Super Bowl XLVII: Top-10 Super Bowl Players In San Francisco 49ers History
With Super Bowl XLVII between the San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, the 49ers will be looking for a sixth championship in franchise history. Taking a look back at the previous five Super Bowl victories, here is a list of the top-10 Super Bowl players in 49ers history.
Send us your top-10 list in the comments. Let the debate begin!
1.) QB Joe Montana (1979-92)
Super Bowl Rings: 4
You cannot dispute Joe Cool as being the top player in 49ers Super Bowl history. In just his third season with the 49ers, Montana led the team to the franchise’s first championship ring and was named MVP in Super Bowl XVI, XIX, and XXIV. His most memorable play in the big game was his 10-yard scoring pass to John Taylor to put the Niners up 20-16 with 34 seconds left in Super Bowl XXIII. Montana led the Niners on an 11-play, 92-yard game-winning drive that sealed San Francisco’s third Super Bowl ring. He is one of four players who were with the 49ers for all four of the Super Bowl wins in the 1980’s.
Montana holds Super Bowl records for most MVPs (3), most wins as starting QB (tied with Terry Bradshaw: 4), highest passer rating (127.83), most touchdown passes (11) and has thrown zero interceptions in 122 passing attempts.
2) WR Jerry Rice (1985-2000)
Super Bowl Rings: 3
Coming in a close second to Montana as the top player in 49ers Super Bowl history, Jerry Rice can be considered one of the best wide receiver’s to play in the Super Bowl. He won the MVP in Super Bowl XXIII with 11 catches for 215 yards and one touchdown. Rice was named the MVP, but his spotlight was somewhat stolen by John Taylor who made the game-winning touchdown catch against the Cincinnati Bengals. In the game-winning drive, Rice made a 27-yard catch between two defenders on 2nd-and-20 that put the Niners in scoring position. Two plays later was Taylor’s memorable touchdown catch.
Another big moment for Rice in the game was his one-handed catch for a 14-yard touchdown that tied the game after the Bengals scored on a 93-yard kickoff return to tie the game.
In Super Bowl XXIX against the San Diego Chargers, Rice had 10 catches for 149 yards and three touchdowns. Early in the game, Niner fans got a glimpse of the rout to come over the Chargers when Steve Young connected with Rice for 44-yard touchdown pass on the third play of the game. Rice made the TD catch against a four-deep zone that was designed to stop the 49ers from making deep passes. The 49ers would go on to win, 49-26.
Rice holds Super Bowl records for most points scored (48), most points scored in a game (18), total touchdowns (8), most touchdowns in a game (3, 2x), total receptions (33), most receptions in a game (11), total receiving yards (589), most receiving yards in a game (215) and total yards gained (604).
3) RB Roger Craig (1983-1990)
Super Bowl Rings: 3
In three Super Bowl appearances Craig showed he was a relentless competitor and one of the most versatile running backs to ever play in the big game. In Super Bowl XIX against the Miami Dolphins, Craig rushed for 58 yards, caught seven passes for 77 yards and was the first player to score three touchdowns in a Super Bowl. The most memorable play for Craig in the game was his 16-yard touchdown pass from Montana, with his eyes wide open and doing his signature high-knee running technique into the end zone.
Another excellent game for Craig was in Super Bowl XXIII against the Bengals in which he piled up 71 rushing yards and caught eight passes for 101 yards.
Craig is tied for two Super Bowl records with most touchdowns scored in a game (3) and most points scored in a game (18).
4) CB/S Ronnie Lott (1981-90)
Super Bowl Rings: 4
In just ten seasons with the 49ers, Lott helped the team win four Super Bowls and was the defensive leader. He played cornerback in Super Bowl XVI and Super Bowl XIX ,and safety in Super Bowl XXIII and Super Bowl XXIV. Lott was the glue that held the 49ers defense together and instilled fear in the opposing offense with his big hits. In his rookie season he led the 49ers to a win in Super Bowl XVI over the Bengals.
Lott has 11 tackles and 3 passes defensed in four Super Bowl games. He is one of four players who were with the 49ers for all four of the Super Bowl wins in the 1980’s.
5) QB Steve Young (1987-99)
Super Bowl Rings: 3
Placing Steve Young at the No. 5 spot was a tough choice. No one can argue against Young being one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history and how much success he had in San Francisco. And while he does have three Super Bowl rings with the 49ers, he was a starting quarterback for only one of those NFL title games. Still, his performance as a starter in Super Bowl XXIX against the Chargers is enough to land him high on this list.
Young threw an incredible six touchdown passes and massed 325 passing yards and rushed for 49 yards. He was the first player in Super Bowl history to finish the game as the game’s leader in passing and rushing yards. His performance earned him a Super Bowl MVP. I will never forget him celebrating on the sidelines as the final seconds of the game ticked away saying, “Somebody take the monkey off my back!” Linebacker Gary Plummer helped Young out.
6) WR John Taylor (1987-1995)
Super Bowl Rings: 3
John Taylor helped the 49ers win three Super Bowls giving the offense a dangerous counterpart to Rice. He was also an exceptional punt returner setting four Super Bowl records.
His biggest moment was in Super Bowl XXIII with was his game-winning TD against the Bengals that sealed the win, 20-16. With 39 seconds left Montana looked to Roger Craig who was the main receiver on the play called but was double-covered. With the focus also on Jerry Rice, Taylor was open deep in the end zone for the game-winning catch. That could have been his only reception in his career and he would still be a 49ers legend. The touchdown catch is arguably the best moment in 49ers Super Bowl history.
Taylor holds Super Bowl records for most punt return yards gained in a career (94), longest punt return (45 yards), highest average per punt return in a game (18.7 yards) and highest average per punt return in a career (15.7 yards).
7) OL Jesse Sapolu (1983–1997)
Super Bowl Rings: 4
Sapolu played both center and guard in his long career in San Francisco and is the best offensive linemen to play for the 49ers. He is one of only six Niners to win four Super Bowls and is the only one of the group to win a ring in 1994. He protected Montana and Young, and helped open up running lanes for Roger Craig and Ricky Watters in the Super Bowl.
8) CB Eric Wright (1981-1990)
Super Bowl Rings: 4
Wright was one of the best cover corners back in his playing days and is one of three defensive players to win four Super Bowls with the 49ers. He had one interception in Super Bowl XVI and Super Bowl XIX. His interception against the Bengals was returned for 25 yards.
9) WR Dwight Clark (1979-1987)
Super Bowl Rings: 2
Clark was a two-time Super Bowl Champion (XVI, XIX) and spent his whole career in San Francisco. He is most known for The Catch, the game-winning touchdown pass against the Dallas Cowboys in the 1982 NFC Championship game that sent the 49ers to their first Super Bowl. His best game was in Super Bowl XIX against the Dolphins with six receptions for 77 yards, which included a 33-yard pass completion. In two Super Bowl games he had 10 receptions for 122 yards.
10) FB Tom Rathman (1986-1993)
Super Bowl Rings: 2
Rathman was the best all-round fullback to play in the NFL and he not only blocked, but could catch and run if called upon. In his two Super Bowl appearances he showed off his versatility. He had 16 rushes for 61 yards and two touchdowns to go along with five receptions for 59 yards in Super Bowl XXIII and Super Bowl XXIV. His best Super Bowl game was in the blowout win over the Broncos when he had 11 rushes for 38 yards, two touchdowns and 4 receptions for 43 yards.
Honorable Mention (Super Bowl Rings): Keena Turner 4×, Brent Jones 3x, Harris Barton 3x, Steve Wallace 3x, Guy McIntyre 3x, Randy Cross 3x, Fred Dean 2x and Ray Wersching 2x.