For a third straight year, a former Clemson player was on a team that won the Super Bowl.
Punter Bradley Pinion, who played for the Tigers from 2012-14, helped the Tampa Bay Buccaneers win the franchise’s second Super Bowl Sunday with a 31-9 victory over Kansas City in Super Bowl LV.
Pinion becomes the 31st different Tiger to win a Super Bowl in his professional career and just the second punter. Former Clemson great Chris Gardocki helped the Pittsburgh Steelers win Super Bowl XL in 2005.
With Tom Brady and the Bucs’ offense racking up 350 total yards and the defense holding Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs out of the end zone, Pinion did his part. His stats were not great, but they can be misleading. He punted four times for an average of 37.5 yards, but the Chiefs did little on returns, while one punt was fair caught at the 6-yard line.
Pinion is the first player to win a Super Bowl as a member of the Buccaneers.
The three-year stretch of having at least one former Clemson player win a Super Bowl Championship is the longest since a five-year stretch from 1996-2000. It is only the fourth time in Super History at least one former Tiger has won a Super Bowl three straight seasons. It also happed from 1977-’79 and then 1984-’89.
Of course, Pinion was not the only former Clemson star playing in Super Bowl LV. Three players represented the Tigers on the Kansas City Chiefs – wide receiver Sammy Watkins, cornerback Bashaud Breeland and linebacker Dorian O’Daniel.
After being heroes in Super Bowl LIV, it was a long night for Breeland and Watkins in this year’s game. Breeland did have four tackles, but he was beat on a couple of plays and was called for a questionable pass interference late in the first half that set up a Buccaneers’ touchdown.
In Super Bowl LIV, Breeland had seven tackles, two for loss, broke up two passes and had one interception in the Chiefs’ victory over San Francisco.
Tough lost! They trying to instinct Physical corners dang! Flag after flag no excuses tho but hats off to them!!I’m more so proud of my brothers tho for sticking together and fighting through adversity!!!!!! Much love KC Much love to the kingdom!!!!!!!
— Bashaud Breeland (@Bree2Land6) February 8, 2021
Watkins, who missed the last three games with a calf injury, returned to the field Sunday night. However, after catching five passes for 98 yards in last year’s game, including the catch that set up the game-winning score, the former Clemson All-American caught just one pass for 13 yards in Super Bowl LV.
Once again, a former Clemson player failed to score a touchdown in a Super Bowl. Defensive tackle William Perry’s one-yard touchdown run for Chicago in Super Bowl XX (1985 season) still marks the only time a former Tiger has scored a touchdown in Super Bowl history.
Former Clemson kicker David Treadwell is the last Clemson player to score in a Super Bowl. He kicked a field goal and made an extra point for Denver in a loss to the 49ers in Super Bowl XXIV. It has now been 31 years since a Clemson player has scored any kind of points in a Super Bowl.
Super Bowl Champion Tigers
Super Bowl III
- RB Bill Mathis, RB, Jets
Super Bowl VI
- Charlie Waters, S, Cowboys
Super Bowl IX
- John McMakin, TE, Steelers
Super Bowl XII
- Charlie Waters, S, Cowboys
Super Bowl XIII
- Bennie Cunningham, TE, Steelers
Super Bowl XIV
- Bennie Cunningham, TE, Steelers
Super Bowl XVI
- Dwight Clark, WR, 49ers
- Archie Reese, DT, 49ers
- Jim Stuckey, DT, 49ers
Super Bowl XVII
- Jeff Bostic, C, Redskins
Super Bowl XXIX
- Dwight Clark, WR, 49ers
- Jim Stuckey, DT, 49ers
Super Bowl XX
- William Perry, DT, Bears
- Steve Fuller, QB, Bears
Super Bowl XXI
- Ty Davis, CB, Giants
- Andy Headen, LB, Giants
- Terry Kindard, S, Giants
Super Bowl XXII
- Obed Ariri, K, Redskins
- Dan Benish, DT, Redskins
- Jeff Bostic, C, Redskins
- D. Dunn, TE, Redskins
Super Bowl XXIII
- Terrance Flagler, RB, 49ers
Super Bowl XXIV
- Terrance Flagler, RB, 49ers
Super Bowl XXVI
- Jeff Bostic, C, Redskins
Super Bowl XXXI
- Wayne Simmons, LB, Packers
Super Bowl XXXII
- Trevor Pryce, DT, Broncos
Super Bowl XXXIII
- Trevor Pryce, DT, Broncos
Super Bowl XXXIV
- Tony Horne, WR, Rams
- Dexter McCleon, CB, Rams
Super Bowl XXXV
- James Trapp, DB, Ravens
Super Bowl XL
- Chris Gardocki, P, Steelers
Super Bowl XLIII
- Nick Eason, DT, Steelers
Super Bowl XLIV
- Anthony Waters, LB, Saints
Super Bowl XLVIII
- Bryon Maxwell, CB, Seahawks
Super Bowl LIII
- Dwayne Allen, TE, Patriots
Super Bowl LIV
- Bashaud Breeland, CB, Chiefs
- Dorian O’Daniel, LB, Chiefs
- Sammy Watkins, WR, Chiefs
Super Bowl LV
- Bradley Pinion, P, Buccaneers