Well kids, it's that time of year once again. The Super Bowl media frenzy has descended upon New Orleans for a week of shenanigans and debauchery, leading up to the big game this Sunday. This year, Joe "please include me in the elite QB convo" Flacco will go up against Colin "I can't believe I'm here" Kaepernick, for the NFL's greatest prize. This got us thinking, with the lack of a true "elite" quarterback in this year's Super Bowl, who are some other bench warmers and fourth round rejects who have found themselves on football's biggest stage? We took a look at the history books to find these select few, the guys who didn't have the strongest arm, or the quickest feet, but one way or another made it to the last Sunday of the season.
Joe Kapp
Teams: Minnesota Vikings, Boston Patriots
Super Bowl Stats: SB IV: 16-25, 183 YDS, 0 TD, 2 int
Career Stats: Record: 24-21-3, 55.2 QBR, 5,911 YDS, 40 TD, 64 INT
It's a pretty good success rate to only play three seasons in the NFL and make it to a Super Bowl. Joe Kapp wasn't a standout by any stretch of the imagination. He managed to lead the '69 Vikings to the big game—they lost to the Chiefs 23-7—but still.
David Woodley
Teams: Miami Dolphins, Pittsburgh Steelers
Super Bowl Stats: SB XXVII: 4-14, 97 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT
Career Stats: Record: 34-18-1, 65.7 QBR, 8,558 YDS, 48 TD, 63 INT
'Twas the strike-shortened season of '82 that found David Woodley and the Miami Dolphins in the Super Bowl. At the time, Woodley became the youngest quarterback in NFL history to start a Super Bowl.
Rex Grossman
Teams: Chicago Bears, Houston Texans, Washington Redskins
Super Bowl Stats: SB XLI: 20-28, 165 YDS, 1 TD, 2 INT
Career Stats: Record: 25-22-0, 71.4 QBR, 10,232 YDS, 56 TD, 60 INT
Rex Grossman should be the poster boy for mediocre quarterbacks. In less than 50 starts he has 1,000 completions, and more interceptions than touchdowns. None the less, Grossman managed to make the most with limited time as a starter as he rode a strong Bears defense all the way to Super Bowl XLI in 2007.
Trent Dilfer
Teams: Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Baltimore Ravens, Seattle Seahawks, Cleveland Browns, San Francisco 49ers
Super Bowl Stats: SB XXXV: 12-25, 153 YDS, 1 TD, 0 INT
Career Stats: Record: 58-55-0, 70.2 QBR, 20,518 YDS, 113 TD, 129 INT
Before Trent Dilfer was regaling us with insight and commentary on ESPN, he actually used to play the game, hell he even has a ring.
Kerry Collins
Teams: Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints, New York Giants, Oakland Raiders, Tennessee Titans, Indianapolis Colts
Super Bowl Stats: SB XXXV: 15-39, 112 YDS, 0 TD, 4 INT
Career Stats: Record: 81-99-0, 73.8 QBR, 40,922 YDS, 208 TD, 196 INT
A sub-par career record to go along with sub-par career performances, Kerry Collins showed us anything is possible when he managed to take the Giants to Super Bowl XXXV against the Baltimore Ravens.
Doug Williams
Teams: Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Redskins
Super Bowl Stats: SB XXII: 18-29, 340 YDS, 4 TD, 1 INT
Career Stats: Record: 38-42-1, 69.4 QBR, 16,998 YDS, 100 TD, 93 INT
1987 was a wild season for Doug Williams and the Washington Redskins. Williams wasn't named the starting quarterback to start the season, but he made several appearances for the oft injured/ineffective Jay Schroeder.
Craig Morton
Teams: Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Denver Broncos
Super Bowl Stats: SB V: 12-26, 127 YDS, 1 TD, 3 INT; SB XII: 4-15, 39 yards, 0 TD, 4 INT
Career Stats: Record: 81-62-1, 73.5 QBR, 27,908 YDS, 183 TD, 187 INT
Talk about hard times. Morton made it to the Super Bowl in back-to-back seasons in '70 and '71, but the Cowboys gave him the boot in favor of Roger Staubach in 1971.
Billy Kilmer
Teams: San Francisco 49ers, New Orleans Saints, Washington Redskins
Super Bowl Stats: SB VII: 14-28, 104 YDS, 0 TD, 3 INT
Career Stats: Record: 61-52-1, 71.6 QBR, 20,495 YDS, 152 TD, 146 INT
The 11th overall pick in the '61 Draft, Billy Kilmer didn't really take off until he landed with the Washington Redskins in 1971. A season later he landed in the Super Bowl against the undefeated Dolphins.
Earl Morall
Teams: San Francisco 49ers, Pittsburgh Steelers, Detroit Lions, New York Giants, Baltimore Colts, Miami Dolphins
Super Bowl Stats: SB III: 6-17, 71 YDS, 0 TD, 3 INT, SB V: 7-15, 147 YDS, 0 TD, 1 INT
Career Stats: Record: 63-37-3, 74.1 QBR, 809 yards, 161 TD, 148 INT
Named the 1968 AP NFL MVP, Earl Morrall only found the limelight as a result of an injury to Colts legend Johnny Unitas. After he took over the team in '68 he led the Colts to a 13-1 record and a trip to Super Bowl III. Then it all fell apart as Morrall went 6-17 for just 71 yards along with three interceptions, en route to a 16-7 loss to Joe Namath and the underdog Jets.
Tony Eason
Teams: New England Patriots, New York Jets
Super Bowl Stats: SB XX: 0-6, 0 YDS, 0 TD, 0 INT
Career Stats: Record: 28-23-0, 79.7 QBR, 11,142 YDS, 61 TD, 51 INT
Tony Eason has only 51 career starts to his name, and he's never started all 16 in a season. However, he managed to make it to Super Bowl XX with the New England Patriots. You may need to sit down to look at these numbers though. He went 0-6 for zero yards. We'll let that sink in.