Rhino's Sports Pub and Bacon Bistro

What’s the most important position on a football team? Quarterback? Yeah, nailed it. But, sometimes in the biggest game of the year, the biggest plays come down to the kicker. While I still have a soft spot for Scott Norwood — a 47-yarder is no gimme, people — let’s celebrate those who booted themselves into Super Bowl lore by making the big play …

1. Adam Vinatieri — Kicked in five Super Bowls for two different teams. Easily earns top honors for nailing the game-winners in Super Bowl XXXVI and Super Bowl XXXVIII.

2. Thomas Morstead — Successfully pulled off arguably the gutsiest call in Super Bowl history, the surprise onside kick to start the second half of Super Bowl XLIV, which gave the New Orleans Saints momentum to surge past the Indianapolis Colts and win the long-suffering franchise’s first Super Bowl

3. Jim O’Brien — This wide receiver/kicker posted an abysmal 55.6 success rate on field goal attempts, but did manage to make the 32-yard game-winner with nine seconds left in Super Bowl V to give the Baltimore Colts a 16-13 win over the Dallas Cowboys.

4. Ray Wersching — While Joe Montana was MVP in Super Bowl XVI, Wersching was an unsung hero, connecting on all four field goal attempts to provide 12 vital points in the San Francisco 49ers’ 26-21 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. Wersching sits behind only Vinatieri for most field goals made in Super Bowl history (Vinatieri has seven, Wersching five).

5. Jim Turner — The greatest upset in Super Bowl history was orchestrated by “Broadway” Joe Namath, but a kicker helped provide the necessary points to pull it all off. Turner’s three field goals were the different as the New York Jets shocked the Baltimore Colts 16-7 in Super Bowl III.