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51. . Defensive End. St. Louis Rams. Leonard Little. 15. player
Super Bowl XXXVI
New England Patriots: 20
St. Louis Rams: 17
Leonard Little didn’t accrue any relevant stats when the St. Louis Rams beat the Tennessee Titans in Super Bowl XXXIV. But two years later, in the game that launched Tom Brady into a household name, the same could not be said.
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Sure, the Rams lost this game as 14-point favorites. And yes, they gave up a game-winning drive late. But overall, no reasonable person could blame their defense for this loss. After all, they held the Patriots to 13 points.
One of the touchdowns was a pick-six that Kurt Warner threw. And for the most part, St. Louis’s defense controlled the game.
Little was a huge part of that. He picked up one sack and, along with Grant Wistrom, got to Brady six more times. They pressured him all night, and although Brady won MVP, his stats were not that good. That’s because of guys like Little doing his job.
On top of that, he had nine solo tackles. Perhaps the most memorable part of this game for Little, though, is what could have been. He almost made the play of the game that likely would have won the Rams another Super Bowl.
With the game tied at 17 and Brady’s game-winning drive about to take off, Little almost ended it before it started. On the first play of that drive in a pass-rush, he reached out and hit the ball in Brady’s hand. But Brady was just able to hold on and complete a pass for a short-gain.
If that ball pops free and the Rams recover, Little moves into the Top 5 on this list.