Gators in the Super Bowl
Monday, February 6, 2012 | Football
Three former Gator football players made their Super Bowl debut on Sunday, but they came up on the losing end. Tight end Aaron Hernandez, linebacker Brandon Spikes and defensive tackle Gerard Warren each saw action for the Patriots as they fell to the New York Giants, 21-17.
Former UF defensive end and current Giant Justin Trattou, although he was inactive for the game, became the 14th Gator to earn a Super Bowl ring (20 overall Super Bowl rings have been won by Gators).
Although the Patriots came up short, the former Gators were very active in the game. Hernandez had a team leading eight catches for 67 yards, including a 12-yard reception from Tom Brady to put New England up 17-12 with 6:43 remaining in the third quarter. Spikes tied with teammate Jerod Mayo for a game-high 11 tackles, including eight solo tackles. Spikes also forced a fumble late in the game, but the Giants retained possession. Warren totaled two tackles in the game.
Jermaine Cunningham was also a member of the Patriots this season but was placed on injured reserve and did not play in the game.
Florida's Super Bowl Starters
A Gator has started in seven of the last nine Super Bowls and eight of the last 11. Overall, a Gator has started in 19 Super Bowls. Twenty-six Gators have made 32 starts.
Super Bowl X: (1976): Burton Lawless
Super Bowl XIV (1980): Jack Youngblood
Super Bowl XVI (1982): Glenn Cameron, Cris Collinsworth
Super Bowl XX (1986): Wilber Marshall
Super Bowl XXII (1988): Tony Lilly, Ricky Nattiel
Super Bowl XXVI (1992): Wilber Marshall
Super Bowl XXVII (1993): Emmitt Smith
Super Bowl XXVIII (1994): Emmitt Smith
Super Bowl XXX (1996): John L. Williams, Ernie Mills, Emmitt Smith
Super Bowl XXXIV (2000): Jevon Kearse, Kevin Carter
Super Bowl XXXV (2001): Lomas Brown, Ike Hilliard, Jeff Mitchell
Super Bowl XXXVII (2003): Kenyatta Walker, Mo Collins
Super Bowl XXXVIII (2004): Jeff Mitchell
Super Bowl XXXIX (2005): Jevon Kearse, Lito Sheppard
Super Bowl XL (2006): Darrell Jackson, Marquand Manuel, Max Starks
Super Bowl XLI (2007): Alex Brown, Rex Grossman, Ian Scott
Super Bowl XLIII (2009): Max Starks
Super Bowl XLIV (2010): Bobby McCray
Super Bowl XLVI (2012): Brandon Spikes
All-Time Scoring Super Bowl Scoring by College:
School - Points
1. Miami - 78
2. Penn State - 73
3. Notre Dame - 64
4. Florida - 62
5. Georgia - 55
6. Nebraska - 54
7. California - 48
7. Miss. Valley State - 48
9. Illinois - 45
10. Michigan State - 43
Florida Scoring: 62 (Don Chandler, Green Bay, I, II, 20; Ricky Nattiel, Denver, XXII, 6; Emmitt Smith, Dallas, XXVII, XXVIII, XXX, 30; Aaron Hernandez, New England, XLVI, 6)
National Champs and Super Bowl Champs
Although he was inactive, Justin Trattou is the third former Gator football player to win a National Championship and a Super Bowl Ring. Jeff Mitchell ('96 UF National Championship and Super Bowl XXXV with Baltimore Ravens) and Dallas Baker ('06 UF National Championships and Super Bowl XLIII with Pittsburgh Steelers)
Gators in the Super Bowl
37 players have made 53 appearances prior to Sunday's game between the Giants and Patriots.
| Super Bowl I (1967) | Don Chandler (Green Bay), P |
| Super Bowl II (1968) | Don Chandler (Green Bay), P |
| Super Bowl X (1976) | Burton Lawless (Dallas), OG |
| Super Bowl XII (1978) | Larry Brinson (Dallas), RB; Burton Lawless (Dallas), OG |
| Super Bowl XIII (1979) | Larry Brinson (Dallas), RB; Burton Lawless (Dallas), OG |
| Super Bowl XIV (1980) | Jack Youngblood (L.A. Rams), DE |
| Super Bowl XVI (1982) | Glenn Cameron (Cincinnati), ILB; Cris Collinsworth (Cincinnati), WR |
| Super Bowl XVII (1983) | Nat Moore (Miami), WR |
| Super Bowl XIX (1985) | Nat Moore (Miami), WR |
| Super Bowl XX (1986) | Wilber Marshall (Chicago), OLB |
| Super Bowl XXI (1987) | Tony Lilly (Denver), FS; Ricky Nattiel (Denver), WR |
| Super Bowl XXII (1988) | Tony Lilly (Denver), FS; Ricky Nattiel (Denver), WR |
| Super Bowl XXIII (1989) | Cris Collinsworth (Cincinnati), WR |
| Super Bowl XXVI (1992) | Wilber Marshall (Washington), OLB |
| Super Bowl XXVII (1993) | Emmitt Smith (Dallas), RB; Godfrey Myles (Dallas), OLB |
| Super Bowl XXVIII (1994) | Emmitt Smith (Dallas), RB; Godfrey Myles (Dallas), OLB |
| Super Bowl XXX (1996) | John L. Williams, (Pittsburgh), RB; Ernie Mills (Pittsburgh), WR; |
| Emmitt Smith (Dallas), RB; Godfrey Myles (Dallas), LB | |
| Super Bowl XXXIII (1999) | Elijah Williams (Atlanta), DB |
| Super Bowl XXXIV (2000) | Jevon Kearse (Tennessee), DE; Zach Piller (Tennessee), OG; Kevin Carter (St. Louis), DE |
| Super Bowl XXXV (2001) | Lomas Brown (N.Y. Giants), OT; Ike Hilliard (N.Y. Giants), WR; Jeff Mitchell (Baltimore), C |
| Super Bowl XXXVI (2003) | Kenyatta Walker (Tampa Bay), OT; Lomas Brown (Tampa Bay), OG; Mo Collins (Oakland), OT |
| Super Bowl XXXVIII (2004) | Jeff Mitchell (Carolina), C |
| Super Bowl XXXIX (2005) | Jevon Kearse (Philadelphia), DE; Lito Sheppard (Philadelphia), DB |
| Super Bowl XL (2006) | Darrell Jackson (Seattle), WR; Marquand Manuel (Seattle), S; Max Starks (Pittsburgh), OT |
| Super Bowl XLI (2007) | Alex Brown (Chicago), DE; Rex Grossman, (Chicago), QB; |
| Todd Johnson, (Chicago), S; Ian Scott, (Chicago), DT | |
| Super Bowl XLII (2008) | Jabar Gaffney (New England), WR; Chad Jackson (New England), WR |
| Super Bowl XLIII (2009) | Dallas Baker (Pittsburgh), WR; Max Starks (Pittsburgh), OT |
| Super Bowl XLIV (2010) | Bobby McCray (New Orleans), DE |
| Super Bowl XLV (2011) | Maurkice Pouncey (Pittsburgh), C, and Max Starks (Pittsburgh), T, |
| Super Bowl XLVI (2012) | Aaron Hernandez (New England), TE; Brandon Spikes (New England), LB; |
| Gerard Warren (New England), DT; Jermaine Cunningham (New England), Injured Reserve; | |
| Justin Trattou (New York Giants), DE, Inactive |
