The are four former Michigan Wolverines players playing today, Sunday, February 5, 2012, in Super Bowl XLVI at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis between the New York Giants and New England Patriots. Each team has two Michigan Wolverines players, with each team also having one prominent offensive player from Michigan each.
The four Michigan Wolverines players playing in Super Bowl XLVI are punter Zoltan Mesko and QB Tom Brady from the New England Patriots, and center David Bass and WR Mario Manningham on the New York Giants. The Giants are my favorite NFL team, and I was in the Rose Bowl in 1987 when we won our first Super Bowl, 39-20, over the Denver Broncos.
Neither Zoltan Mesko on the Patriots or David Bass on the Giants are likely to be this year's Super Bowl MVP. Tom Brady and Mario Manningham though, are both big threats to be the MVP of Super Bowl XLVI.
Tom Brady
Tom Brady has already been the Super Bowl MVP twice in his career. Brady was the MVP of Super Bowl XXXVI and Super Bowl XXXVIII. In Super Bowl XXXVI, played on February 3, 2022, Brady completed 16 of 27 passes for 145 yards and a TD, and drove the Patriots to the game ending winning field goal as time expired in the fourth quarter. The Patriots won the game 20-17 over the St. Louis Rams.
In Super Bowl XXXVIII, played on February 1, 2004, Tom Brady completed 32 of 48 passes for 354 yards and three TD's, as Brady again led the Patriots to a late game winning field goal as they defeated the Carolina Panthers, 32-29.
If the New England Patriots are going to beat the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLVI, Tom Brady will likely have to have another MVP type performance. If Tom Brady is the Super Bowl MVP, he will join Joe Montana as the only three time winners of the award.
Mario Manningham
Mario Manninghma is in his fourth year in the NFL, all with the New York Giants, who took Manningham with the 95th overall pick in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft. So far in his NFL career, Mario Manningham has caught 160 passes for 2,315 yards, a 14.5 yards per catch average, and 18 TD's.
The Giants have three big play wide receivers in Victor Cruz, Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham. Manningham is a great dark horse pick for MVP of Super Bowl XLVI because the New England Patriots are likely to focus on shutting down Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks.
That could leave Manningham open and allow him to have a big day catching the ball, and possibly end up being the MVP of the Super Bowl. Manningham would probably need over 100 yards receiving and two to three TD's, but he definitely has the ability to have that kind of game.
In 2010, Manningham scored on a 92 yard TD catch. He's also had other long TD catches, and he has also made plenty of acrobatic type TD catches in his career. Manningham is a much bigger longshot than Tom Brady is to be Super Bowl MVP, but he is in the running for sure.
Of the four Michigan Wolverines players playing in Super Bowl XLVI, Tom Brady is the most likely to end up being Super Bowl MVP in 2012. But the Giants Mario Manningham has the talent and ability to be MVP also.
The University of Michigan Wolverines are the one college football team with two players in the Super Bowl that both have decent chances of ending up being the Super MVP. Mississippi has both QB Eli Manning on the Giants and RB BenJarvis Green-Ellis on the Patriots, but I'd give Mario Manningham a better chance of being Super Bowl MVP than I do BenJarvus Green-Ellis.
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