Ball State University Athletics
Throwback Thursday: Brad Maynard, Last Cardinal to Appear in the Super Bowl
February 08, 2024 | Football
By Rylan Crum | Ball State Athletic Communications
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One thing is for sure: when Sunday's Super Bowl comes to a close, one former Ball State football player will be crowned as Super Bowl champion. Yes, for the first time ever, two former Ball State stars find themselves in the same Super Bowl, with rookie cornerback Nic Jones representing the Kansas City Chiefs and veteran wide receiver Willie Snead IV on the roster with the San Francisco 49ers.
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But while Jones and Snead are part of the biggest stage in sports this Sunday, it has been 17 years since the last former Ball State player donned a Super Bowl jersey. Brad Maynard, a member of the MAC and Ball State halls of fame and one of the top punters in Cardinals' history, kicked for the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XLI in 2007. Maynard, who also punted for the New York Giants in Super Bowl XXXV, joins former Packers' linebacker Keith McKenzie as the only Ball State alums to appear in two Super Bowls.
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On Feb. 4, 2007, Maynard, four-time All-MAC recipient from Tipton, Indiana, played against the Indianapolis Colts in what was his second Super Bowl appearance. Though he didn't have the same record-setting night as in his first big game, he still boomed five punts for 226 yards on a rain-soaked night at Dolphin Stadium in Miami. He averaged 45.2 yards per punt as part of the Bears' 29-17 defeat to the Peyton Manning-led Colts.
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Maynard's performance with the Giants, six Super Bowls earlier, was his most memorable Super Bowl performance. Over the course of 60 minutes, he set a Super Bowl record with 11 punts and was a part of another Super Bowl record with 21 combined punts among both sides. His 11 boots into the Tampa sky racked up 422 yards with an average of 38.4 yards per punt. His 11 punts were indicative of the Giants' offensive woes and the Ravens' Ray Lewis-led defense: Ravens 34, Giants 7.
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While Jones and Snead may represent the Cardinals on both sides of the ball Sunday in Las Vegas, one is guaranteed to become a Super Bowl champion – Ball State's first since McKenzie shared the Lombardi Trophy with his Packers teammates following Super Bowl XXXI against New England, in 1997.
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One thing is for sure: when Sunday's Super Bowl comes to a close, one former Ball State football player will be crowned as Super Bowl champion. Yes, for the first time ever, two former Ball State stars find themselves in the same Super Bowl, with rookie cornerback Nic Jones representing the Kansas City Chiefs and veteran wide receiver Willie Snead IV on the roster with the San Francisco 49ers.
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But while Jones and Snead are part of the biggest stage in sports this Sunday, it has been 17 years since the last former Ball State player donned a Super Bowl jersey. Brad Maynard, a member of the MAC and Ball State halls of fame and one of the top punters in Cardinals' history, kicked for the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XLI in 2007. Maynard, who also punted for the New York Giants in Super Bowl XXXV, joins former Packers' linebacker Keith McKenzie as the only Ball State alums to appear in two Super Bowls.
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On Feb. 4, 2007, Maynard, four-time All-MAC recipient from Tipton, Indiana, played against the Indianapolis Colts in what was his second Super Bowl appearance. Though he didn't have the same record-setting night as in his first big game, he still boomed five punts for 226 yards on a rain-soaked night at Dolphin Stadium in Miami. He averaged 45.2 yards per punt as part of the Bears' 29-17 defeat to the Peyton Manning-led Colts.
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Maynard's performance with the Giants, six Super Bowls earlier, was his most memorable Super Bowl performance. Over the course of 60 minutes, he set a Super Bowl record with 11 punts and was a part of another Super Bowl record with 21 combined punts among both sides. His 11 boots into the Tampa sky racked up 422 yards with an average of 38.4 yards per punt. His 11 punts were indicative of the Giants' offensive woes and the Ravens' Ray Lewis-led defense: Ravens 34, Giants 7.
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While Jones and Snead may represent the Cardinals on both sides of the ball Sunday in Las Vegas, one is guaranteed to become a Super Bowl champion – Ball State's first since McKenzie shared the Lombardi Trophy with his Packers teammates following Super Bowl XXXI against New England, in 1997.
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