Drue Tranquill (Photo by John Byrum/Icon Sportswire)
Drue Tranquill started his NFL career as an LA Charger in 2019, but tested free agency after the 2022 season. Hungry for a a shot at a Super Bowl and confident in in his skills he rolled the dice and signed a one year deal with the Chiefs. That bet on himself paid off, not just with a Super Bowl ring, but with a long term deal with the Chiefs signed after last season worth at least $12.5 million.
Tranquill, a two-time ND captain, won a Super Bowl ring in that first year (his 5th NFL season overall) as a Kansas City Chief. This season, and now a full time starter, he is the second leading tackler for the NFL’s #4 overall ranked defense.
On Sunday, he has the chance to win his second Super Bowl ring—and cement his place among Notre Dame’s NFL greats.
Tranquill isn’t the only Notre Dame connection to this year’s Super Bowl, but he is the only former ND player likely to see action this year.
Ian Book, posted a career record of 30-5 as the starting quarterback at Notre Dame from 2018-2020. Those numbers make him the winningest ND quarterback in the long and storied history of the program. Book who is now in his 4th NFL season has spent time on the Eagles active roster but currently is on their practice squad. (For more on Book’s ND career, see The Legend of Ian Book.)
Spencer Shrader who kicked for the Irish in his 2023 grad season, is now a teammate of Tranquill, but is currently on injured reserve. Shrader has seen four games of action in this his rookie season. He has had stints with the Colts, Jets and now Chiefs, filling in for other injured kickers. On the year he has been a perfect 9-9 on extra points and 5-5 on field goals, with a long of 45 yards.
A captain of Notre Dame’s 1988 National Championship team has a chance to win his 4th Super Bowl ring as an assistant coach for the Chiefs. Andy Heck was an All-American offensive lineman under Lou Holtz and went on to a 12 year NFL career. After his retirement as a player in 2000, he went into coaching, and is now in his 12th season as the Chief’s offensive line coach. While with the Chiefs he has won Super Bowls in 2019, 2022 and 2023.
Over the years, many other former Notre Dame players (and some former coaches) have had impacts on “the big game”. Here are some of the notables.
Three times a Fighting Irish alum has been named Super Bowl MVP and they are all the same guy. Joe Montana, who has four Super Bowl rings, earned the MVP distinction in 1982, 1985 and 1990. Montana was 4-0 in Super Bowls and his legendary performances are well exemplified by what is now known in Super Bowl lore as “The Drive”.
In Super Bowl XXIV, with the 49ers trailing the Bengals 16-13 and 3:20 left in the game, Montana entered the huddle on first and 10 at his own eight-yard line. In order to calm his team, “Joe Cool” pointed into the stands and said, “Hey isn’t that John Candy?” The lighthearted reference to the popular comedian apparently worked because the 49ers, on 8-9 passing by Montana, went down the field and scored the winning points on a 14-yard pass to John Taylor. Montana, in his only Super Bowl appearance in which he did not win the MVP, that day completed 23-36 for 357 yards and 2 TDs.
Other ND quarterbacks have played on Super Bowl winners. Joe Theismann (ND 1968-70) led Washington to a win in 1983 over the Miami Dolphins. Theismann also led Washington in the Super Bowl the next season, but in a losing effort. Terry Hanratty (ND 1966-68) took snaps in place of an injured Terry Bradshaw in Pittsburgh’s 1976 win, and also had been a member of Pittsburgh’s championship team the season before. Steve Beuerlein (ND 1983-86) took over for Troy Aikman late in Dallas’ win over Buffalo in 1993.
Notre Dame quarterback from 1972-74 and National Champion in 1973, Tom Clements also has earned a Super Bowl ring, but not as a player. Clements, who recently announced his retirement, had a long career coaching in the NFL. He got a Super Bowl ring when he was Aaron Rodgers’ quarterback coach in 2011 and Green Bay defeated Pittsburgh for the championship.
One former Notre Dame assistant coach went on to win the Super Bowl as a head coach. In 1957-1958 Hank Stram was an assistant on Terry Brennan’s staff in South Bend. In 1970 Stram led the Kansas City Chiefs to a Super Bowl win over the Minnesota Vikings. Stram’s middle linebacker on that championship team was Jim Lynch (ND 1964-1966). Lynch had also won a national championship in South Bend in 1966, the same year he was a unanimous All-American.
Former Notre Dame head coach Charlie Weis had won four Super Bowl rings as an offensive coordinator for the Patriots prior to his days in South Bend. Weis was named as the Notre Dame head coach in 2005, just hours after the Patriots defeated the Eagles 24-21 in Super Bowl XXXIX.
Two Notre Dame alumni participated in the first Super Bowl in 1967, a game won by Green Bay 35-10. Paul Hornung (ND 1954-56) who was then in the twilight of his career earned a ring but did not play due to an injury. Interesting though was the special teams performance in the first ever Super Bowl of Bill “Red” Mack. Mack, an explosive and tough as nails running back, played at Notre Dame from 1957-60, and was on special teams for the Packers. Mack is credited with two tackles on the day and according to several sources, made the first tackle in Super Bowl history.
The $25,000 winners share the Packers got for winning the game back then was more than double the $12,000 Mack had received for the entire season. The winner’s share today, is $171,000. (For more on Red Mack, go here Red Mack: The Toughest ND Player you Never Heard of, and my Coach).
Running back Ricky Watters (ND 1987-90) has scored the most touchdowns in the Super Bowl of any former Notre Dame Player. Watters has three and they all came during a 49-26 rout of the Chargers by the 49ers in 1995. He scored on pass receptions of 51 and 8 yards and a run of 9 yards. Also playing in that game was defensive tackle, Bryant Young (ND 1990-93). Young had a 14 year NFL career, all with the 49ers and was named All-Pro seven times. Young who is the father of current ND player, Bryce Young who as a freshman this past season had a breakout year at defensive end. Bryant Young also distinguishes himself as the only former ND player to start a Super Bowl as a rookie.
While this article is focused on former ND players who won Super Bowls, a couple who played in the game, but fell short, merit mention. Defensive end Ross Browner (1973-77), in a losing effort for the Bengals in 1990 set a Super Bowl record for most tackles by a defensive lineman with 10. One of those stops was a sack of his former teammate, Joe Montana. Another defensive lineman, Alan Page (ND 1963-66), played in but lost four Super Bowls with the Minnesota Vikings.
Matching Montana’s total of four Super Bowl victories is Rocky Bleier (ND 1965-1967). Bleier is renown for his heroic service in the Vietnam War where he suffered serious injury. He was a Notre Dame captain and national champion in 1966. After his time in Vietnam, he had a tremendous career as a fullback for the Steelers, teaming up with Franco Harris. Bleier won Super Bowl rings in 1975, 76, 79 and 80.
Steve Sylvester (ND 1972-74), played tackle for the Oakland Raiders and won three rings, 1977, 81 and 84. Undoubtedly, they look nice next to the national championship ring he won with Ara Parseghian’s Irish in 1973. Tight end Dave Casper (ND 1971-73), who had an 11 year NFL career that included 5 Pro-Bowl selections was a teammate on that 1973 National Championship and on the Raiders 1977 Super Bowl winning team.
Eric Dorsey (1982-85) was a two time Super Bowl winner with the New York Giants in 1987 and 1991. He played defensive end for the Irish under Gerry Faust. He was joined in both those games by tight end Mark Bavaro ( (1981-84). Bavaro was an All-American his senior year at ND, and had a nine-year NFL career including two All-Pro seasons.
Dave Duerson (ND, 1979-82) was a hard hitting strong safety who had an 11 year NFL career. He won Super Bowls with the Bears in the 1985 season and with the Giants five years later.
Wide receiver David Givens (ND 1998-2001) is the only former Notre Dame player to score touchdowns in two seperate Super Bowls. He caught a scoring pass from Tom Brady in the Patriots 2004 and 2005 Super Bowl wins over Carolina and Philadelphia.
Tom Brady did not have the same success in two other Super Bowls, at least in part due to the stellar play of defensive end Justin Tuck (ND 2001-04). Tuck is second on the all-time ND sack list (behind Isiah Foskey). He came up with two sacks of Brady in each of two New York Giants Super Bowl wins over the Patriots, in 2008 and 2012.
Three former ND kickers have earned Super Bowl rings. Punter Hunter Smith (ND 1995-1998) had a 44.4 yard average on his punts during the 2006 season that culminated with the Peyton Manning led Colts winning the Super Bowl. John Carney (ND 1983-86) kicked two field goals in the New Orleans Saints Super Bowl win in 2010. Craig Hentrich (ND 1989-92), punted seven times in Super Bowl XXXI on January 26, 1997, in a game won by the Green Bay Packers over the New England Patriots, 35-21.
Linebacker Nick Buoniconti (ND 1959-61) was a mainstay on the great Miami Dolphin team in 1972, the only NFL team to ever go undefeated. Buoniconti clinched the perfect season and a Super Bowl win with an interception in a 14-7 win over Washington. Buoniconti also won a ring the next season when the Dolphins repeated. Bob Kuechenberg (ND 1966-68) was a six time NFL All-Pro offensive lineman for the Dolphins who also played on those two Super Bowl winners. Kuechenberg had played on both the offensive and defensive lines under Ara Parseghian and won a national championship in 1966.
Jerome Bettis (ND 1990-92) finally won a ring in 2005 with the Steelers after a 13-year career. “The Bus” went out on top because he announced his retirement from the field while holding the Lombardi Trophy immediately after the game. (For more on Jerome Bettis go here: ND Football Legend returns to Campus)
With his four rings and three MVPs, Joe Montana rightfully stands as one ot the greatest players in Super Bowl History. But Montana’s heroics over four games are just one chapter in Notre Dame’s deep and storied connection to pro football’s biggest stage. From Rocky Bleier’s resilience and the four championships he won to Jerome Bettis’ memorable farewell, some record setting performances and legendary coaching careers, the Fighting Irish have left their mark on Super Bowl history, time and time again.
Now, Drue Tranquill, a leader during his days at Notre Dame, as underdog in the NFL, and now a player on one of the league’s best defenses–he’s already proven himself in the game once. But on Sunday, he has the opportunity to take his place several notches higher among ND’s all-time greats that have brought home Super Bowl rings.
Notre Dame’s impact on the Super Bowl is a story still being written. And this Sunday as the Chiefs and Eagles face off, look for another chapter to be added.
