Has a defensive player ever won Super Bowl MVP? Delving into history of the Big Game

If an offensive player, particularly a quarterback, has a strong performance in the Super Bowl, the player will probably win the Most Valuable Player award. A quarterback has earned the MVP award an incredible 33 times in the 58 Super Bowls that have been played in history.

Although offensive players are typically the favorites to win the coveted Super Bowl MVP award, defensive players have occasionally been able to claim the honor as well.

Merely nine Super Bowl games have had a defensive player emerge victorious as MVP. The latest recipient was linebacker Von Miller, who helped the Denver Broncos defeat the Carolina Panthers 24–10 in Super Bowl 50 by recording 2.5 sacks and two forced fumbles.

Chuck Howley, a linebacker with the Dallas Cowboys from 1961 to 1973, was the first defensive player to receive the MVP in Super Bowl V. The fact that Howley is the only player to win the award despite playing for a losing team is the surprise here, though.

He earned the title after recording two interceptions in a 16-13 loss to the Baltimore Colts. All of the other Super Bowl MVPs, both on offense and defense, except for Howley, have come from teams that won, a pattern that might continue forever.

When Cowboys defensive linemen Harvey Martin and Randy White were voted co-MVPs following a game against the Broncos in Super Bowl XII, it was another noteworthy event involving defensive players and MVPs. That was the only time in history where multiple players were selected as the MVP of the Super Bowl.

Which defensive players have been named Super Bowl MVPs?

In total, 10 defenders have won MVP awards in the Big Game throughout the Super Bowl era, although they only did it in nine games. All of the defensive players who have taken home Super Bowl MVP honors are listed below:

Super Bowl V (1971): Linebacker Chuck Howley, Dallas Cowboys
Super Bowl VII (1973): Safety Jake Scott, Miami Dolphins
Super Bowl XII (1978): Defensive linemen Harvey Martin and Randy White, Dallas Cowboys
Super Bowl XX (1986): Defensive end Richard Dent, Chicago Bears
Super Bowl XXX (1996): Cornerback Larry Brown, Dallas Cowboys
Super Bowl XXXV (2001): Linebacker Ray Lewis, Baltimore Ravens
Super Bowl XXXVII (2003): Cornerback Dexter Jackson Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Super Bowl XLVIII (2014): Linebacker Malcolm Smith, Seattle Seahawks
Super Bowl 50 (2016): Linebacker Von Miller, Denver Broncos