Leading Rushers In Each Super Bowl

by Chase Stuart on February 1, 2020

The last running back to win the Super Bowl MVP was Terrell Davis, which happened over 20 Super Bowls ago. One reason for that is a decline in big rushing games in the Super Bowl, particularly with respect to the winning team. Just once in the last 16 Super Bowls — Dominic Rhodes back in SuperBowl XLI — has the winning team had a 100-yard rusher. Perhaps more interesting is that in the last 9 Super Bowls, the losing team had the game’s leading rusher more than half the time.

The graph below shows the leading rusher for both the winning and losing teams in the Super Bowl. The winning team’s leading rusher is in a full black circle, while the losing team’s leading rusher is in a white circle with a black outline. In addition, in the 13 of 53 Super Bowls where the game’s leading rusher was on the losing team, I’ve put that in a white circle with a red outline.

I addition, there are just two games in Super Bowl history where the leading team’s rusher was not a running back or fullback: Steve Young on the ’94 49ers and Percy Harvin on the ’13 Seahawks. There have also been three games where the losing team’s leading rusher was not a running back or fullback: John Elway on the ’87 Broncos, Cam Newton on the ’15 Panthers, and Len Dawson in the very first Super Bowl.

The table below shows the leading rusher in each Super Bowl.

Year	Super Bowl	Win Tm	Leading Rusher	Rush Yd	Pos	Lose Tm	Leading Rusher	Rush Yd	Pos	Diff
2018	Super Bowl LIII	NWE	Sony Michel	94	RB	LAR	Todd Gurley	35	RB	59
2017	Super Bowl LII	PHI	LeGarrette Blount	90	RB	NWE	James White	45	RB	45
2016	Super Bowl LI	NWE	LeGarrette Blount	31	RB	ATL	Devonta Freeman	75	RB	-44
2015	Super Bowl 50	DEN	C.J. Anderson	90	RB	CAR	Cam Newton	45	QB	45
2014	Super Bowl XLIX	NWE	LeGarrette Blount	40	RB	SEA	Marshawn Lynch	102	RB	-62
2013	Super Bowl XLVIII	SEA	Percy Harvin	45	WR	DEN	Knowshon Moreno	17	RB	28
2012	Super Bowl XLVII	BAL	Ray Rice	59	RB	SFO	Frank Gore	110	RB	-51
2011	Super Bowl XLVI	NYG	Ahmad Bradshaw	72	RB	NWE	BenJarvus Green-Ellis	44	RB	28
2010	Super Bowl XLV	GNB	James Starks	52	RB	PIT	Rashard Mendenhall	63	RB	-11
2009	Super Bowl XLIV	NOR	Pierre Thomas	30	RB	IND	Joseph Addai	77	RB	-47
2008	Super Bowl XLIII	PIT	Willie Parker	53	RB	ARI	Edgerrin James	33	RB	20
2007	Super Bowl XLII	NYG	Ahmad Bradshaw	45	RB	NWE	Laurence Maroney	36	RB	9
2006	Super Bowl XLI	IND	Dominic Rhodes	113	RB	CHI	Thomas Jones	112	RB	1
2005	Super Bowl XL	PIT	Willie Parker	93	RB	SEA	Shaun Alexander	95	RB	-2
2004	Super Bowl XXXIX	NWE	Corey Dillon	75	RB	PHI	Brian Westbrook	44	RB	31
2003	Super Bowl XXXVIII	NWE	Antowain Smith	83	RB	CAR	Stephen Davis	49	RB	34
2002	Super Bowl XXXVII	TAM	Michael Pittman	124	RB	OAK	Charlie Garner	10	RB	114
2001	Super Bowl XXXVI	NWE	Antowain Smith	92	RB	STL	Marshall Faulk*	76	RB	16
2000	Super Bowl XXXV	BAL	Jamal Lewis	102	RB	NYG	Tiki Barber	49	RB	53
1999	Super Bowl XXXIV	STL	Marshall Faulk*	17	RB	TEN	Eddie George	95	RB	-78
1998	Super Bowl XXXIII	DEN	Terrell Davis*	102	RB	ATL	Jamal Anderson	96	RB	6
1997	Super Bowl XXXII	DEN	Terrell Davis*	157	RB	GNB	Dorsey Levens	90	RB	67
1996	Super Bowl XXXI	GNB	Dorsey Levens	61	RB	NWE	Curtis Martin*	42	RB	19
1995	Super Bowl XXX	DAL	Emmitt Smith*	49	RB	PIT	Bam Morris	73	RB	-24
1994	Super Bowl XXIX	SFO	Steve Young*	49	QB	SDG	Natrone Means	33	RB	16
1993	Super Bowl XXVIII	DAL	Emmitt Smith*	132	RB	BUF	Kenneth Davis	38	RB	94
1992	Super Bowl XXVII	DAL	Emmitt Smith*	108	RB	BUF	Kenneth Davis	86	RB	22
1991	Super Bowl XXVI	WAS	Ricky Ervins	72	RB	BUF	Kenneth Davis	17	RB	55
1990	Super Bowl XXV	NYG	Ottis Anderson	102	RB	BUF	Thurman Thomas*	135	RB	-33
1989	Super Bowl XXIV	SFO	Roger Craig	69	RB	DEN	Bobby Humphrey	61	RB	8
1988	Super Bowl XXIII	SFO	Roger Craig	71	RB	CIN	Ickey Woods	79	FB	-8
1987	Super Bowl XXII	WAS	Timmy Smith	204	RB	DEN	Gene Lang	38	FB	166
1986	Super Bowl XXI	NYG	Joe Morris	67	RB	DEN	John Elway*	27	QB	40
1985	Super Bowl XX	CHI	Walter Payton*	61	RB	NWE	Tony Collins	4	RB	57
1984	Super Bowl XIX	SFO	Wendell Tyler	65	RB	MIA	Tony Nathan	18	RB	47
1983	Super Bowl XVIII	RAI	Marcus Allen*	191	RB	WAS	John Riggins*	64	RB	127
1982	Super Bowl XVII	WAS	John Riggins*	166	RB	MIA	Andra Franklin	49	FB	117
1981	Super Bowl XVI	SFO	Ricky Patton	55	RB	CIN	Pete Johnson	36	FB	19
1980	Super Bowl XV	OAK	Mark van Eeghen	75	RB	PHI	Wilbert Montgomery	44	RB	31
1979	Super Bowl XIV	PIT	Franco Harris*	46	FB	RAM	Wendell Tyler	60	RB	-14
1978	Super Bowl XIII	PIT	Franco Harris*	68	FB	DAL	Tony Dorsett*	96	RB	-28
1977	Super Bowl XII	DAL	Tony Dorsett*	66	RB	DEN	Rob Lytle	35	RB	31
1976	Super Bowl XI	OAK	Clarence Davis	137	RB	MIN	Chuck Foreman	44	RB	93
1975	Super Bowl X	PIT	Franco Harris*	82	FB	DAL	Robert Newhouse	56	FB	26
1974	Super Bowl IX	PIT	Franco Harris*	158	FB	MIN	Chuck Foreman	18	FB	140
1973	Super Bowl VIII	MIA	Larry Csonka*	145	FB	MIN	Oscar Reed	32	RB	113
1972	Super Bowl VII	MIA	Larry Csonka*	112	FB	WAS	Larry Brown	72	RB	40
1971	Super Bowl VI	DAL	Duane Thomas	95	RB	MIA	Csonka / Kiick	40	FB/RB	55
1970	Super Bowl V	BAL	Tom Nowatzke	33	FB	DAL	Walt Garrison	65	FB	-32
1969	Super Bowl IV	KAN	Mike Garrett	39	RB	MIN	Bill Brown	26	FB	13
1968	Super Bowl III	NYJ	Matt Snell	121	FB	BAL	Tom Matte	116	RB	5
1967	Super Bowl II	GNB	Ben Wilson	62	FB	OAK	Hewritt Dixon	54	FB	8
1966	Super Bowl I	GNB	Jim Taylor*	56	FB	KAN	Len Dawson*	24	QB	32

As always, please leave your thoughts in the comments.

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