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Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026
The Observer

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Top five Super Sunday performances from Notre Dame players

If you are anything like me, watching former Irish safety Julian Love and defensive end Rylie Mills help lead a dominant Seattle Seahawks defense to a Super Bowl victory over the New England Patriots got you thinking about Notre Dame’s vast legacy, not only in the NFL, but in its main event. Since the first Super Bowl in the 1967 season, 75 Notre Dame alumni have stepped on the field for sports’ biggest game, and 44 have left with a ring. Thinking of elite moments from the bunch is certainly not hard — but, with such a deep roster of Irish NFL players, categorizing the best is. After careful consideration, these are my top five Super Sunday shows put on by former Irish players. 

(Now, there is one rule: each player can only be listed once. Best to not be a Joe Montana book.)

5. Dave Casper: Oakland Raiders vs. Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl XI

Dave Casper served as a tight end for the Irish from 1971 to 1973, recording 21 receptions for 335 yards and four touchdowns in his collegiate career; he was also named an All-American and the Notre Dame Offensive MVP for the 1973 National Championship Team. In 1977, Casper scored the first touchdown in the Oakland Raiders’ 32-14 win over the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl XI under legendary coach and personality John Madden. Casper, an eventual 2002 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee, finished with four catches for 70 yards in the Silver and Black’s first championship victory.

4. Nick Buoniconti: Miami Dolphins vs. Washington Redskins in Super Bowl VII

Linebacker Nick Buoniconti, another NFL Hall of Fame selectee, wore Blue and Gold from 1959 to 1961, leading the team in tackles with 74 in his senior season, during which he also garnered the Irish’s only All-American recognition. Middle linebacker and orchestrator for the famed “No Name Defense” of the early 1970s Miami Dolphins, Buoniconti nabbed a big interception that set up the Dolphins for their second touchdown in their 1973 14-7 victory over the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl VII. He led a defense that held the Redskins without an offensive touchdown; the win capped the only undefeated season in NFL history as the Dolphins finished 17-0. 

3. Ricky Watters: San Francisco 49ers vs. San Diego Chargers in Super Bowl XXIX

The late ‘80s and early ‘90s legendary wide receiver and tailback Ricky Watters led the 1988 Notre Dame offense in receiving as a sophomore, serving as a key playmaker in the Irish’s undefeated season, culminating in a national championship. In his Irish career, Watters amassed over 2,500 all-purpose yards. He was even better in the NFL, totaling over 10,600 yards rushing in arguably a Hall of Fame-worthy career. Watters starred as a running back on the 49ers in the mid-1990s, and in a blowout 49-26 win over the San Diego Chargers in Super Bowl XXIX in 1995, he scored a rushing touchdown and two receiving scores on his way to over 100 yards from scrimmage; the performance perfectly encapsulated Watters’ amazing versatility as a dual threat out of the backfield.

2. Justin Tuck: New York Giants vs. New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII

Justin Tuck starred as a dominant pass-rushing Notre Dame defensive end from 2001 to 2004, securing his legacy in the latter seasons; he holds the Irish record for career sacks with 24.5. Tuck amassed two sacks, six tackles and forced a fumble in the New York Giants’ Super Bowl XLII win over the 16-0 Patriots and quarterback Tom Brady to deny them the second undefeated season in NFL history. At the time, the only way to shut Brady down was to generate pressure by rushing four players, because he could diagnose plays so quickly, blitzing Brady was a death sentence. Tuck dominated the Pats along with fellow linemen Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora to stymie Brady and his high-powered offense. The defensive trio deserved to share the game’s MVP but were bypassed by Giants quarterback Eli Manning. (Tuck didn’t stop there; he racked up two sacks again in 2012 as he and New York took down the Pats a second time.)

1. Joe Montana: San Francisco 49ers vs. Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl XXIII

Surprise, surprise: Montana tops the list. The difficulty is picking which performance in his three-time Super Bowl MVP career to designate as the best. His effort in 1989’s Super Bowl XXIII, however, takes the prize, as his heroics in the fourth quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals cemented his status as the legendary “Joe Cool.” Held out of the end zone and down 13-6 after three quarters, Montana led two touchdown drives in the 49ers’ 20-16 win. On the first, he teamed up with fellow legend Jerry Rice to tie the game early in the final frame. After a Bengals field goal, San Francisco received the ball pinned at its eight-yard line with 3:20 remaining. For almost any other quarterback in league history, the odds would be daunting. Montana made it look easy, completing 11 passes for 92 yards. His 10-yard strike to John Taylor capped a legendary drive made for the NFL Films archives. 

Once again, shout out to Love and Mills for inking their names in the NFL history books. And I have a feeling another Notre Dame legend named Love will inspire a similar list again soon.