Super Bowl stars: Where are they now?

Namath, whose guarantee of victory against the powerful Baltimore Colts set the Super Bowl on the path to being the spectacle it is today is still plenty active, though not quite as visible as he once was. He is still one of the most prominent people associated with the Jets, and though he's not the prolific product pitchman he once was, he serves as the spokesman of the Medicare Coverage Helpline. It's not quite mink coats and cavorting around Manhattan, but Namath is still holding strong as one of the most iconic figures for football fans everywhere.

Csonka ran for 145 yards and two touchdowns to pace the Dolphins' dominant performance in a 24-7 rout of the Vikings in Super Bowl VIII. The win capped off back-to-back Super Bowl titles for Miami, and ended a stretch that saw them go 32-2 over two seasons. You'd think that an Ohio native playing in Miami would love the sun and warmth, but Csonka developed quite the affinity for Alaska, and maintains a residence there and in Florida, as well as a farm in Ohio. For several years, he and his partner, Audrey Bradshaw, produced "North to Alaska," an outdoors program that focused on outdoor life and culture in the state. Csonka can still be found on the speaking circuit to this day.

Swann's 64-yard touchdown catch proved to be the winning score, as Pittsburgh won its second straight Super Bowl with a 21-17 triumph over Dallas, but his acrobatic, juggling catch over the Cowboys' Mark Washington has stood the test of time as one of the most iconic plays in Super Bowl and NFL history. Swann might not stand the test of time in his current position as USC athletic director, however, as many close to the university are unhappy about the way Swann, one of the school's most famous alums, has run the football program since taking over in 2016.

Plunkett's crisp, three-touchdown performance earned him MVP honors in a Super Bowl XV rout of the Eagles, but like many players from his generation, his post-NFL career has seen him become more focused on providing today's athletes with as much knowledge about the risks posed by concussions as possible. Plunkett joined Ronnie Lott and Steve Young as advisers to TeachAids, a non-profit organization that intends to create a research-based concussion education product called CrashCourse.

Dent's one and a half sacks paced the Bears' dominating defensive effort in what was to that point the most lopsided Super Bowl in history. He earned MVP honors for his performance, and was one of several Chicago players to carry defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan off the field after the game. Dent moved into the business world, and is now the CEO of RLD Resources, LLC, a telecommunications and energy company. 

Williams, the MVP of Super Bowl XXII thanks to an exceptional second quarter that saw Washington put up 35 points, and Williams himself throw four touchdowns to turn a 10-0 deficit into a 35-10 halftime lead. After football, Williams worked as a college football analyst for BET, before eventually turning to coaching. He succeeded the legendary Eddie Robinson at his alma mater, Grambling State, and led the team to three consecutive SWAC titles. Williams eventually got back into the NFL on the executive side, and is currently the senior advisor to Commanders president Jason Wright.

Though Doug Williams took home MVP honors in Super Bowl XXII, Smith had a legitimate claim to the crown as well, as he rolled up a Super Bowl-record 204 yards rushing on 22 carries, as well as two touchdowns. The performance was exceptionally unlikely, as Smith had been little-used all season, and was only told he would be starting shortly before game time. Smith never replicated his success and was soon out of the NFL, and fell on hard times after, even serving 13 months in prison after pleading guilty to cocaine distribution. He has since turned his life around, and currently works as a well tester for an oil company.

Craig never won Super Bowl MVP honors with San Francisco, which is one of the perils of being a teammate of Joe Montana and Jerry Rice, but he absolutely warranted consideration on multiple occasions, perhaps never more so than in Super Bowl XXIII, when he ran for 71 yards and caught eight passes for 101 yards. Craig retired after the 1993 season, and has had a very fruitful post-playing career. He currently serves as the VP of Business Development at TIBCO Software, a company that counts Citi, Shell and Western Union as clients, just to name a few.

Hostetler's Super Bowl performance was steady, if unspectacular, and key to New York's ball-control strategy, which allowed them to keep the ball for over 40 minutes, and limit chances for Buffalo's high-powered K-Gun offense. After the Bills took a 19-17 lead early in the fourth quarter, Hostetler led New York on a decisive drive, marching them 74 yards in 14 plays, culminating in a 21-yard Matt Bahr field goal. A West Virginia standout, Hostetler settled in Morgantown after his career ended, and now works as a contractor, building homes and developing property.

Jeff Hostetler got plenty of media attention because he was a backup quarterback who played a steely, steady game on the biggest stage, and Scott Norwood is arguably the most infamous figure from the game, but New York's Ottis Anderson was the actual MVP of Super Bowl XXV, racking up 102 yards and a touchdown as the focal point of the Giants' clock-killing offense. In similarly understated fashion, Anderson's post-football career has included multiple entrepreneurship ventures, as well as motivational speaking. Anderson is currently working as the Vice President of Business Development for Metro Exhibits, a company that sells trade show booths and services. 

Rypien, the MVP of Super Bowl XXVI with Washington, made waves within the last year as one of the latest and highest-profile former NFL standouts to acknowledge serious post-career issues due to concussions. In an interview with a Spokane-area television station he acknowledged that he had battled numerous mental health issues since his retirement. Rypien was one of the lead plaintiffs in the concussion lawsuit filed against the league, and said he planned to devote himself to helping others open up about their mental health struggles.

Beebe won his only Super Bowl with the Packers in 1996, but he is much more widely known for something he did as a member of the Bills in Super Bowl XXVII. With Buffalo getting pummeled by what would become the 52-17 final score, Beebe ran down showboating Dallas lineman Leon Lett, who looked like a sure bet to score on a fumble return, and stripped the ball from him, knocking it out of the back of the end zone in the process. Despite Dallas' lopsided win, the play is one of the most iconic in Super Bowl history. Beebe has since run camps aimed at helping young football players improve their speed, and is now the head football coach at Division III Aurora University in Illinois.

Howard inhabits one of the most visible positions in sports media--but it isn't connected to his MVP turn in Super Bowl XXXI. While the Packers' return man remains the only primarily special teams player to take home MVP honors, he is still far more famous for his collegiate exploits at Michigan, which won him the Heisman Trophy. Howard has traveled with ESPN's College Gameday crew since 2005, and also does work as an in-studio analyst.

Terrell Davis was the driving force behind Denver's Super Bowl XXXII breakthrough against Green Bay, but Smith was arguably the biggest star of the following year's win. He didn't get the MVP, because the game was a swan song for John Elway, but Smith's 80-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter broke open a 10-3 game and turned it into a rout. Smith finished the game with five catches for 152 yards and that long touchdown. His post-football career, by his own estimation a few years ago, includes "18-20" business ventures, including coffee, real estate and technology. That might seem like a lot, but is par for the course for a man who has three college degrees from Missouri Southern State University.

Jones, whose tackle of Tennessee's Kevin Dyson saved the Rams from having to go to overtime in Super Bowl XXXIV, played three more years in the NFL after his final play heroics. He has done several interviews with Dyson about the play, and even helped Dyson overcome feelings of guilt that he had about not being able to reach the end zone. Jones is now the head football coach at St. Louis University High School, having held the position since March of 2017.

Jackson is a classic example of a guy who played the best game of his career on the biggest stage. His two interceptions of Rich Gannon earned him MVP honors in Super Bowl XXXVII, as the Buccaneers routed Oakland 48-21. Jackson parlayed the performance into a five-year, $14 million contract with the Arizona Cardinals, and he was good in his only year in the desert, notching a career-high six interceptions. Jackson was one of the biggest names backing the Freedom Football League, an NFL alternative that never got off the ground.

Branch was outstanding in back-to-back Super Bowls, racking up a combined 21 catches, 276 yards and a touchdown against the Panthers and Eagles. Notably, while his touchdown came against the Panthers, he won MVP honors for his work against Philadelphia, and is the only Patriot other than Brady to win a Super Bowl MVP. Branch currently works in residential real estate and flips houses in multiple locations; Albany, Georgia, Indianapolis, and Louisville. 

Ward won two Super Bowls with the Steelers, but he was far more instrumental in their Super Bowl XL win, one that saw him score on pass from fellow wideout Antwaan Randle El and take home MVP honors. These days, Ward is involved in multiple ventures, including a restaurant that bears his name in suburban Pittsburgh, and he was also involved with the short-lived Alliance of American Football.

Hester's Bears didn't win Super Bowl XLI, and in fact were defeated by the Colts in what was a mostly forgettable contest. I say "mostly" because in defeat, Hester still managed to produce the game's most electrifying moment. Chicago won the toss and elected to receive, and Indianapolis decided to tempt fate and kick to Hester. They paid for it, as he took the kick back 92 yards for a touchdown, setting a then-record for the earliest lead in Super Bowl history. Nowadays, Hester runs the Devin Hester Foundation and is still coaching, albeit in a low-pressure environment--his son's flag football team.

Tyree's "helmet catch" is the most famous play from Super Bowl XLII, as it was instrumental in helping the Giants pull off a massive upset of the previously undefeated New England Patriots. It was also, strangely enough, his last catch in the NFL. Tyree was out of football after a brief stint with Baltimore in 2009, but he stayed around the game, working for the Giants as their director of player development from 2014 to 2020. Currently, Tyree hosts the sports betting show "Odds with Ends" on MSG Network.

Holmes' toe-tap touchdown with less than a minute remaining propelled the Steelers to their sixth Super Bowl title. Holmes went on to have his best season as a pro in 2009, but things soured in Pittsburgh after that thanks to a few off-field incidents. Pittsburgh traded him to the Jets, where he spent four seasons before finishing with a brief nine-game stint in Chicago. Currently, Holmes runs the III and Long Foundation, which raises awareness to help fight Sickle Cell Disease.

Jordy Nelson had the bigger numbers, but Jennings had two touchdowns to Nelson's one, as the Packers outlasted the Steelers 31-25 in Super Bowl XLV. Jennings played five more seasons after that Super Bowl performance, then retired at age 32. Before his career had ended, he dabbled in some acting, appearing on an episode of CBS' Criminal Minds, as well as Royal Pains and The League. Jennings is back on television at present, working for Fox Sports as both a studio analyst and a booth analyst for college football games.

Tuck was a major force in both of New York's Super Bowl wins over the Patriots, notching two sacks in each game, plus a forced fumble in their 17-14 Super Bowl XLII win that ruined New England's bid for a perfect season. Tuck was one of several former pros who worked for the Alliance of American Football during its brief history.

Jones, in one of the bigger MVP slights in recent Super Bowl history, did not win the honor despite catching a 56-yard touchdown pass and taking the opening kick of the second half 108 yards for a score. He played a few more seasons in the league before hanging up his cleats for good. His post-NFL career hasn't strayed from the sport, however, as he is currently the wide receivers coach at Alabama State University.

Is it unfair to include a current NFL player in a "where are they now" context? Perhaps, but Smith is one of the more anonymous Super Bowl MVP's in recent memory. The Seahawks linebacker, then in his third season in the league, helped bury Peyton Manning and the Broncos with a 69-yard interception return late in the second quarter of what would turn into a 43-8 shellacking. Smith played one more season with Seattle, then went to Oakland for two years, and spent 2018 with San Francisco. While his years in Oakland were solid, if unspectacular, it's fair to wonder how many casual football fans are aware that he is still in the league, currently plying his trade for the Browns.