Super Bowl week is officially upon us! On Sunday, the Seattle Seahawks will take on the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX.
While New England has won six Super Bowls, Seattle has just one title having defeated the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII in February 2014.
The MVP of that game was former USC linebacker Malcolm Smith. In the game, Smith recorded ten tackles, a pass defended, a fumble recovery, and a 69-yard pick-six of Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning.
Smith played at USC from 2007-2010. After serving in a reserve role his first two seasons behind star linebackers Keith Rivers, Brian Cushing, Rey Maualuga, Clay Matthews III, and Kaluka Maiava, Smith became a starter as a junior in 2009, and was a team captain as a senior in 2010. He finished his career in Cardinal and Gold with 167 total tackles, one sack, two forced fumbles, and two interceptions—both of which he returned for touchdowns.
The Seahawks selected Smith in the seventh round of the 2011 NFL Draft, reuniting him with Pete Carroll, his head coach for his first three seasons at USC. Smith would go on to play 11 years in the NFL, spending time with six different teams.
This year, Seattle is back in the Super Bowl led by former USC quarterback Sam Darnold. If the Seahawks win on Sunday, it sis very possible that Darnold wins MVP, meaning that both of the Super Bowl MVPs in franchise history would be Trojans.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: USC’s Malcolm Smith is the only Super Bowl MVP in Seahawks history
Reporting by Adam Bradford, Trojans Wire / Trojans Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
