News flash! The Detroit Lions won’t be part of Super Bowl LVI next month.
As the Lions continue to be one of four NFL franchises to never appear in the Super Bowl, Michigan doesn’t have to hide its head in shame.
Fans of the NFL from the mitten state still have a rich Super Bowl history to hold their heads high about.
From the Super Bowl GOAT, to hosting two of the games, Michigan still has plenty to be proud of, and the Ford family can’t take that from us.
Here are five Michigan ties to impress your friends with at this year’s Super Bowl party.
The GOAT: Tom Brady
Tom Brady has definitely carried the banner for Super Bowl success and its ties to the state of Michigan.
The former sixth-round NFL Draft pick from the University of Michigan is an NFL-best 7-time Super Bowl champ. Brady has appeared in a total of 10 Super Bowls.
Also a record five-time Super Bowl MVP, Brady has pretty well done it all on the biggest stage in sports.
His Super Bowl stats may never be touched.
- 3,039 passing yards (NFL record)
- 21 passing touchdowns (NFL record)
- 277 completions (NFL record)
- 421 passing attempts (NFL record)
- 6 interceptions
- 65.8 completion percentage
Along with his multiple career Super Bowl records, Brady also owns three single-game records.
- 505 passing yards – Super Bowl LII
- 43 completions – Super Bowl LI
- 62 pass attempts – Super Bowl LI
All of this and he still is in the mix for an eighth Super Bowl title this season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Two-time Super Bowl hosts
The Lions may have never played in a Super Bowl, but Detroit has hosted on two occasions.
Super Bowl XVI was held from the Pontiac Silverdome on Jan. 24, 1982. That saw the San Francisco 49ers win their first Super Bowl in franchise history, a 26-21 win over Cincinnati Bengals. Both teams were making their debut in Super Sunday.
(If you don’t remember this one, let us jog your memory: Is your wallet missing?)
It would be over 24 years later before the Super Bowl returned to Detroit. This time, it would be Super Bowl XL on Feb. 5, 2006.
From Ford Field, the Pittsburgh Steelers collected their fifth Super Bowl victory in a 21-10 win over the Seattle Seahawks. Seattle was making its first Super Bowl appearance.
That game had plenty of controversies as well.
Desmond Howard’s historic MVP performance
Tom Brady isn’t the only Michigan alum to hoist the Super Bowl MVP award.
Polarizing media figure Desmond Howard was the first and only primary return man to earn the honor. The former Heisman Trophy winner led the Green Bay Packers to a Super Bowl XXXI victory over the New England Patriots, 35-21, on Jan. 26, 1997.
Howard’s 99-yard kick return for a TD late in the third quarter locked up the victory for the Packers. Just like his iconic Heisman pose in college, Howard celebrated with a memorable TD dance.
Howard’s 244 total combined yards in the victory was a Super Bowl record.
Eminem to be part of seventh Michigan-related halftime show
This year’s Super Bowl will have a Michigan feel in the halftime show.
Eminem will be part of the Super Bowl LVI halftime performance from SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif.
Slim Shady will be joining Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar and Mary J. Blige for this year’s performance.
This year’s show will mark the seventh time a Michigan native has performed on the big stage of the Super Bowl. Other performers were:
- Super Bowl VII: University of Michigan Marching Band
- Super Bowl XXX: Diana Ross
- Super Bowl XXXII: Smokey Robinson, Martha Reeves & The Temptations
- Super Bowl XXXIII: Stevie Wonder
- Super Bowl XXXVIII: Kid Rock
- Super Bowl XLVI: Madonna
But what songs will Eminem contribute to the collaboration this year?
Michigan voices creating iconic moments
Every great Super Bowl moment has a soundtrack to go along with it.
The state of Michigan has provided that soundtrack in a number of cases.
Most notable among broadcasters with Michigan ties that have worked the Super Bowl is Central Michigan alum Dick Enberg, who was from Armada in Macomb County.
Enberg was the lead play-by-play announcer for eight different Super Bowls. His first came in 1981 for Super Bowl XV on NBC. Enberg’s final call came for Super Bowl XXXII in January of 1998.
Just last year, Michigan alums Tracy Wolfson and Jay Feely were part of the CBS broadcast.
Here’s a complete rundown of Michigan’s broadcasting connection to Super Bowl History:
- Dick Enberg, Armada: Super Bowls XV, XVII, XX, XXIII, XXVII, XXVIII, XXX, XXXII
- Dan Dierdorf, Michigan football player: Super Bowl XXIX
- Ron Pitts, Sterling Heights: Super Bowls XXXI, XXXIII, XXXVI
- Armen Keteyian, Bloomfield Hills: Super Bowls XXXV, XXXVIII
- Tracy Wolfson, Michigan alum: Super Bowls XLVIII, 50, LIII, LV
- Jay Feely, Michigan alum: Super Bowls 50, LIII, LV
