It’s rare not to have one or two memorable moments in each Super Bowl, even the bad ones. But great players and great games are often remembered for the records they broke on the greatest stage of all, like Joe Montana winning three Super Bowl MVP awards or Jerry Rice catching three passing touchdowns twice in a Super Bowl game.
There’s also Terrell Davis, the only player with 3 rushing touchdowns in one game, but it’s also hard to find someone who’ll beat Charles Haley impressive feat of winning five Super Bowl games.
Most Super Bowl MVPs – Joe Montana
Montana is the only player with three Super MVP awards (he’s also a four-time Super Bowl champion). Montana led the San Francisco 49ers to victories in Super Bowl XVI, XIX, XXII and XXIV. He won his first MVP for the 1982 final against the Cincinnati Bengals with the 49ers winning 26-21. He won it for completing 14 of 22 passes for 157 yards and one touchdown, while also rushing for 18 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
His second MVP award came three years later, as the 49ers beat the Miami Dolphins with Dan Marion 38-16. He completed 24 of 35 passes for a Super Bowl record 331 yards and three touchdowns. He also broke the Super Bowl record for most rushing yards gained by a quarterback with his 5 rushes for 59 yards and 1 rushing touchdown.
His third MVP came in 1990, when the 49ers demolished the Denver Broncos 55-10. He completed 22 of 29 passes for a total of 297 yards and a Super Bowl record 5 touchdowns, while also rushing for 15 yards. Montana’s 75.9 completion percentage was the second highest in Super Bowl history, and he also set a record by completing 13 consecutive passes during the game. Montana became the third player in league history to win both the Super Bowl MVP and the AP Most Valuable Player Award during the same season.
Most Super Bowl Titles as a Player – Charles Haley
Charles Haley played football on the right teams at the right time: With the 49ers from 1986 to 1991, winning two Super Bowl titles and with the Dallas Cowboys from 1992 to 1996, being a part of three. The defensive end/linebacker, a two-time All-Pro selection and five time Pro Bowler actually isn’t in the hall of fame, but he is the only player among those who have started in five Super Bowl games (Cornelius Bennett, Tom Brady, Matt Light, Adam Vinatieri, John Elway) to win on all five times.
Most Passing Touchdown in a Game – Steve Young
Young had to wait a long time to finally become the starter for the San Francisco 49ers, and when he finally did the Dallas Cowboys usually stood in his way to the Super Bowl. However, the 49ers finally made it over that hump in the 1994 season, making it to Super Bowl XXIX, beating the San Diego Chargers 49-26. Young won the MVP as he threw for 325 yards and rushed for 49 yards, making him the first player ever to finish a Super Bowl as the game’s leader in both rushing and passing yards.
Most Rushing Touchdowns in a Game – Terrell Davis
Davis was the running back on two consecutive Super Bowl winning Denver Broncos teams, but he put in his most impressive performance in the first one, rushing for 157 yards and scoring three rushing touchdowns as the Broncos beat the Green Bay Packers 31-24. He won the MVP for that game, even though he sat out the second quarter, plagued by a migraine.
Most Receiving Touchdowns in a Game – Jerry Rice
Rice has two games of three touchdown receptions in the Super Bowl: The first came with Joe Montana in Super Bowl XXIV, as the 49ers decimated the Broncos 55-10. The second game came when Steve Young was throwing to him, and Rice caught three passes for scores in the 49-26 win over the Chargers in Super Bowl XXIV. He caught a total of 8 touchdown passes in the Super Bowl games he’s played in.
Most Interceptions in One Game – Rod Martin
Rod Martin played for the Oakland and LA Raiders from 1977 to 1988, winning two Super Bowl title rings. In the first championship (Super Bowl XV in 1981) Martin intercepted Ron Jaworski three times to help the Raiders beat the slightly favored Eagles 27-10. He didn’t win the MVP in that game, despite being the main reason the Raiders won the title.