The Youngest Players To Make It To The Super Bowl
There's always something fascinating and exciting about a prodigy. When somebody appears with a natural talent for skills that normally take years to hone and can perform at the highest level, it's hard not to root for them. And these prodigies can appear without warning. Although people typically think of Mozart and Picasso when they think of artists who showed their genius at a shockingly young age, the world of sport is full of young players who are similarly precocious.
Indeed, it's arguably even more of an advantage in sports because the human body can only sustain the ravages of its high-impact activities for so long. So when it comes to football, a player who can make it all the way to the Super Bowl when they're basically still a rookie is someone to watch for sure. And there are more people who have that achievement under their belts than it may seem.
Jamal Lewis
In 2001, Jamal Lewis became the youngest football player to contribute to a Super Bowl win at the age of 21. According to USA Today, his rookie season didn't see him take a back seat to his teammates, either. The hungry young running back led his team in rushes during the big game.
All told, he ran 102 yards and scored a touchdown against the New York Giants, which brought the Baltimore Ravens a step closer to their eventual victory in Super Bowl XXXV. Sadly, NBC Sports reported that Lewis would later sell his Super Bowl ring due to financial difficulties.
Bryan Bulaga
According to Sports Illustrated, Bryan Bulaga was the Green Bay Packers' first-round draft pick in 2010, and life came at the 21-year-old right tackle fast after that. That's because while Bulaga was still adjusting to his rookie season, his team would find itself making it all the way to the Super Bowl that year.
As Bulaga put it, "As a rookie, like I said, I was just trying to stay above water, and then you end up winning the whole thing, and it's just a surreal, awesome deal." This chapter in his life was all the more surreal, as he would not appear in another Super Bowl before his retirement in 2023. He couldn't have joined the Packers at a better time.
Keanu Neal
It's hard to imagine a more emotionally jarring rollercoaster than 21-year-old Keanu Neal's rookie season with the Atlanta Falcons. According to CBS Sports, he was the 17th overall draft pick in 2016, and the young safety was credited for contributing to his team's path to the big game by forcing five fumbles.
Unfortunately, the team he joined would fall short of Super Bowl victory that post-season, as the Falcons blew one of the biggest point leads in recent memory before they lost to the New England Patriots. Neal would spend four more seasons with the Falcons before settling in among the Pittsburgh Steelers after short stints in Dallas and Tampa Bay.
Tony Hill
While some rookie players have the fortune of getting drafted by a team that's about to head for the Super Bowl, wide receiver Tony Hill was even luckier. As sports reporter Chuck Klosterman wrote for NFL.com, he was about to join one of the most legendary teams of all time.
That's because the 21-year-old was stepping into the 1978 Dallas Cowboys, who had just won their second Super Bowl under the guidance of world-renowned coach Tom Landry and the prowess of all-time great quarterback Roger Staubach. Although both teams to make it to the Super Bowl that year were competing for the record-breaking honor of being the first team with three Super Bowl wins, the Pittsburgh Steelers would beat out the Cowboys for that honor. Hill would never play in another Super Bowl.
Derek Barnett
While some rookies will mention feeling like they're trying to keep their heads above water when they end up on a team bound for the Super Bowl, defensive end Derek Barnett made his rare position count when he joined the Philadelphia Eagles in 2017. And it all comes down to one quick reaction.
As the Knoxville News Sentinel reported, fellow defensive end Brandon Graham forced a fumble when he strip-sacked Tom Brady in the game that would become the Eagles' first Super Bowl win. However, 21-year-old Barnett was one of the people who made that win possible as he recovered this fumble in what would turn out to be a tide-turning play. The Eagles would eventually release him in 2023.
Bobby Brown III
By the time he joined the Los Angeles Rams in 2021, 21-year-old defensive tackle Bobby Brown III was the youngest player on the team's roster. According to The Turf Show Times, his rookie season wouldn't see him appear much throughout the season, as he secured only a few snaps in 13 games.
However, he showed promise against the Houston Texans that season, as Brown locked ten defensive snaps during week eight. And Brown can already say he was part of a Super Bowl championship team, as the Rams went on to beat the Cincinnati Bengals in a narrow victory after his rookie season. Brown remains on the Rams' roster.
Devin Funchess
According to the Indianapolis Colts, Devin Funchess learned fast on the Carolina Panthers during his 2015 rookie season and was credited as one of the team's key playmakers. This means the 21-year-old contributed to what turned out to be a 15-1 season for the team that paved the way for the big game.
However, this did not mean that Funchess would walk away with a ring when Super Bowl 50 loomed. After the Denver Broncos defeated the Panthers, Funchess spent three more seasons with the team, and he signed onto the Colts in the hopes of seeing another Super Bowl. However, he wouldn't stay long and has since bounced around between Green Bay, San Francisco, and his native Detroit.
Derrick Harmon
According to The Cornell Chronicle, Harmon was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in 1984 at the age of 21. And after fighting through that year's season and post-season, the rookie running back had the distinction of receiving the opening kickoff of Super Bowl XIX.
However, he wasn't finished making history at the big game in 1985, as the 49ers' blowout victory would make him the first Cornell alumnus to earn a Super Bowl championship ring. Although his football career was short, it was certainly memorable.
Shaq Thompson
As ESPN reported, it was hard to pigeonhole Shaq Thompson when he became a first-round draft pick for the Carolina Panthers in 2015. The 21-year-old proved himself as an incredibly versatile player who was about as comfortable as a linebacker and a safety as he was as a running back.
However, the Panthers would end up making him an outside linebacker, and he would play that position all the way to Super Bowl 50. Unfortunately, his rookie season wouldn't see him become a Super Bowl champion, as the Panthers were defeated by the Denver Broncos. Thompson remains active on the Panthers' roster.
George Karlaftis
As the Lafayette Journal & Courier reported, it would be hard for George Karlaftis to ask for a better rookie season. After joining the Kansas City Chiefs during the 2022 first-round draft, the 21-year-old defensive end found himself an almost instant Super Bowl champion.
And as fans saw, the following year would see the team carry the same momentum and face off against the San Francisco 49ers at Super Bowl LVIII. He recovered a fumble by Christian McCaffrey almost as soon as the game started, which set the tone for a nail-biting affair that saw the Chiefs win the Super Bowl for the second year in a row. This means Karlaftis has a ring for every NFL season he's played.
Ahmad Bradshaw
As the CBC reported, former New York Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw had a deeply strange rookie year. After joining the team in the 2007 seventh-round draft at 21, Bradshaw would contribute to the momentum that saw them beat the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl. Soon after, he would spend a short time in jail to answer for an old charge before his signing.
According to Forbes, however, his second Super Bowl ring from the Giants' 2012 victory against the New England Patriots saw him run for the end zone only to remember orders to stop short of the goal line at the last second. The momentum scored him an accidental backwards touchdown which ended up winning the game after a Patriots gambit that capitalized on this last-second mistake failed. But as strange as his road to victory was, he stayed on it.
Mecole Hardman
As Yahoo! Sports described, Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman had a rookie year that was full of hype. Not only was the then-21-year-old named to the 2019 Pro Bowl that year, but his first season in the NFL would see him take home a Super Bowl ring.
Although Hardman would stray from the Chiefs for an ill-fated season with the New York Jets, he had also earned his second ring with Kansas City after their victorious 2022 season. However, USA Today reported that his third ring may be his most special, as he scored the game-winning touchdown to narrowly beat the San Francisco 49ers at Super Bowl LVIII. It was his first touchdown since 2022.
Ja'Marr Chase
When wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase was drafted to the Cincinnati Bengals in 2021, it had been over 30 years since the team had seen a Super Bowl. Yet not only did they make it to the championship during the then-21-year-old's rookie year, but Sports Illustrated reported that he almost let them have it all.
During a last-minute play that narrowly saw the Bengals lose to the Los Angeles Rams in 2022, Chase was wide open and sprinting down the field. If quarterback Joe Burrow had just a spare split-second to pass to him, odds are good that the wide receiver could have caught it and won the game. Alas, that's not how his first Super Bowl appearance went, but it's hard to know what can happen as long as he's still on the team.
Bob Stein
According to the National Football Foundation, Bob Stein's induction into the Kansas City Chiefs during the 1969 fifth-round draft would be the start of a record-breaking season for him. That's not only because the Chiefs would win the Super Bowl that year but also because he became the youngest person in history at that point to play in the Super Bowl, let alone win.
Stein would play two more seasons with the Chiefs and two for the Los Angeles Rams before splitting his time between the Vikings and the Chargers. He then left the NFL to pursue a career as a sports agent before switching sports and becoming the first president of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Jack Lambert
According to the Pennsylvania Center For The Book, linebacker Jack Lambert's 11-season stint with the Pittsburgh Steelers was impressive enough to deserve a place in the Pro Football Hall Of Fame. And he started building that reputation almost immediately after his second-round draft in 1974.
At 22 years old, Lambert took home his first Super Bowl ring after the Steelers beat the Minnesota Vikings at Super Bowl IX. That would be the first of four championship wins Lambert would contribute to, and the first of them was won during the following year. He was also there to see his team become champions again at Super Bowl XIII and Super Bowl XIV.
Ron Johnson
Although this was the result of some impressive fortune, defensive end Ron Johnson made history in the season following his first-round draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1978. According to NBC Sports, that wasn't just because he'd spend his rookie year on a championship team but because he would be the first cornerback in NFL history to do so.
All told, Johnson would win two back-to-back rings during his seven seasons with the Steelers. Four of his 13 interceptions would be made during his rookie season, and he scored three tackles in his first Super Bowl against the Dallas Cowboys and one alongside three broken passes in the Steelers' following victory against the Los Angeles Rams. Johnson passed away in 2018 at age 62.
Matt Millen
As Sports Illustrated outlined, linebacker Matt Millen was drafted during the second round by the (at the time) Oakland Raiders in 1980 and quickly distinguished himself with four solo tackles at Super Bowl XV. Since the Raiders won that year, he would earn his first Super Bowl ring at the age of 22.
It wouldn't be his last. Not only did he score five tackles during the Raiders' winning game at Super Bowl XVIII, but he also sacked Washington quarterback Joe Theismann before the game was over. Millen would go on to win another Super Bowl for San Francisco in 1990 and for Washington in 1992 before retiring from playing to transition to his current commentating career.
Eric Wright
According to the St. Louis Sports Hall Of Fame, cornerback Eric Wright was one of two fresh new players to the San Francisco 49ers after the 1981 draft that gave the team some of the best defense in NFL history at the time. And it showed during his rookie season, as he intercepted passes at Super Bowl XVI, which gave him his first championship ring at 22 years of age.
He would work his magic again two years later at Super Bowl XIX, where his pass interceptions contributed to yet another Super Bowl victory for the 49ers, this time beating out the Miami Dolphins. Wright would go on to be his team's alumni coordinator after retiring from the game with a career total of 18 interceptions and two touchdowns.
Ronnie Lott
According to the Pro Football Hall Of Fame, cornerback and eventual safety Ronnie Lott was the San Francisco 49ers' first-round draft pick in 1981, which paired him up with Eric Wright to create the league's most feared defensive line at the time. And he proved it quickly, becoming just the second rookie in NFL history to turn three interceptions into touchdowns.
Although he was able to ride that success to a Super Bowl ring at the age of 22 once the season was over, he would prove even more hard-hitting as a safety. Not only would he help secure three more Super Bowl wins for the 49ers in 1985, 1989, and 1990, but his legendary playing as a safety would induct him into the Pro Football Hall Of Fame in 2000 and the International Sports Hall Of Fame in 2023.
Mark Collins
After he was drafted by the New York Giants in 1986, cornerback Mark Collins hit the ground running with the team that he would spend the majority of his NFL career playing with. According to MidAmerica Nazarene University, his team made it to the Super Bowl after his rookie season, and he would take home his first championship ring at 22.
Four years later, he would win another after the New York Giants narrowly edged out the Buffalo Bills for the championship in 1991. Although he would be traded to the Kansas City Chiefs and then join the Green Bay Packers after finishing his career with the Seattle Seahawks, he only appeared in a Super Bowl game once more in 1997. He now coaches football at MidAmerica Nazarene University.
Bryant Young
According to the Pro Football Hall Of Fame, Bryant Young's impressive showing at the University of Notre Dame made him an attractive prospect for the San Francisco 49ers, who made him their first-round draft pick in 1994. And he lived up to that enthusiasm quickly.
After scoring six sacks in his first 16 starts, Young earned a spot on the NFL's All-Rookie Team and became a Super Bowl champion at the age of 22. After Super Bowl XXIX, Young would periodically lead the league in tackles and sacks and won his team's Len Eshmont Award a record-setting eight times. He would be inducted into the Pro Football Hall Of Fame in 2022.
William Floyd
According to the Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants, William Floyd's agent proclaimed him the best fullback in the NFL, bar none before he had played a single game, earning him the nickname "Bar None." And by the time the San Francisco 49ers chose him in the 1994 draft, he proved this nickname right with some unprecedented accomplishments.
This not only included catching a touchdown pass at Super Bowl XXIX and winning the big game at the age of 22 but also being the second player in history to win the National Championship and the Super Bowl back-to-back. That year also saw him earn the distinction of being the first rookie to score three touchdowns in a playoff game when the 49ers faced off against the Chicago Bears.
Travis Taylor
According to The Gainesville Sun, Travis Taylor was a first-round draft pick for the Baltimore Ravens in 2000. This put the wide receiver on a promising path as the newly minted member of a championship team, as that year's season would see him become a Super Bowl champion at the age of 22.
However, it turned out that he wouldn't fit in with the Ravens as much as he may have hoped. Although he led his team in career receptions and yards receiving by 2004, frequent quarterback shaker-ups with the team made it hard to find his footing in other areas. Soon after, he moved on to the Minnesota Vikings before bouncing around to Oakland, St. Louis, North Carolina, and Detroit prior to his retirement in 2008.
Richard Seymour
According to the Pro Football Hall Of Fame, defensive end Richard Seymour was the New England Patriots' first-round draft pick in 2001 and quickly set out to prove his hype was well-founded. In all but one of his 12 seasons in the NFL, he racked up at least three sacks, making him a nightmare for quarterbacks. Not only did his rookie year see him earn a slot on the All-Rookie team, but it also saw him play a significant role in the team's first-ever Super Bowl victory at Super Bowl XXXVI.
It's one thing to become a champion at 22 but quite another to become one of the team's first champions at that age. Seymour would go on to win two more Super Bowls with the Patriots in 2004 and 2005 before spending the rest of his career with the Oakland Raiders. He would be inducted into the Pro Football Hall Of Fame in 2022.
Randall Gay
According to the New England Patriots, Gay's path to the team was fairly novel for the time because he was signed to the Patriots as a free-agent cornerback rather than being drafted out of college. The Patriots had an impressive playoff run that year, and Gay was a significant contributor to it with 34 solo tackles, two interceptions, six interrupted passes, and two fumble recoveries.
But he really shined at Super Bowl XXXIX, leading his team in tackles with over 11 solo tackles logged during that game alone. His and the team's performance made him a Super Bowl champion at 22, but that wouldn't be the last time. Soon after he joined the New Orleans Saints, Gay would earn another Super Bowl ring in 2010.
Antoine Bethea
According to Sports Illustrated, Antoine Bethea's strong showing at Howard University attracted the attention of the Indianapolis Colts, who drafted him as a safety in 2006. And while Bethea would earn three Pro Bowl appearances throughout his career, one of his highest honors came during his rookie season.
That's because his defensive work helped bring the Colts to victory against the Chicago Bears at Super Bowl XLI. Not only did this mean he would take home a championship ring at 22, but also that the Colts would win their first Super Bowl since 1971. He would go on to play six more seasons with the Colts before moving on to San Francisco and Arizona prior to his retirement as a member of the New York Giants.
Jason Pierre-Paul
Although Sports Illustrated noted that Jason Pierre-Paul's strongest years in the NFL came during his 2011 and 2014 seasons with the New York Giants, his rookie year was an important one, too. After all, that year saw him take home a championship ring after Super Bowl XLVI at the age of 22.
Nonetheless, the linebacker's total sacks for those years went into the double digits, and in 2011, he was appointed First Team All-Pro. After his initial run with the Giants, Pierre-Pul spent four seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he won yet another Super Bowl in 2021. He now plays for the Miami Dolphins.
Malcom Brown
After Malcom Brown was drafted by the New England Patriots as a defensive tackle in 2015, he stayed with the team for four seasons and played 60 games in that time. But according to Sports Illustrated, Brown's second season was one of two that would bring him one of the most coveted accolades.
Although he didn't quite join the ranks of players who became Super Bowl champions at 21, he nonetheless found himself with a championship ring at 22 after the Patriots won Super Bowl LI. Two years later, he would receive yet another ring after the Patriots' decisive Super Bowl victory against the Los Angeles Rams.
Cam Akers
After building an impressive early reputation as a rushing running back during his rookie season with the Los Angeles Rams, Cam Akers saw his sophomore year jeopardized when he tore his Achilles tendon before the season even started. According to the NFL, that normally leaves a player benched for about a year before he can recover.
However, he miraculously recovered with enough time to join the Rams for the 2021 post-season run. Not only that, but he led the team to a Super Bowl victory and earned his first championship ring at the age of 22. However, he told the league that he was more interested in personal bests than objective achievements, As he said, "I don't feel like I played the best games throughout that time span, so there wasn't really a lot of celebrating for me."
Ernest Jones
As Fox Sports reported, linebacker Ernest Jones has proved to be a significant asset to the Los Angeles Rams since the team selected him in the third round of the 2021 draft. Although his most recent season has seen him hit career highs in tackles and sacks, he's also established himself as a savvy playmaker.
That's especially impressive because Jones has only recently come out of a rookie season that saw him go all the way to the Super Bowl. It's certainly an accomplishment to get a championship ring by 22, but it sounds like it could be only the first of many for the linebacker.
Dan Marino
According to the Pro Football Hall Of Fame, legendary Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino rewrote the book on passing, and by his second season with the team, he became the first player to pass for more than 5,000 yards in one season. He also improved upon a rookie season that included 20 touchdown passes with a staggering 48.
Although this season saw Marino break six records and take the throne as the NFL's most valuable player that year, it didn't see him go to the Super Bowl. And while Marino was the youngest quarterback to appear in a Super Bowl at 23, that would be the only one he played in, which means he never received a championship ring in his entire career. But his impressive stats and his 2005 induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame show that the big game isn't quite everything.
Ben Roethlisberger
Nicknamed "Big Ben" for his towering accomplishments as a quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger's reputation of leading the Pittsburgh Steelers to victory started as early as his rookie season. Although the NFL described this season as featuring Roethlisberger as more of a game manager than a quarterback, it certainly worked out for him.
That's because he was fresh off his 2005 draft when the then-23-year-old contributed to his team's victory at Super Bowl XL. Three years later, he would do it again with even more impressive and tense results at Super Bowl XLIII, which ended with a dramatic touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes, who was named MVP that year. Roethlisberger would also appear in Super Bowl XLV before his retirement in 2022 but this did not result in his third championship ring.
Clyde Edwards-Helaire
According to LSU Wire, Clyde Edwards-Helaire's rookie season with the Kansas City Chiefs was only recently in the rearview when the then-23-year-old running back found himself at Super Bowl LVII. Since the Chiefs won that year, LSU Wire received a championship ring.
When Super Bowl LVIII loomed, Edwards-Helaire's role was decidedly minimal. He saw a total of four snaps and logged a single carry with no yard gains. However, that didn't make the day any less emotional for him because with the Chiefs being Super Bowl champions once again, Edwards-Helaire is now the proud owner of two rings less than five years into his NFL career.
Brock Purdy
According to USA Today, hopes were not particularly high when the San Francisco 49ers chose quarterback Brock Purdy as the very last pick of the 2022 draft. Yet, while the person in this position is typically called Mr. Irrelevant, that has not described Purdy's career so far at all.
That's because his rookie season as a third-string quarterback saw him step up and lead the 49ers to an NFC championship victory. By the next year, Purdy would achieve his first Super Bowl appearance at 24. Although his team was narrowly defeated by the Kansas City Chiefs, Purdy's performance that day was nonetheless the subject of praise among his teammates.
David Woodley
The tragic story of Miami Dolphins quarterback David Woodley began with a hopeful burst of talent. Although ESPN noted that the team didn't like his chances when he started training in 1980, he quickly proved them wrong by breaking their rookie pass completion record with 176 quality passes.
Soon after, his momentum during the 1982 season carried him all the way to the Super Bowl. But while he was the youngest starting quarterback to play in the big game at the age of 24, neither he nor his Dolphins teammates could beat Washington that year. Sadly, his issues with addiction claimed his life at the age of 44.
Jared Goff
At first, Jared Goff's performance as quarterback fell short of expectations after he joined the Los Angeles Rams. However, that would soon change, and by the time he turned 24, Goff had almost turned the whole team's fortunes around.
According to NBC Sports, that year found Goff in his third season and saw him lead the team all the way to Super Bowl LIII. However, the subsequent loss to the New England Patriots and a performance decline over the following two years led the Rams to trade Goff to the Detroit Lions, where he's recently shown a resurgence.
Patrick Mahomes
Although Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes started his NFL career as a backup, that changed after he finished his rookie season and was made the starter. Just one year after that change was made, Mahomes would find himself leading his team to Super Bowl LIV at the age of 24.
Not only would the Chiefs win, but ESPN credited Mahomes for some crucial drives that characterized his further victories. By 28, Mahomes had led the Chiefs to Super Bowl victories three times and earned as many Super Bowl MVP awards. He's also not showing any signs of slowing down.
Tom Brady
Although Tom Brady's legendary status in football is well-established by this point, his longevity and achievements in the game make it easy to forget how early his success began. His first Super Bowl appearance saw him lead the New England Patriots against the (at the time) St. Louis Rams in 2002. Not only does this mean Brady went home with his first championship ring at 24, but Sportsnet noted that it also saw him win his first Super Bowl MVP award.
Brady would go on to win five more Super Bowls with the Patriots between 2004 and 2019 and take home a final ring in 2021 after he moved on to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He would also be named Super Bowl MVP four more times throughout his career.
Jalen Hurts
Although quarterback Jalen Hurts has only been with the Philadelphia Eagles since 2020, he showed some staggering promise when he appeared at Super Bowl LVII. Although his team would just barely be outplayed by the Kansas City Chiefs, it's hard to know what more the 24-year-old could have done about it.
According to AP News, the game made Hurts the first quarterback in NFL history to lose the Super Bowl despite scoring at least 35 points. He also set records for most yards rushed during the big game for a player in his position (70) and tied the records of all-time greats like Terrell Davis (most touchdown runs), Steve Young, and Joe Montana. In the latter case, those two Hall of Famers are the only players to account for 370 yards and four touchdowns during a Super Bowl. It'll be interesting to see what Hurts does next.
Drew Bledsoe
Before Tom Brady was the face of the New England Patriots, that honor belonged to Drew Bledsoe. According to the Patriots Hall Of Fame, Bledsoe was the very first draft pick in 1993 and broke the team's records for passing attempts, completions, and yards gained during his time with them. In fact, he still holds the record for the most passing attempts in a season with 691.
And while he also has a Super Bowl victory to his name, that didn't happen as quickly as it may seem. Although the quarterback first appeared at Super Bowl XXXI at the age of 24, that day saw his team beaten by the Green Bay Packers. Indeed, his victory at Super Bowl XXXVI five years later would come just before Bledsoe moved on to the Buffalo Bills.
