Written by Aaron-Michael Fox.
When the Philadelphia Eagles clinched last night’s Super Bowl LII victory with Vinny Curry on their roster, they locked in a dozen Super Bowl rings for Sons of Marshall. Here’s a look at all 12.
Troy Brown
As part of the Marshall University Class of 1993, Troy Brown was a member of the 1992 national championship-winning Thundering Herd football squad. He was the 198th overall pick in the 1993 NFL Draft and went on to win three Super Bowls with the New England Patriots. He officially retired from professional football in 2008 as the all-time leading receiver in Patriots history with 557 catches. Trivia: Brown and then-teammate Tom Brady voiced themselves in the 2006 Family Guy episode “Patriot Games.”
Jon Goddard
Jon Goddard was the 206th pick of the 2005 NFL Draft where he was selected by the Detroit Lions. While at Marshall, he recorded 78 tackles, 16 sacks, 28 tackles for loss, 5 broken passes, 5 forced fumbles, 3 quarterback hurries, and was runner-up for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy. Though he signed a three-year contract with the Lions, injuries forced them to release him later in 2005. He then signed with the Indianapolis Colts’ practice squad. He was moved up to the active roster in January of 2006. Once again, he would be relegated to the injured reserve list following a foot injury during a preseason game. However, he did still earn a ring when Indianapolis won Super Bowl XLI. Sadly, Goddard was killed in a motorcycle accident in June of 2008.
Ahmad Bradshaw
Ahmad Bradshaw finished his Marshall career with 2,982 rushing yards on 558 attempts, 697 passing yards on 87 targets, 31 touchdowns, and no fumbles. He was the 250th overall pick of the 2007 NFL Draft where he was selected by the New York Giants. Bradshaw would help take New York to two Super Bowl wins in 2008 and 2012. Bradshaw was the leading rusher in each game, becoming one of eight running backs in NFL history to be the leading rusher in two Super Bowls. Following the 2012 season, he signed with the Indianapolis Colts. He retired following the 2015 season.
Byron Leftwich
Bryon Leftwich would stand on the Marshall Mt. Rushmore alongside Chad Pennington, Randy Moss, and Doug Chapman. There is perhaps no more iconic moment in Herd history than Steve Sciullo and Steve Perretta carrying Byron to the line of scrimmage after breaking his leg during the Akron game in 2002. While at Marshall, Leftwich completed 65.1 percent of his passes for 11,903 yards, 89 touchdowns, and 28 interceptions. He was the 7th overall pick of the 2003 NFL Draft where he went to play for the Jacksonville Jaguars. He would go on to play for the Atlanta Falcons, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and two stints with the Pittsburgh Steelers where he would win a Super Bowl ring in 2009. He retired from playing in 2012. He is currently working as the quarterbacks coach for the Arizona Cardinals with many experts predicting he will soon be a head coach somewhere in the league.
Doug Legursky
Beckley, West Virginia, native Doug Legursky spent three years at Marshall before signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent following the 2008 NFL Draft. Legursky started his very first game at center in Super Bowl XLV due to Pro Bowler Mourkice Pouncey’s ankle injury. Legursky signed with the Buffalo Bills in 2013, then the San Diego Chargers in 2014. In 2015, it was announced that he had re-signed with the Steelers. He retired following the 2016 season.
Omar Brown
Omar Brown is a free safety, Marshall University class of 2012. He was signed by the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2012. He helped Baltimore win the Super Bowl over the San Fransisco 49ers at the end of that same season. He was released in 2014 after recording three tackles and one sack of Eli Manning.
Albert McClellan
Albert McClellan graduated from Marshall in 2009 and was signed by the Baltimore Ravens after the 2010 Draft. He would earn a Super Bowl ring alongside Omar Brown the following season. He signed a three-year contract extension in 2016, but was placed on the injured reserve list for the duration of the 2017 season.
Aaron Dobson
Dunbar, West Virginia, native Aaron Dobson is most famous among Marshall fans for “the catch” over East Carolina in 2011. He was the 59th overall pick of the 2013 NFL Draft where is was selected by the New England Patriots who he would help win Super Bowl XLIX. He spent the 2016 season with the Detroit Lions and then moved to the Arizona Cardinals where he spent the 2017 season on the injured reserve list. He is currently a free agent.
Vinny Curry
Vinny Curry is the most recent addition to this list, earning a ring last night in Super Bowl LII with the Philadelphia Eagles. Curry was selected by the Eagles as the 59th overall pick of the 2012 NFL Draft. He has since become a standout on a stellar defensive line. On February 2, 2016, Curry signed a five-year, $47.5 million contract extension with the Eagles with $23 million of that guaranteed.
