The All-Time Winless Super Bowl Team
The All-Time Winless Super Bowl Team
Every year when the Super Bowl rolls around, I always get to wondering about the great players who have never won the big game. As a fan of football, I hate to see some one who was considered the all-time best at their respective position retire without winning a ring.
This also got me wondering of what a team comprised of great players who never won a Super Bowl would look like. Therefore, I took it upon myself to create the All-Time Winless Super Bowl Team.
While making this team, I decided to just consider players who are already retired from the game of football. I didn’t make it a requirement for these players to be in the Hall of Fame, but it turns out that most of them are. For the ones who aren’t in the Hall, they should be there soon.
Another requirement is that the players must have played at some point during the Super Bowl era.
Every position from quarterback to return specialist is covered, and I even took the liberty of giving this team a coach.
In reality, had this team actually played together, they would have definitely won a championship. Unfortunately, these 26 individuals will never know the feeling of having confetti fall upon them while hoisting the Lombardi Trophy into the night air as players.
Some of these positions many may agree with, the others some may beg to differ. So just take a look and see what I think is the best group of players to never be called Super Bowl champions.
Quarterback-Dan Marino (Miami Dolphins)
Dan Marino has done everything a quarterback could do in a career. He retired holding numerous passing records, and is arguably the best quarterback ever. Unfortunately, Marino came up short in his only Super Bowl appearance.
Running Back-Barry Sanders (Detroit Lions)
Many say that he could be the league’s all-time leading rusher had he not retired after the 1998 season. Barry Sanders is the most electrifying runner to ever set foot on the gridiron, and the best back to never touch the Lombardi Trophy.
Running Back-LaDainian Tomlinson (San Diego Chargers)
LaDainian Tomlinson is a sure-fire, first-ballot Hall of Famer. Only two players have found the end zone more than Tomlinson in their careers, and his 13,684 rushing yards are fifth all-time.
Wide Receiver-Cris Carter (Minnesota Vikings)
It’s long overdue for Cris Carter to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. He’d probably already be in the Hall if there was a Super Bowl ring on the greatest hands in league history.
Wide Receiver-Steve Largent (Seattle Seahawks)
Despite being in the Hall of Fame, Steve Largent is constantly overlooked as one of the greatest receivers ever. Largent is one of 21 players in league history to have at least 100 career touchdowns, and is 13th in receiving yards.
Tight End-Ozzie Newsome (Cleveland Browns)
It was a toss up between Ozzie Newsome and Kellen Winslow, but I had to go with Newsome. Both tight ends had similar career stats, but Newsome did it with less help than Winslow had.
Offensive Tackle-Anthony Munoz (Cincinnati Bengals)
Anthony Munoz anchored an offensive line in Cincinnati that could have easily won two Super Bowls in the 1980s.
Guard-John Hannah (New England Patriots)
John Hannah is probably the greatest guard to ever play the game. Hannah was an All-Pro for ten straight years (1976-85), and came short of a championship in Super Bowl XX.
Center-Dermontti Dawson (Pittsburgh Steelers)
Dermontti Dawson did a great job of continuing the tradition of great play at the center position in Pittsburgh. Dawson also helped pave the way for one of the greatest rushers of all-time.
Guard-Randall McDaniel (Minnesota Vikings)
Randall McDaniel was a picture of consistency in his 14-year career. McDaniel went to 12 straight Pro Bowls (1989-2000) and has been named an All-Pro nine consecutive years (1990-98). Too bad he came up short of the Super Bowl twice in Minnesota, and retired a year before Tampa Bay won in 2002.
Bruce Matthews-Offensive Tackle (Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans)
Bruce Matthews could have made this team at any position along the offensive line. Matthews is by far the greatest all-around offensive lineman ever.
Defensive End-Deacon Jones (L.A. Rams)
Unofficially the league’s all-time leader in sacks, Deacon Jones was the cornerstone of the Fearsome Foursome. Jones was also Defensive Player of the Year for consecutive seasons (1967-68), and an eight-time Pro Bowler.
Defensive Tackle-Alan Page (Minnesota Vikings)
The Purple People Eaters might not have eaten much without Alan Page. Even though Page tasted defeat in all four of his Super Bowl appearances, he was the first defensive player to be named league MVP.
Defensive Tackle-John Randle (Minnesota Vikings)
Despite being undersized as a defensive tackle, John Randle ended his Hall of Fame career ranked seventh all-time in sacks with 137.5 (it’s also the most all-time among interior linemen).
Defensive End-Bruce Smith (Buffalo Bills)
Bruce Smith was one of the best pass rushers the league has ever seen. Smith’s 200 career sacks is number one all-time. However, the first thing that comes to mind when Smith is mentioned isn’t his sack total, but the fact that he was a part of four consecutive Super Bowl losses.
Linebacker-Derrick Thomas (Kansas City Chiefs)
Derrick Thomas was one of the most dominant forces on defense in the 1990s. Thomas still holds the record for most sacks in a single game (7), and had 126.5 throughout his entire career.
Linebacker-Dick Butkus (Chicago Bears)
Dick Butkus has forever set the example of how the middle linebacker position should be played. As great as Butkus was, not only has he never played in a Super Bowl, but also he’s never even played in a postseason game.
Linebacker-Andre Tippett (New England Patriots)
Andre Tippett, a member of the 2008 Hall of Fame class, helped lead his team to Super Bowl XX. In addition, Tippett was a five-time Pro Bowler, a two-time first-team All-Pro, and named to the 1980s All-Decade Team.
Cornerback-Lem Barney (Detroit Lions)
Having played the first three years of his 11-year career in the 1960s, Lem Barney was still named to the 1960s All-Decade Team. Barney was a seven-time Pro Bowler, a seven-time All-Pro, and finished his career with 56 interceptions.
Safety-Ken Houston (Washington Redskins)
Many may not know much about Ken Houston, but he was a player ahead of his time. Houston, a 6-foot-3, 198-pound safety, set the record for touchdown returns in a season in 1971 (four interceptions and one fumble), which stood for 35 years.
Safety-Paul Krause (Minnesota Vikings)
Paul Krause was, and still is, the league’s best ball hawk. Krause set a high bar for defensive backs with an all-time high 81 career interceptions.
Cornerback-Dick LeBeau (Detroit Lions)
Nowadays, many people know Dick LeBeau just for being one of the best defensive coordinators in the game, and yes, he has won a championship as a coach. However, this is based off not winning a Super Bowl as a player. LeBeau was once one of the best defensive backs in the league during his time. LeBeau is tied for eighth all-time in interceptions (62), and was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010.
Kicker-Morten Andersen (New Orleans Saints)
It wasn’t hard to choose Morten Andersen for this team. All Andersen did in his 25-year career was become the league’s all-time scoring leader with 2,544 points. Andersen not winning a Super Bowl also helped him make this team.
Punter-Reggie Roby (Miami Dolphins)
In his 13-year career, Reggie Roby was a three-time Pro Bowler that was in the top three in punt average three times, and actually led the league in 1991. Roby finished his career with a 43.7 average per punt (37th all-time).
Kick/Punt Returner-Gale Sayers (Chicago Bears)
Better known as a running back, Gale Sayers also was one of the greatest return specialist in league history. Sayers had a total of eight touchdown returns (two kickoffs and six punts) in his short seven-year career, and has the highest kickoff return average in league history (30.6).
Coach-Marv Levy (Buffalo Bills)
Even though Marv Levy never led his team to a Super Bowl victory, no one will ever be the head coach of a team that has gone to the championship game for four consecutive years. Even without a Lombardi Trophy on his shelf, Levy is still one of the best coaches to ever walk the sideline of a football field.
Follow me on Twitter @ClydeASpeller
These 20 NFL Free Agents Will Flop with Their New Team
Check out the 50 Biggest Hall of Fame Snubs
Check out the Hottest Actresses in Sports Movies
