Where Super Bowl MVP’s played high school football

gamestrat high school football sideline instant replay

Heading into this weekend’s Super Bowl between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers there have been 58 Most Valuable Player Awards handed-out. Of those, former California high school football players have won 14 of them. That’s the most of any state by a wide margin.

Serra (San Mateo) High School’s Tom Brady sits at the top of mountain with five MVP awards, four with the New England Patriots and one with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. However, Brady isn’t the only former Padre to win the prestigious award, wide receiver Lynn Swann won it with the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl X.

Related: Where Chiefs & 49ers rosters played HS football

Related: Where every Super Bowl starting QB played in high school

Lincoln High School in San Diego also has two different MVP winners. Former Hornets’ running back Marcus Allen was honored in the Los Angeles Raiders‘ Super Bowl XVIII win. Terrell Davis was honored for his performance when the Denver Broncos won Super Bowl XXXII.

Louisiana’s Isidore Newman also has two different winners, thanks to the Manning brothers. Peyton won the award after the Indianapolis Colts won Super Bowl XLI. Eli has two Pete Rozelle Awards. He won the MVP award with the New York Giants for Super Bowls XLII and XLVI.

This week, Patrick Mahomes, who played at Whitehouse High School in east Texas, will try to close the gap on Brady. If Mahomes wins the Rozelle Award Sunday, he would tie former 49ers quarterback Joe Montana, who won the award for Super Bowls XVI, XIX and XXIV.

Mahomes is currently tied with Terry Bradshaw (Woodlawn HS, Shreveport, Louisiana), Eli Manning (Isidore Newman, Louisiana) and Bart Starr (Sidney Lanier HS, Alabama), who have won two MVP’s each.

If Mahomes wins another MVP award, it would give Texas seven overall. The Lone Star State is currently tied with Louisiana with six MVP awards. Florida and Pennsylvania each have five MVP awards.

Overall, 19 different states have former high school football players that have won MVP awards.

  • California – 14
  • Louisiana, Texas – 6
  • Florida, Pennsylvania – 5
  • Ohio – 4
  • Georgia – 3
  • Alabama, New Jersey, Washington – 2
  • Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, Oklahoma, West Virginia – 1

Super Bowl MVP’s in High School

Super BowlName/TeamPositionHigh School/State
    
IBart Starr – Green Bay PackersQBSidney Lanier (Alabama)
IIBart Starr – Green Bay PackersQBSidney Lanier (Alabama)
IIIJoe Namath – New York JetsQBBeaver Falls (Pennsylvania)
IV Len Dawson – Kansas City ChiefsQBAlliance (Ohio)
Chuck Howley – Dallas CowboysLBWarwood (West Virginia)
VIRoger Staubach – Dallas CowboysQB Purcell (Ohio)
VII Jake Scott – Miami DolphinsSBullis School (Maryland)
VIIILarry Csonka – Miami DolphinsRBStow-Munroe Falls (Ohio)
IXFranco Harris – Pittsburgh SteelersRB Rancocas Valley (New Jersey)
Lynn Swann – Pittsburgh SteelersWRSerra (San Mateo, California)
XIFred Biletnikoff – Oakland RaidersWRTechnical Memorial (Erie, Pennsylvania)
XIIHarvey Martin – Dallas Cowboys*DESouth Oak Cliff (Texas)
 Randy White – Dallas Cowboys*DTMcKean (Delaware)
XIIITerry Bradshaw – Pittsburgh SteelersQBWoodlawn (Shreveport, Louisiana)
XIVTerry Bradshaw – Pittsburgh SteelersQBWoodlawn (Shreveport, Louisiana)
XVJim Plunkett – Oakland RaidersQBOverfelt (California)
XVIJoe Montana – San Francisco 49ersQBRinggold (Pennsylvania)
XVIIJohn Riggins – Washington RedskinsRBCentralia (Kansas)
XVIIIMarcus Allen – Los Angeles RaidersRBLincoln (San Diego, California)
XIXJoe Montana – San Francisco 49ersQBRinggold (Pennsylvania)
XXRichard Dent – Chicago BearsDEJ.C. Murphy (Atlanta, Georgia)
XXIPhil Simms – New York GiantsQBSouthern (Kentucky)
XXIIDoug Williams – Washington RedskinsQBChaneyville (Louisiana)
XXIIIJerry Rice – San Francisco 49ersWRB.L. Moor (Mississippi)
XXIVJoe Montana – San Francisco 49ersQBRinggold (Pennsylvania)
XXVOtis Anderson – New York GiantsRBForest Hill (Florida)
XXVIMark Rypien – Washington RedskinsQBShadie Park (Washington)
XXVIITroy Aikman – Dallas CowboysQBHenryetta (Oklahoma)
XXVIIIEmmitt Smith – Dallas CowboysRBEscambia (Florida)
XXIXSteve Young – San Francisco 49ersQBGreenwich (Connecticut)
XXXLarry Brown – Dallas CowboysCBLos Angeles HS (California)
XXXIDesmond Howard – Green Bay PackersKR/PRSt. Joseph (Cleveland, Ohio)
XXXIITerrell Davis – Denver BroncosRBLincoln (San Diego, California)
XXXIIIJohn Elway – Denver BroncosQBGranada Hills (California)
XXXIVKurt Warner – St. Louis RamsQBRegis (Iowa)
XXXVRay Lewis – Baltimore RavensLBKathleen (Florida)
XXXVITom Brady – New England PatriotsQBSerra (San Mateo, California)
XXXVIIDexter Jackson – Tampa Bay BuccaneersSShanks (Quincy, Florida)
XXXVIIITom Brady – New England PatriotsQBSerra (San Mateo, California)
XXXIXDeion Branch – New England PatriotsWRMonroe (Albany, Georgia)
XLHines Ward – Pittsburgh SteelersWRForest Park (Georgia)
XLIPeyton Manning – Indianapolis ColtsQBIsidore Newman (Louisiana)
XLIIEli Manning – New York GiantsQBIsidore Newman (Louisiana)
XLIIISantonio Holmes – Pittsburgh SteelersWRGlades Central (Florida)
XLIVDrew Brees – New Orleans SaintsQBWestlake (Austin, Texas)
XLVAaron Rodgers – Green Bay PackersQBPleasant Valley (California)
XLVIEli Manning – New York GiantsQBIsidore Newman (Louisiana)
XLVIIJoe Flacco – Baltimore RavensQBAudubon (New Jersey)
XLVIIIMalcolm Smith – Seattle SeahawksLBTaft (Woodland Hills, California)
XLIXTom Brady – New England PatriotsQBSerra (San Mateo, California)
50Von Miller – Denver BroncosLBDeSoto (Texas)
LITom Brady – New England PatriotsQBSerra (San Mateo, California)
LIINick Foles – Philadelphia EaglesQBWestlake (Austin, Texas)
LIIIJulian Edelman – New England PatriotsWRWoodside (California)
LIVPatrick Mahomes – Kansas City ChiefsQBWhitehouse (Texas)
LVTom Brady – Tampa Bay BuccaneersQBSerra (San Mateo, California)
LVICooper Kupp – Los Angeles RamsWRDavis (Washington)
LVIIPatrick Mahomes – Kansas City ChiefsQBWhitehouse (Texas)

*Co-MVPs

Visit NFL Play Football at playfootball.nfl.com

Play Football

nfl play football

About the Author

Jeff Fisher
Jeff is an award-winning journalist and expert in the field of high school sports, underscored with his appearance on CNBC in 2010 to talk about the big business of high school football in America.Jeff turned to his passion for high school football into an entrepreneurial venture called High School Football America, a digital media company focused on producing original high school sports content for radio, television and the internet.Jeff is co-founder and editor-in-chief of High School Football America, a partner with NFL Play Football.