Which Iowa Hawkeye Has The Greatest Super Bowl Performance?

One of the most-watched sporting events of the year is under 2 weeks away as the San Francisco 49ers will take on the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 58. The excitement that comes with this game is unmatched by any of the other 3 professional sports leagues in the U.S. The fanfare attached to this championship is unlike any other sports we see in America. The parties, the food, the gambling, and the performances, all add to the culmination of the biggest sport in the U.S.

Whether you're a die-hard fan of either team, are excited about the commercials, only care about the food, want to catch of glimpse of Taylor Swift, or plan on cashing in on the prop bets, nothing beats the Super Bowl.

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The biggest game in the NFL has found plenty of former Iowans or Hawkeye football stars participating for the Lombardi Trophy. In a 2022 article from the Daily Iowan, 57 Hawkeyes had participated in an NFL championship game. On Sunday, February 11, Brock Purdy, formerly of Iowa State, will start for the 49ers in his first Super Bowl matchup. While Brock Purdy went to ISU, the state of Iowa will have one of the most important players on the field representing Iowa. Pretty dang cool if you ask me.

Which Hawkeyes Have Had The Best Super Bowl Performances?

There have been some incredible performances by former Iowa Hawkeyes in the Super Bowl over the year and I wanted to find out which player had the best performance in the NFL's biggest game.

The Athletic put together a top 10 list of the best performances and they mention games from Reggie Roby. Reggie was one of the greatest punters in Big 10 history and in Super Bowl XIX, he punted the ball 6 times for an average of 39.3 yards and had one boot travel 51 yards.

Merton Hanks played in Super Bowl XXIX and led the 49ers with seven interceptions in 1994. He became a champion as he finished that game with two tackles and 2 pass breakups to help lead San Francisco to victory.

Dallas Clark, one of the Hawkeye's most beloved players, made it to two Super Bowls during his playing time with the Indianapolis Colts. In Clark's first Super Bowl (XLI), which the Colts won, he caught 4 passes for 36 yards. His better game statistically was in the Super Bowl XLIV. He caught 7 passes for 86 yards.

Tim Dwight played in Super Bowl XXXIII and returned a kickoff for a 94-yard touchdown. He returned kicks that game for a total of 210 yards, which became the second most for a Super Bowl game.

Best Hawkeye Performance

The Athletic believes the best Hawkeye performance in a Super Bowl came from Bob Sanders.

Bob helped lead the Colts defense to a win in Super Bowl XLI. Sanders had 3 tackles, forced a fumble that was recovered by the Colts, and he intercepted a pass with 10 minutes left in the game. This pick helped the Colts seal the deal and it could be argued that Sanders should've won the MVP award in that game. With how the NFL is set up, the MVP of that Super Bowl went to quarterback Peyton Manning.

During the big game on Sunday, February 11, there will be two ties to the state of Iowa, and they're both on the same team! While there are plenty of Chiefs fans in Iowa, Iowans can also be happy to cheer on Brock Purdy and George Kittle of the 49ers.