Michigan State Spartan History In The Super Bowl Impressive
With Super Bowl LII this weekend in Minneapolis, the #15 Michigan State Spartanshave a rich history connected to this game. MSU sent out a release of course highlight Brian Hoyer for Sunday’s game, but also exploring all of the MSU history in the event. Here is that release in its entirety!
Former Spartan Quarterback Brian Hoyer Preparing for Super Bowl LII
EAST LANSING, Mich. – Former Michigan State quarterback Brian Hoyer, now a member of the AFC Champion Patriots, is preparing for Super Bowl LII as New England will meet the NFC Champion Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, Feb. 4 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. The game will begin at 6:30 p.m. and is being televised on NBC.
Hoyer, a back-up quarterback for New England, is making his second Super Bowl appearance with the Patriots. He also was a back-up quarterback on the Super Bowl XLVI team.
A nine-year NFL veteran, Hoyer signed with New England on Nov. 1 after starting the first six games of the season for San Francisco. He completed 58 percent of his passes (119-of-205) for 1,245 yards and four touchdowns with the 49ers. Hoyer played in five regular-season games with Patriots, completing 4-of-6 passes for 42 yards.
Hoyer has thrown for nearly 10,000 yards during his NFL career (9,895 yards) with 48 career TDs. He has completed 59 percent of his passes (837-of-1410) in 60 career games, including 37 starts. Hoyer spent his first three seasons (2009-11) in the NFL with the Patriots.
A four-year letter winner for the Spartans from 2005-08, Hoyer started his last 27 games at MSU, compiling a 16-11 record while leading Michigan State to the 2007 Champs Sports Bowl and 2009 Capital One Bowl. He still ranks among MSU’s all-time leaders in pass attempts (fourth with 896), total offense (fifth with 5,930 yards), passing yards (fifth with 6,159), pass completions (fifth with 200), passing yards per game (seventh at 157.9 ypg) and passing touchdowns (eighth with 35).
In addition to Hoyer, Eagles starting quarterback Nick Foles attended Michigan State for one academic year in 2007-08 before transferring to Arizona. Although Foles did not letter as a freshman for the 2007 season, he played in one game for MSU, in Mark Dantonio’s first-ever game as Spartan head coach, against UAB on Sept. 1 in Spartan Stadium. Foles completed 5-of-8 passes for 57 yards in the victory over the Blazers.
Hoyer and Foles, along with sixth-year NFL veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins, were all teammates during that year.
In the coaching ranks, New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, a former Spartan graduate assistant under Nick Saban in 1999, is making his sixth Super Bowl appearance with the Patriots. New England is 5-0 in previous Super Bowls with McDaniels as the offensive coordinator. Eagles offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland spent seven seasons (2000-06) on staff at Michigan State, also serving as the offensive line coach.
Additional Spartan Super Bowl Facts & Lists:
- New England Patriots quarterback Brian Hoyer is one of 43 former Michigan State letter winners to have his name listed on a Super Bowl roster. In the previous 51 Super Bowls, 41 former Spartans have seen playing time. Twenty-six former Spartans have won Super Bowl rings.
- Former Spartan greats Herb Adderley (Green Bay: I, II; Dallas: V, VI) and Earl Morrall (Baltimore: III, V; Miami: VII, VIII) each made four Super Bowl appearances and each won three championship rings. Dixon Edwards went a perfect three-for-three with the Dallas Cowboys, winning three Super Bowl (XXVII, XXVIII, XXX) championship rings.
- Former Spartan All-American Sherman Lewis made five Super Bowl appearances as an assistant coach (San Francisco: XIX, XXIII, XXIV; Green Bay: XXXI, XXXII), winning four championship rings. Former Michigan State head coach George Perles won four Super Bowl rings (IX, X, XIII, XIV) as an assistant coach under Chuck Noll with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Former Spartan Letterwinners on All-Time Super Bowl Roster (43)
Flozell Adams, OT: Pittsburgh (XLV)
Herb Adderley, CB: Green Bay (I, II); Dallas (V, VI)
Morten Andersen, K: Atlanta (XXXIII)
Fred Arbanas, TE: Kansas City (I, IV)
Gary Ballman, TE: Minnesota (VIII*)
Carl Banks, LB: New York Giants (XXI, XXV)
Tony Banks, QB: Baltimore (XXXV)
Myron Bell, S: Pittsburgh (XXX)
Larry Bethea, DT: Dallas (XIII)
Ed Budde, OG: Kansas City (I, IV)
Plaxico Burress, WR: New York Giants (XLII)
Garrett Celek, TE: San Francisco (XLVII)
Smiley Creswell, DE: New England (XX)
Billy Joe DuPree, TE: Dallas (X, XII, XIII)
Dixon Edwards, LB: Dallas (XXVII, XXVIII, XXX)
Bennie Fowler, WR: Denver (50)
Tom Graves, LB: Pittsburgh (XIV)
Dave Herman, OT: New York Jets (III)
Brian Hoyer, QB: New England (XLVI*, LII)
Mark Ingram, WR: New York Giants (XXV)
Bill Johnson, NT: Pittsburgh (XXX)
Clint Jones, RB: Minnesota (IV)
Greg Jones, LB: New York Giants (XLVI)
Mike Labinjo, LB: Philadelphia (XXXIX)
Ed Lothamer, DT: Kansas City (IV)
Dave Manders, C: Dallas (V, VI)
Derrick Mason, WR: Tennessee (XXXIV)
Earl Morrall, QB: Baltimore (III, V); Miami (VII, VIII)
Jim Morrissey, LB: Chicago (XX)
Muhsin Muhammad, WR: Carolina (XXXVIII), Chicago (XLI)
Ike Reese, LB: Philadelphia (XXXIX)
Jeff Richardson, OG: New York Jets (III)
Andre Rison, WR: Green Bay (XXXI)
Greg Robinson-Randall, OT: New England (XXXVI)
Paul Rochester, DT: New York Jets (III)
Butch Rolle, TE: Buffalo (XXV, XXVI)
Rich Saul, C: Los Angeles Rams (XIV)
Bubba Smith, DE: Baltimore (III, V)
Devin Thomas, WR: New York Giants (XLVI)
Matt Vanderbeek, LB/DE: Dallas (XXVIII)
Gene Washington, WR: Minnesota (IV)
Bobby Wilson, DT: Washington (XXVI)
Duane Young, TE: San Diego (XXIX)
*Did Not Play
Former Spartan Coaches in The Super Bowl (18)
Hank Bullough: Cincinnati (XVI)
Bob Casullo: Oakland (XXXVII); Seattle (XL)
Danny Crossman: Carolina (XXXVIII)
Brian Daboll: New England (XXXVI, XXXVIII, XXXIX, XLIX)
Rollie Dotsch: Pittsburgh (XIII, XIV)
Sherman Lewis: San Francisco (XIX, XXIII, XXIV); Green Bay (XXXI, XXXII)
Ben McAdoo: Green Bay (XLV)
Josh McDaniels: New England (XXXIX, XLII, XLVI, XLIX, LI, LII)
Dean Pees: New England (XXXIX); Baltimore (XLVII)
Skip Peete: Oakland (XXXVII)
George Perles: Pittsburgh (IX, X, XIII, XIV)
John Polonchek: Oakland (II), New England (XX)
Pat Ruel: Seattle (XLVIII, XLIX)
Bill Sheridan: New York Giants (XLII)
Pat Shurmur: Philadelphia (XXXIX)
Jeff Stoutland: Philadelphia (LII)
Sal Sunseri: Carolina (XXXVIII)
Woody Widenhofer: Pittsburgh (IX, X, XIII, XIV)
Former Spartan Assistant Coaches on All-Time Super Bowl Roster (2)
Steve Furness, DT: Pittsburgh (IX, X, XIII, XIV)
Bill Rademacher, TE: New York Jets (III)
Want the latest breaking MSU news delivered straight to your email for FREE? Sign up for the DAILY Spartan Nation newsletterWHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE! Don't miss any of the latest up the second updates on Michigan State Sports when you follow on Twitter @HondoCarpenter
