Technically, Arizona has a former player competing in the Super Bowl this year. However, he never played a snap for the Wildcats.Β
New England Patriots backup safety and special teams standout Brenden Schooler was a one-time Wildcat.Β
It's a complicated story.Β
Following a four-year career at Oregon, where he played wide receiver and defensive back, Schooler transferred to Arizona to reunite with his brother, Colin Schooler, a three-year starter at linebacker for the Wildcats.
Brenden Schooler was expected to play wide receiver for the Wildcats and participated in Arizona's spring practices. Once the COVID-19 pandemic shut down Arizona's spring practices and delayed the start of its 2020 season, the Schooler brothers, among others, transferred away from the program.Β
Colin Schooler transferred to Texas Tech, and Brenden Schooler finished his college career at Texas before entering the NFL Draft. Schooler went undrafted in 2022 and signed with the Patriots.Β
New England Patriots safety Brenden Schooler talks to the media during a news conference Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026, in Santa Clara, Calif., ahead of the Super Bowl 60 game between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots.Β
Schooler has become one of the Patriots' top special teams contributors and was named a Pro Bowler last season.Β
Schooler isn't the only UA connection in the Super Bowl. New England's running backs coach Tony Dews was Arizona's wide receivers coach under Rich Rodriguez, and Patriots' special teams coordinator Jeremy Springer held the same role under Kevin Sumlin from 2018-20.Β
The Wildcats have also played twice at Levi's Stadium, the venue of the Super Bowl showdown between the Patriots and Seattle Seahawks. Arizona played in the 2014 Pac-12 championship and the 2017 Foster Farms Bowl at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California; the Wildcats lost both games.Β
Over 30 former Wildcats have played in the Super Bowl. Here's who they are:
Brad Anderson
Position:Β Wide receiver
Team:Β Chicago Bears
Super Bowls played in:Β 1 β XX (1985)
Super Bowl rings won:Β 1
Notable:Β The Phoenix-area native β and BYU transfer β caught one touchdown in the NFL.
Mike Bell
Position:Β Running back
Team:Β New Orleans Saints
Super Bowls played in:Β 1 β XLIV (2010)
Super Bowl rings won:Β 1
Notable:Β After finishing the regular season with 654 rushing yards, Bell had two carries for 4 yards in the Super Bowl.
Theopolis βTβ Bell
Position:Β Wide receiver
Team:Β Pittsburgh Steelers
Super Bowls played in:Β 2 β XIII (1979), XIV (1980)
Super Bowl rings won:Β 2
Notable:Β Bell caught two passes for 21 yards in his first Super Bowl appearance. He returned two punts for a total of 17 yards in his second.
Lance Briggs
Position:Β Linebacker
Team:Β Chicago Bears
Super Bowls played in:Β 1 β XLI (2007)
Super Bowl rings won:Β 0
Notable:Β Briggs posted 11 tackles in the Bearsβ loss to the Indianapolis Colts.
Tedy Bruschi
Position:Β Linebacker
Team:Β New England Patriots
Super Bowls played in:Β 5 β XXXI (1997), XXXVI (2002), XXXVIII (2004), XXXIX (2005), XLII (2008)
Super Bowl rings won:Β 3
Former Arizona Wildcat Tedy Bruschi won three Super Bowl championships with the Patriots in a four-year span.
Notable:Β Along with Glenn Parker and Rob Gronkowski, Bruschi is one of three Wildcats who have played in at least five Super Bowls.
Trung Canidate
Position:Β Running back
Team:Β St. Louis Rams
Super Bowls played in:Β 1 β XXXVI (2002)
Super Bowl rings won:Β 0
Notable:Β Canidate rushed for 441 yards and six touchdowns during the regular season but didnβt record any stats in the Super Bowl.
John Fina
Position:Β Offensive line
Team:Β Buffalo Bills
Super Bowls played in:Β 2 β XXVII (1992), XXVIII (1993)
Super Bowl rings won:Β 0
Notable:Β Fina, one of the best UA offensive linemen in program history and a first-round draft pick, played alongside another former Wildcat, Glenn Parker. Fina played for a Bills organization that lost four straight Super Bowls.Β
Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles
Position:Β Linebacker
Team:Β San Francisco 49ers
Super Bowls played in:Β 2 β LIV (2020), LVIII (2024)
Super Bowl rings won:Β 0
Notable:Β Flannigan-Fowles, a Tucson native and former safety at the UA, was a special teams contributor and backup linebacker for the 49ers for six seasons. Flannigan-Fowles recently finished his first season with the New York Giants.Β
Marquis Flowers
Position:Β Linebacker
Team:Β New England Patriots
Super Bowls played in:Β 1 β LII (2017)
Super Bowl rings won:Β 0
Notable:Β The Arizona native recorded one tackle for loss in the loss to Philadelphia.
Nick Foles
Position:Β Quarterback
Team:Β Philadelphia Eagles
Super Bowls played in:Β 1 β LII (2018)
Super Bowl rings won:Β 1
Notable:Β On fourth-and-goal against the Patriots, the former UA quarterback walked to the Eagles sideline, stared at head coach Doug Pederson and muttered, βYou want Philly, Philly?β Pederson replied, βLetβs do it.β When the Eagles lined up for the play, Foles pretended to call out audibles to his offensive line, running back Corey Clement took the direct snap and passed it to Foles, who ran a flat route for a touchdown. The famous play, known as the βPhilly Special,β was cemented in Eagles lore. Foles became the first ex-Wildcat to earn Super Bowl MVP honors.
Philadelphia Eagles' Nick Foles holds his daughter, Lily, after beating the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII on Feb. 4, 2018, in Minneapolis.Β
Mike Freeman
Position:Β Offensive line
Team:Β Denver Broncos
Super Bowls played in:Β 2β XXI (1987), XXII (1988)
Super Bowl rings won:Β 0
Notable:Β Freeman was the Broncosβ starting center.
Ron Gardin
Position:Β Wide receiver
Team:Β Baltimore Colts
Super Bowls played in:Β 1 β V (1971)
Super Bowl rings won:Β 1
Notable:Β Gardin was the Coltsβ punt returner. He called for three fair catches in Super Bowl V and returned one punt for four yards.
Rob Gronkowski
Position:Β Tight end
New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski holds up the Vince Lombardi Trophy while celebrating with quarterback Tom Brady after the Patriots defeated the Seattle Seahawks 28-24 in Super Bowl XLIX on Feb. 1, 2015, in Glendale.
Team:Β New England Patriots, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Super Bowls played in:Β 6 β XLVI (2012), XLIX (2015), LI (2016), LII (2017), LIII (2018), LV (2021)
Super Bowl rings won:Β 4
Notable:Β The last Super Bowl Gronk played in wasnβt exactly a display of offensive fireworks between the Patriots and Rams, but the tight end made one of the most impactful plays of the game when he hauled in a 29-yard catch to set up New England for the first touchdown of the game. Patriots won, 13-3. Gronkowski came out of retirement to reunite with longtime teammate and quarterback Tom Brady with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Gronk and Brady helped the Bucs win a Super Bowl over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 55. Gronkowski has the most Super Bowl rings among former UA players.
Brad Henke
Position:Β Defensive tackle
Team:Β Denver Broncos
Super Bowls played in:Β 1 β XXIV (1990)
Super Bowl rings won:Β 0
Notable:Β Denverβs 45-point loss to the 49ers is the worst loss in Super Bowl history.
Mitch Hoopes
Position:Β Punter
Team:Β Dallas Cowboys
Super Bowls played in:Β 1 β X (1976)
Super Bowl rings won:Β 0
Notable:Β One of Hoopesβ punts during the game was blocked, resulting in a safety.
Ricky Hunley
Position:Β Linebacker
Team:Β Denver Broncos
Super Bowls played in:Β 2 β XXI (1987), XXII (1988)
Super Bowl rings won:Β 0
Notable:Β Hunley, arguably the greatest defensive player in UA football history, started at inside linebacker in both of his Super Bowls.
Michael Johnson
Position:Β Defensive back
Team:Β New York Giants
Super Bowls played in:Β 1 β XLII (2008)
Super Bowl rings won:Β 1
Notable:Β Johnson recorded one tackle during the game, which was decided by David Tyreeβs miracle catch in the fourth quarter.
Vance Johnson
Position:Β Wide receiver
Super Bowls played in:Β 3 β XXI (1987), XXII (1988), XXIV (1990)
Super Bowl rings won:Β 0
Notable:Β In his first Super Bowl in 1987, βThe Vanceβ grabbed five catches for 121 yards and a touchdown.
Brandon Manumaleuna
Position:Β Tight end
Team:Β St. Louis Rams
Super Bowls played in:Β 1 β XXXVI (2002)
Super Bowl rings won:Β 0
Notable:Β Manumaleuna played against former Wildcat Tedy Bruschi in the 2002 Super Bowl.
Chris McAlister
Position:Β Cornerback
Team:Β Baltimore Ravens
Super Bowls played in:Β 1 β XXXV (2001)
Super Bowl rings won:Β 1
Notable:Β McAlister intercepted a Kerry Collins pass during the Ravensβ 27-point Super Bowl win.
Frank Middleton
Position:Β Offensive line
Team:Β Oakland Raiders
Super Bowls played in:Β 1 β XXXVII (2003)
Super Bowl rings won:Β 0
Notable:Β Middleton started at left guard in the 2003 Super Bowl.
Josh Miller
Position:Β Punter
Team:Β New England Patriots
Super Bowls played in:Β 1 β XXXIX (2005)
Super Bowl rings won:Β 1
Notable:Β Miller played alongside former Wildcat Tedy Bruschi in the 2005 Super Bowl.
Edwin Mulitalo
Position:Β Offensive line
Team:Β Baltimore Ravens
Super Bowls played in:Β 1 β XXXV (2001)
Super Bowl rings won:Β 1
Notable:Β Mulitalo was the starting left guard for the Ravens. Teammate Chris McAlister, another former Wildcat, started on defense.
Glenn Parker
Position:Β Offensive line
Team:Β Buffalo Bills, New York Giants
Super Bowls played in:Β 5 β XXV (1991), XXVI (1992), XXVII (1993), XXVIII (1994), XXXV (2001)
Super Bowl rings won:Β 0
Notable:Β Parker made five trips to the Super Bowl, tied for second-most among UA players, but did not win a ring.
Antonio Pierce
Position:Β Linebacker
New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) stands next to New York Giants linebacker Antonio Pierce (58) during Super Bowl XLII at University of Phoenix Stadium on Feb. 3, 2008, in Glendale.
Team:Β New York Giants
Super Bowls played in:Β 1 β XLII (2008)
Super Bowl rings won:Β 1
Notable:Β Pierce recorded 10 tackles in the Giantsβ Super Bowl win over the Patriots. Another former Wildcat, Michael Johnson, played safety for New York in that game.
Jose Portilla
Position:Β Offensive line
Team:Β Atlanta Falcons
Super Bowls played in:Β 1 β XXXIII (1999)
Super Bowl rings won:Β 0
Notable:Β Portilla only played two seasons in the NFL before the Falcons cut him. He played in the XFL in 2001.
Brooks Reed
Position:Β Linebacker
Team:Β Atlanta Falcons
Super Bowls played in:Β 1 β LI (2017)
Super Bowl rings won:Β 0
Notable:Β Reed had three tackles in Atlantaβs crushing Super Bowl loss to New England. The Falcons frittered a 28-3 lead in the second half and lost in overtime.
Randy Robbins
Position:Β Safety
Team:Β Denver Broncos
Super Bowls played in:Β 3 β XXI (1987), XXII (1988), XXIV (1990)
Super Bowl rings won:Β 0
Notable:Β Robbins was a reserve defensive back in all three Super Bowls.
Christian Roland-Wallace
Position:Β Defensive back
Team:Β Kansas City Chiefs
Super Bowls played in:Β 1 β LIX (2025)
Super Bowl rings won:Β 0
Notable:Β Roland-Wallace has 68 tackles and two interceptions in his two-year start with the Chiefs.Β
Joe Salaveβa
Position:Β Defensive tackle
Team:Β Tennessee Titans
Super Bowls played in:Β 1 β XXXIV (2000)
Super Bowl rings won:Β 0
Notable:Β Salaveβa was a reserve defensive tackle in the 2000 Super Bowl, which ended with the Rams stopping Tennessee from scoring the game-winning touchdown on the 1-yard line.
Joe Tafoya
Position:Β Defensive end
Team:Β Seattle Seahawks
Super Bowls played in:Β 1 β XL (2006)
Super Bowl rings won:Β 0
Notable:Β Tafoya was a reserve defensive lineman in the 2006 Super Bowl.
Jackie Wallace
Position:Β Cornerback
Team:Β Minnesota Vikings, Los Angeles Rams
Super Bowls played in:Β 2 β VII (1974), XIII (1979)
Super Bowl rings won:Β 0
Notable:Β During the 1978 season, Wallace led the NFL with 52 punt returns for 618 yards.
