Philadelphia’s 40-22 victory over Kansas City in Super Bowl 59 added two more names to an exclusive list. Quarterback Jalen Hurts and wide receiver DeVonta Smith both won national championships at Alabama before claiming their first Lombardi Trophy together on February 9.
The feat isn’t rare in the way winning a Heisman is rare, but it requires sustained excellence across two levels of football separated by enormous gaps in speed, scheme complexity, and roster construction.
Hurts became the fourth quarterback to achieve the double, joining Joe Namath, Ken Stabler, and Joe Montana. Smith joined a different club entirely: players who won a Heisman, a national championship, and a Super Bowl. Only five have done it.
List of Players Who Have Won Super Bowl and National Championship
Four quarterbacks have won NCAA championships and Super Bowls. Namath won at Alabama in 1964 before leading the Jets to their historic upset in Super Bowl 3. Stabler, also from Alabama, captured the 1965 national title as a backup before quarterbacking Oakland to a Super Bowl 11 victory. Montana won at Notre Dame in 1977, then went on to win four Super Bowls with San Francisco.
Hurts helped Alabama win the 2017 national championship, though he was benched at halftime of that game in favor of Tua Tagovailoa. Eight years later, he earned Super Bowl MVP honors after throwing for 221 yards and rushing for a Super Bowl record 72 yards against the Chiefs.
Tom Brady technically belongs on this list. He won a national championship at Michigan in 1997 as Brian Griese’s backup, then went on to win seven Super Bowls across 23 NFL seasons. The caveat: Brady didn’t start that college title game, which keeps him off some lists focused on starting quarterbacks.
Running backs dominated the early decades. Marcus Allen won at USC in 1978 as Charles White’s backup, captured the Heisman three years later, then won Super Bowl 18 after the 1983 season with the Raiders. He remains the only player to win the Heisman, a national championship, a Super Bowl, the NFL MVP award, and Super Bowl MVP.
Defensive players have found success, too. Ed Reed won at Miami in 2001, then anchored Baltimore’s Super Bowl 47 defense. Charles Woodson won the Heisman and a national title at Michigan in 1997 before claiming Super Bowl 45 with Green Bay. Linebacker Jonathan Vilma and tight end Jeremy Shockey, Reed’s Miami teammates, both won Super Bowl 44 with New Orleans.
Recent championship teams have produced multiple NFL winners. The 2001 Miami squad sent Reed, Vilma, and Shockey to Super Bowls. Alabama’s dynasty has been particularly productive. The 2019 LSU team, featuring running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire, contributed to the Chiefs’ recent championships.
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Smith’s victory placed him in the rarest company. He joined Tony Dorsett, Allen, Woodson, and Reggie Bush as the only players to win a Heisman, national championship, and Super Bowl. Bush won titles at USC in 2003 and 2004, claimed the Heisman in 2005, and won Super Bowl 44 with the Saints.
The full roster spans positions and eras. Linebacker A.J. Hawk (Ohio State 2002, Green Bay Super Bowl 45) and wide receiver Michael Irvin (Miami 1987, three Dallas Super Bowls) have made the list.
Has Anyone Won an NCAA National Championship and a Super Bowl in Consecutive Years?
Dorsett accomplished something nobody has matched: winning a national championship and a Super Bowl in consecutive calendar years. The Pittsburgh running back rushed for 202 yards against Georgia in the 1977 Sugar Bowl to capture the NCAA title on January 1, 1977. Just over a year later, on January 15, 1978, he won Super Bowl 12 with Dallas. Both victories came in the same building, the Superdome in New Orleans.
The timeline made it possible. Dorsett won the Heisman in 1976, then entered the 1977 NFL Draft. Dallas selected him second overall. He rushed for 1,007 yards as a rookie and won Offensive Rookie of the Year. The Cowboys went 12-2 and rolled through the playoffs. Dorsett scored a touchdown in the 27-10 victory over Denver.
No player has since matched that back-to-back achievement in consecutive years. Allen came closest, winning at USC in 1978 and claiming Super Bowl XVIII after the 1983 season. But five years separated the titles. Montana won at Notre Dame in 1977 and claimed his first Super Bowl after the 1981 season, a four-year gap.
However, New England Patriots’ running back TreVeyon Henderson has the opportunity to join the list on Sunday. He won the National Championship with Ohio State last year and will go against the Seattle Seahawks to win the Super Bowl in his rookie season. According to PFSN’s RB Impact Metric, Henderson finished the regular season as the 17th-ranked running back in the league.
