Canada is the largest provider of athletes to the NFL from outside of the US, but comparatively few stars from north of the border have made it to the big show.
As it stands, there’s a count of 25 Canadians who have featured for Super Bowl teams, 16 of whom have claimed at least one Super Bowl Ring.
Unfortunately, the likes of Steve Christie, J.P. Darche, and O.J. Santiago didn’t manage to hoist the Lombardi Trophy, but Canada can still boast a three-time winner and a Super Bowl MVP.
Without a Canadian being on the rosters of the Super Bowl LVII teams, these players will comprise the list of Canadian Super Bowl winners until at least next year.
Roy Gerela
Opening the list of Canadian Super Bowl winners is kicker Roy Gerela, who was a part of the unprecedentedly successful Pittsburgh Steelers team of the 1970s.
Born in Sarrail, Alberta, Gerela went to high school in Honolulu, played college football in New Mexico, and became a fourth-round pick by the Houston Oilers in 1969.
In 1971, he joined the Pittsburgh Steelers, became a cult legend, won Super Bowl IX, X, and XIII, and was given the nod for two Pro Bowls.
Allan Kennedy
Standing 2.03 metres and weighing in at 127 kg, Allan Kennedy was a force along the offensive line in his four years as an NFL player.
The Vancouver native was cut by the team that drafted him in 1981, the Washington Redskins, but that proved to be one of the best moves in his career.
Afterwards, the San Francisco 49ers picked him up, and he went on to win the Super Bowl with the California team in 1982 and 1985.
Mark Rypien
Once as the understudy and once as the starter, Mark Rypien remains the only Canadian-born quarterback to win the Super Bowl – but he also went one better than that.
With a ring in the cabinet from Super Bowl XXII, playing behind Doug Williams for the Washington Redskins, Rypien returned to the big game in 1992 for Super Bowl XXVI.
Not only did he help the Redskins to a 37-24 triumph over the Buffalo Bills, but he was also named MVP. This year, the NFL odds are leaning towards Jalen Hurts and Patrick Mahomes earning the same prize, with Hurts at +105 to score a touchdown anytime.
Tyrone Williams
Wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys, as well as the Calgary Stampeders and Toronto Argonauts in the CFL, Tyrone Williams’ short stint in the NFL yielded maximum rewards from very little playing time.
At Super Bowl XXVII, he was on the sidelines to land his first ring. The next season, the Nova Scotian was made inactive for the big game but was given another ring regardless.
Two Super Bowl rings from one reception across five games for 25 yards is a rather good return, and he came back to Canada to win the 84th Grey Cup.
Laurent Duvernay-Tardif
Hitting the headlines during the pandemic for taking a year out to work in a care facility – which earned him the Lou Marsh Award and the Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award – Laurent Duvernay-Tardif also made Canadian history in February 2020.
By helping the Kansas City Chiefs reel-in their first Super Bowl in 50 years, the Québécois became the first Francophone Canadian to win the big game.
The 1.96-metre, 146 kg guard was traded to the New York Jets in November 2021, but Duvernay-Tardif will likely be cheering on the Chiefs for Super Bowl LVII – especially as the sport betting markets have them as the +105 underdogs on the money line.
Luke Wilson
Drafted in the fifth round of both the NFL and CFL Drafts, tight end Luke Wilson would make his biggest career impact with the Seattle Seahawks.
Known for his ability to make plays in the passing game, he hauled in 11 touchdowns and 1,307 yards, with Wilson’s greatest achievement (winning Super Bowl XLVIII) coming in his rookie season.
Tom Nütten
Tom Nütten is certainly a man of the world. He was born in the US, raised in Germany, but came to Canada to play high school football in Quebec.
His football career took him to the NFL, into the CFL, over to the Amsterdam Admirals in the Netherlands, and to two Super Bowls. In 2000, he won Super Bowl XXXIV with the St. Louis Rams playing as a guard.
Daniel Federkeil
Hailing from Medicine Hat, Alberta, Daniel Federkeil enjoyed a stint with the Indianapolis Colts from 2006 to 2009 as well as one with the Calgary Stampeders from 2013 to 2018.
The offensive tackle would help the Colts to triumph at Super Bowl XLI and would then head north to hoist the 102nd Grey Cup with the Stamps.
Ryan Hunter
An offensive lineman from Ontario, Ryan Hunter only recently returned home to play his gridiron football, having spent five years in the NFL.
While he only played three games – all with the Chiefs – Hunter was on the active roster for Kansas City’s Super Bowl LIV win over the 49ers.
In 2022, with the Toronto Argonauts, he was a member of the 109th Grey Cup-winning team.
Eddie Murray
Through the 80s, 90s, and into 2000, Eddie Murray found himself on several NFL rosters as their kicker, but his best run came with the Detroit Lions.
From 1980 to 1991, Murray went to the Pro Bowl twice and was the NFL scoring leader once, but he didn’t win the Super Bowl until he left Detroit, claiming the Lombardi Trophy with the Dallas Cowboys in 1994.
Mitch Berger
Born in Kamloops, B.C., Mitch Berger won roster spots with several NFL teams between 1994 and 2009, leading to a career stat line of 847 punts to average 42.9 yards.
Drafted in the sixth round by the Philadelphia Eagles, but 12th overall by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, the punter would eventually be a part of the 2009 Super Bowl-winning Pittsburgh Steelers.
Klaus Wilmsmeyer
Ontario punter Klaus Wilmsmeyer was picked up 311th overall in the 1992 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but would sign for the San Francisco 49ers that same season.
With the 49ers, Wilmsmeyer would go to Super Bowl XXIX and win the big game to get himself among the Canadians to win a Super Bowl Ring.
Jon Ryan
One of the relatively rare examples of a CFL player moving to the NFL and finding many years of success, Jon Ryan commenced his career with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, played for two seasons, and then moved south.
He’d spend from 2006 to 2018 punting in the NFL for three teams. The former CFL All-Star would make it to Super Bowl XLVIII and help the Seattle Seahawks to their crushing victory over the Denver Broncos 43-8.
Antony Auclair
Hailing from Notre-Dame-des-Pins, Quebec, Antony Auclair went undrafted in 2017, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers picked up the tight end in the offseason.
While injuries hindered his progress with the Bucs, he managed to sign a one-year deal just in time to be a part of the 2020 NFL campaign, which culminated Auclair and his Tampa Bay teammates landing a Super Bowl Ring.
Alaric Jackson
One of the most recent Canadian Super Bowl winners is Alaric Jackson of Windsor, Ontario, who still plays for the Los Angeles Rams.
In 2021, the offensive tackle went undrafted, was picked up by the Rams, made it onto their 53-man roster, played during the season, and he topped it all off by winning Super Bowl LVI with Los Angeles.
Michael Hoecht
Another Canadian Super Bowl winner to claim their first ring in 2021, Michael Hoecht started with the Los Angeles Rams in 2020 but also went undrafted that year.
For the Rams, he’s amassed 4.5 sacks over 34 games and helped them to victory by playing throughout the 2021 postseason and at Super Bowl LVI.
Several Canadians have certainly made an impact in the NFL, and there isn’t any doubt that this list of Canadian Super Bowl winners will be extended in the years to come.
*Credit for all images in this article belongs to AP Photo*
