McDonald and Thompson Latest Gators in the Super Bowl
Monday, February 4, 2013 | Football
Former Florida football players Ray McDonald and Deonte Thompson ended their season last night, with Thompson's Baltimore Ravens beating McDonald and the San Francisco 49ers, 34-31, in Super Bowl XLVII in New Orleans.
Although Thompson was inactive for the game, he becomes the fourth Florida player to earn an SEC Championship ring, National Championship ring and Super Bowl ring. Jeff Mitchell was the first UF player to do so, winning the Super Bowl with the Ravens in the 2001 season and leading the Gators to the 1996 SEC and national titles.
Dallas Baker was the second Gator to accomplish the feat, winning a ring with the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLIII and playing on the Gators' 2006 SEC and national title team. Justin Trattou won a ring with the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLVI and played with Thompson on the 2008 Florida team that won SEC and national titles.
McDonald started at defensive end for the 49ers and totaled 3 tackles, including a sack of Joe Flacco in the first quarter.
Other Florida ties to the game include former UF defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, who coaches the Ravens secondary, and Raven's players Chykie Brown and Justin Tucker, who played for the Texas Longhorns when current Florida head coach Will Muschamp served as the defensive coordinator at UT.
There have been 40 former Gators make 56 appearances in Super Bowl history, with a former UF player on the winning team 17 times.
| Super Bowl I (1967) | Green Bay: Don Chandler (P) |
| Super Bowl II (1968) | Green Bay: Don Chandler (P) |
| Super Bowl X (1976) | Dallas: Burton Lawless* (G) |
| Super Bowl XII (1978) | Dallas: Larry Brinson (RB), Burton Lawless (G) |
| Super Bowl XIII (1979) | Dallas: Larry Brinson (RB), Burton Lawless (G) |
| Super Bowl XIV (1980) | Los Angeles Rams: Jack Youngblood* (DE) |
| Super Bowl XVI (1982) | Cincinnati: Glenn Cameron* (LB), Cris Collinsworth* (WR) |
| Super Bowl XVII (1983) | Miami: Nat Moore (WR) |
| Super Bowl XIX (1985) | Miami: Nat Moore (WR) |
| Super Bowl XX (1986) | Chicago: Wilber Marshall* (LB) |
| Super Bowl XXI (1987) | Denver: Tony Lilly (FS), Ricky Nattiel (WR) |
| Super Bowl XXII (1988) | Denver: Tony Lilly* (FS), Ricky Nattiel* (WR) |
| Super Bowl XXIII (1989) | Cincinnati: Cris Collinsworth (WR) |
| Super Bowl XXVI (1992) | Washington: Wilber Marshall* (LB) |
| Super Bowl XXVII (1993) | Dallas: Emmitt Smith* (RB), Godfrey Myles (LB) |
| Super Bowl XXVIII (1994) | Dallas: Emmitt Smith* (RB), Godfrey Myles (LB) |
| Super Bowl XXX (1996) | Pittsburgh: John L Williams* (RB), Ernie Mills* (WR) |
| Dallas: Emmitt Smith* (RB), Godfrey Myles (LB) | |
| Super Bowl XXXIII (1999) | Atlanta: Elijah Williams (DB) |
| Super Bowl XXXIV (2000) | Tennessee: Jevon Kearse* (DE), Zach Piller (OG) |
| St. Louis: Kevin Carter* (DE) | |
| Super Bowl XXXV (2001) | New York Giants: Lomas Brown* (OT), Ike Hilliard* (WR) |
| Baltimore: Jeff Mitchell* (C) | |
| Super Bowl XXXVII (2003) | Oakland: Mo Collins* (OG) |
| Tampa Bay: Kenyatta Walker* (OT), Lomas Brown (OT) | |
| Super Bowl XXXVIII (2004) | Carolina: Jeff Mitchell* (C) |
| Super Bowl XXXIX (2005) | Philadelphia: Lito Sheppard* (CB), Jevon Kearse* (DE) |
| New England: Gus Scott (S, Injured Reserve) | |
| Super Bowl XL (2006) | Seattle: Darrell Jackson* (WR), Marquand Manuel* (S) |
| Pittsburgh: Max Starks* (OT) | |
| Super Bowl XLI (2007) | Chicago: Alex Brown* (DE), Rex Grossman* (QB), Todd Johnson (S), Ian Scott* (DT) |
| Super Bowl XLII (2008) | New England: Jabar Gaffney (WR), Chad Jackson (WR) |
| Super Bowl XLIII (2009) | Pittsburgh: Dallas Baker (WR), Max Starks* (OT) |
| Super Bowl XIV (2010) | New Orleans: Bobby McCray* (DE) |
| Super Bowl XLV (2011) | Pittsburgh: Maurkice Pouncey (C), Max Starks (OT) (both were injured and unable to play) |
| Super Bowl XLVI (2012) | New England: Brandon Spikes* (LB), Aaron Hernandez (TE), Gerard Warren (DT), Jermaine Cunningham (LB, injured reserve) |
| New York Giants: Justin Trattou (DE, inactive) | |
| Super Bowl XLVII (2013) | Baltimore: Deonte Thompson (WR, inactive) |
| San Francisco: Ray McDonald* (DE) |
*Started in the Super Bowl; BOLD indicates Super Bowl winning team
