway agreed, and then Simms did as well. Every Super Bowl MVP has uttered that famous phrase since.

9-In odd-numbered Super Bowls, the NFC team is the designated "home" team, while AFC teams enjoy that honor during the even-numbered Super Bowls.

10- Super Bowl XLV between the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers was the first in history not to include cheerleaders, as neither franchise has a professional cheerleading squad.

11- For many non-football fans, the highlights of the Super Bowl are the commercials and the halftime show. In 1993, Super Bowl XXVII featured an unforgettable halftime show by Michael Jackson that garnered higher ratings than the game itself, a 52-17 Dallas Cowboys victory over the Buffalo Bills.

Teams and Players

12- Tom Brady is the G.O.A.T. when it comes to almost every statistical category. The future hall-of-famer also holds the record for the most Super Bowl MVPs with five (four with New England and one with Tampa Bay).

13- Six coaches have taken two different franchises to the Super Bowl, but none of them have won with both.

14- Four head coaches have both won a Super Bowl as a player and as a head coach: Tom Flores (1969-Kansas City, 1980-Oakland Raiders), Mike Ditka (1971-Dallas, 1985-Chicago), Tony Dungy (1978-Pittsburgh, 2007-Indianapolis), and Doug Pederson (1996-Green Bay, 2017-Philadelphia).

15- While no team has ever won more than two Super Bowls before, the Buffalo Bills have the dubious distinction of losing four consecutive Super Bowls: Super Bowl XXV, XXVI, XXVII, and XXVIII. Ironically enough, their opponents all came out of the NFC East.

16- The Denver Broncos and New England Patriots have the most Super Bowl losses with five apiece. Minnesota and Buffalo each have four defeats in the big game.

17- The Cleveland Browns franchise (both versions), Detroit Lions, Houston Texans, and Jacksonville Jaguars are the only four teams to never have played in a Super Bowl. Just another reason that the Lions' recent defeat to the Niners stings a bit more than normal.

18- Only the 1972 Miami Dolphins have completed their regular season undefeated and gone on to win the Super Bowl to cap off the perfect 17-0 season. The 2007 New England Patriots were 18-0, heading into the Super Bowl, but were upset by the New York Giants 17-14.

19- The late great Franco Harris has the most career Super Bowl rushing yards with 354 over four games. Jerry Rice, the San Francisco wide receiver, holds the Super Bowl record for receiving yards with 589, averaging 147.3 yards per game over four appearances. In addition, he also has an astounding eight touchdowns.

20- Three different defenders are tied for the most career Super Bowl interceptions with three. Von Miller and Charles Haley are tied with 4.5 sacks over their Super Bowl careers.

21- Dallas Cowboys linebacker Chuck Howley is the only player to win the Super Bowl MVP while playing on a losing team. Howley's Cowboys lost 16-13 to the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl V. Howley recorded two tackles and two assisted tackles, 2 interceptions, a forced fumble, and broke up a pass in the endzone shortly before halftime.

22- The Los Angeles Raiders running back Marcus Allen (23 years old) was the youngest player to win the Super Bowl MVP in Super Bowl XVIII. Of course, Tom Brady became the oldest when he won Super Bowl LV MVP in a 31-9 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.

23- There have been seven teams to win the Super Bowl as a wild card, with the first being the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl XIV and most recently in Super Bowl LV with Tampa Bay.

24- It's easier just to list Tom Brady by himself with his treasure trove of Super Bowl records: Most wins (7), winning a Super Bowl in 3 different decades, and most games played (10). In addition, only Brady and Peyton Manning have won Super Bowls as a starting QB for two different franchises.

25- Ben Roethlisberger was the youngest QB to start and win a Super Bowl at the age of 23 years and 340 days when the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Seattle Seahawks 21-10 in Super Bowl XL.

26- Just like the Heisman Trophy in college, the QB dominates in the Super Bowl MVP by position, garnering 32 of the awards. Wide receivers are next with eight and then followed by running backs with seven. There have been ten defenders named MVP. The Green Bay Packers Desmond Howard is the only special teams player to win the award.

Records, Stats, and Betting

27- Super Bowl LI is the only overtime Super Bowl in history, with the New England Patriots coming back from a 25-point deficit to defeat the Atlanta Falcons 34-28 and deny the Falcons their first Super Bowl victory.

28- The largest wager placed on a Super Bowl was $5 million by the famous big bettor, Mattress Mack. He bet the Cincinnati Bengals would defeat the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LVI. The Bengals lost, though, 23-20.

29- Steve Young holds the record for most passing TDs in one Super Bowl with 6 in Super Bowl XXIX against the San Diego Chargers, a 49-26 49ers victory, which is also the most points scored in a Super Bowl.

30- Super Bowl XXIX also featured the largest spread in SB history, with the Niners laying (and covering) an 18.5-point spread.

31- The former Washington Redskings scored the most points in a single quarter with 35 in the second quarter in Super Bowl XXII against the Denver Broncos.

32- In Super Bowl IX, the Minnesota Vikings were held by Pittsburgh Steelers for 119 total yards of offense for the fewest yards in a game that saw Pittsburgh win 16-6.

33- Super Bowl LII had the least amount of points scored (16) when New England defeated the Los Angeles Rams 13-3.

34- New England's offense gained 603 total yards of offense in Philly's 41-33 win in Super Bowl LII.

35- The highest total for a Super Bowl was 57.5 in SB LI, the 34-28 overtime Patriots win over the Falcons.

36- Wide receivers have scored the first touchdown in 25 Super Bowls.

37- The first team to score has won 37 of 57 Super Bowls (63.8%).

38- Super Bowl favorites are 36-21 SU but only 27-28-2 ATS.

39- The totals in Super Bowl history are 27 overs, 28 unders, and 1 push. There have been 14 SBs with a total of 50 or more points, and have only gone over the mark three times, under nine, with the one push. There was no total set for Super Bowl I.

40- Steve Christie kicked the longest field goal (54 yards) in the Buffalo Bills 30-13 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, the fourth and final SB loss of their run.

41- Jacoby Jones ran a 108-yard kickoff return for a TD in Baltimore's 34-31 versus San Francisco in SB XLVII

42- Longest interception return for a TD: 100 yards by Pittsburgh's James Harrison in SB XLIII, a 27-23 victory over Arizona.

43- The New England Patriots James White scored the most points, with 20, in SB LI against the Falcons.

44- Teams wearing white jerseys have won an astounding 16 of the last 19 (84.2%) Super Bowls.

45- Super Bowl winners are 47-7-2 ATS.

46- Washington's Timmy Smith has the most rushing yards (204 yards) in SB XXII against Denver.

47- Most passing yards is 505, held by Tom Brady in the Pats 41-33 loss to the Eagles, Philadelphia's only Super Bowl win in four appearances.

48- Carolina's Jake Delhomme has the longest TD pass completion of 85 yards to Muhsin Muhammad. The Panthers lost, anyway, 32-29 against the Patriots in SB XXXVIII.

49- Tampa Bay's DB Dwight Smith returned two interceptions for touchdowns in the Buccaneers' 48-21 victory over Oakland in SB XXXVII

50- In Super Bowl XL, the Steelers RB Willie Parker rumbled for a 75-yard TD run in a 21-10 win over Seattle.

51- While there have been ten kickoff returns for touchdowns in Super Bowl History, only Chicago's rookie Devin Hester returned the opening kickoff 92 yards in SB XLI against the Colts.

52- QB Phil Simms, of the New York Giants, completed 88.0% for the highest completion percentage against Denver in SB XXI.

53- The Chiefs' Kadarius Toney had the longest punt return (65 yards) against the Eagles in SB LVII 38-35 win last season.

54- The University of California Golden Bears have produced the most starting QBs to start one game in Super Bowl history: Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay), Jared Goff (LA Rams), Joe Kapp (Minnesota), Craig Morton (Dallas/Denver), Vince Ferragamo (LA Rams).

55- In Super Bowl XLVII, brothers Jim and Jon Harbaugh squared off as head coaches, marking the first time brothers head-coached against one another in the Super Bowl. Jon's Ravens team got the best of brother Jim's 49ers 34-31. This SB was also infamous for having the only blackout in Super Bowl history for 34 minutes.

56- The highest attendance for a Super Bowl came in SB XIV when 103,985 packed into the Rose Bowl in Pasadena to watch their hometown LA Rams lose 31-19 to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

57- Miami has hosted the most Super Bowls with 11, but in 2025 will be tied with New Orleans after the big game is in the "Big Easy".

58- The Dallas Cowboys Leon Lett has the longest fumble return in Super Bowl history with a 64-yard return in SB XXVII. It would have been the longest fumble return for a TD but Lett started celebrating before he crossed the goal line and Buffalo WR Don Beebe displayed amazing hustle to run up from behind and knock the ball through the end zone, resulting in a Buffalo touchback.

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