Every football fan knows that Tom Brady has played in an NFL-record eight Super Bowls, with his ninth on the way. But fewer fans know who has played in the second-most Super Bowls.
The answer to that trivia question is Mike Lodish, a backup defensive lineman who played in six Super Bowls, four with the Bills and two with the Broncos, in the 1990s. But Lodish will soon have company in the NFL record book.
Patriots kicker Stephen Gostkowski is set to play in his sixth Super Bowl on Sunday, which will tie him for second place with Lodish, behind only Brady in NFL history. Gostkowski turned 35 on Monday and appears to have some more good years left in him, and it’s easy to see the Patriots getting to another Super Bowl, which would allow Gostkowski to move ahead of Lodish and have second place in NFL history all to himself.
In addition to Gostkowski, 15 players have appeared in five Super Bowls: Marv Fleming, Larry Cole, Cliff Harris, Charles Haley, D.D. Lewis, Preston Pearson, Charlie Waters, Rayfield Wright, Cornelius Bennett, John Elway, Glenn Parker, Bill Romanowski, Adam Vinatieri, Tedy Bruschi and Matt Light. Three more Patriots — Devin McCourty, Patrick Chung and Matthew Slater — will join that list on Sunday.