MSL's Super Impact on Sports' Biggest Spectacle
Another Super Sunday is almost here. Let’s take a look at the Mid-Suburban League’s Super Bowl impact:
Doug Betters (Arlington)
Super Sundays: Started at defensive end for Miami Dolphins in 1983 XVII loss to Washington 27-17 and in 1985 XIX loss to San Francisco 38-16.
Betters sandwiched a pair of Super Bowl appearances around the best season of his 10-year career where he was the Associated Press Defensive Player of the Year. The late bloomer who wasn’t an all-MSL pick at Arlington became the first player from the league to play in the Super Bowl as part of the Dolphins’ “Killer B’s” defense that got there after the strike-shortened 1982 season. He had 4 tackles in the loss to Washington.
“A lot of people play the game for years and don’t get an opportunity to play in a Super Bowl,” Betters told legendary Daily Herald columnist Mike Imrem before the game. “This is a great position to be in but it probably won’t set in for a while. First we have a game to play. We can’t bask in the limelight because we have a championship to win. Like I say, maybe when we have the ring on our finger the full impact will set it.”
Betters would get another shot with the Dolphins in the only opportunity for Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino. Joe Montana would get the second of his four Super Bowl titles with the 49ers, although he was sacked once by Betters, who also had 2 tackles.
“We’re going to have to combine good coverage on the receivers and make Montana feel some heat,” Betters said to the AP before the game. “He can turn a broken play into a big play because when he throws on the run he doesn’t lose that much.”
Many observers figured Betters would get a third Super Bowl try a year later but an AFC title-game upset loss to New England prevented the a rematch of the only loss suffered by the 1985 Bears.
Gary Fencik (Barrington)
Super Sunday: Started at free safety for the memorable Chicago Bears in 1986 XX rout of New England 46-10.
Fencik, who formed one of the hardest-hitting safety duos in NFL history with Doug Plank, watched and played the bulk of his NFL career during a mostly dismal period for the Bears between the 1963 and 1985 seasons. Fencik, who played at Barrington when it was in the North Suburban Conference, was one of the veterans finally rewarded in his 10th season with a trip to the Super Bowl in New Orleans.
“I’m elated to be going to the Super Bowl,” Fencik told long-time Bears beat writer Terry Bannon of the Daily Herald. “But I won’t be ecstatic until we win it.”
There was little doubt that would happen as Fencik had 1 tackle to help what some believe is still the most dominant defense in NFL history put an exclamation point on its memorable season with a then-Super Bowl record 36-point pounding of the Patriots. Fencik was a little more introspective afterward to Daily Herald columnist Mike Imrem.
“It’s never the ecstasy you would hope it would be,” Fencik said. “But the satisfaction and relief I feel now, I know it will be there forever. Yes, relief that we didn’t fall back from our work. No excuses are necessary. If you’re a Bear fan, it’s been a long wait. Now it’s here. We’re tired about hearing about the ‘63 Bears. Maybe now everybody could talk about this year’s Bears.”
Ironically, the same thing has turned out to be true about the reverence for the ‘85 Bears since the franchise has made only one failed Super Bowl appearance since that iconic season.
Art Plunkett (Arlington)
Super Sunday: Backup offensive lineman played on special teams for New England in 1986 XX loss to Bears 46-10.
While Chicago and the football world were focused on craziness surrounding the ‘85 Bears there was a local connection with Plunkett, who went to Arlington his first two years before his family moved to Salt Lake City.
Ironically, the one-time Arlington Cardinal was cut in the preseason by the St. Louis Cardinals and the first team to call was the New England Patriots. The quintessential late bloomer was a backup to Hall of Famer John Hannah and pro bowler Brian Holloway and he also saw action on field goals, extra points and kickoff coverage.
Plunkett played in 15 games and all four postseason games for the 1985 Patriots. He talked to another ex-Arlington Cardinal, the Daily Herald’s Tom Prentiss, for a story a few days before the matchup in New Orleans.
“It won’t sink in until next week. I’m used to watching it on TV,” Plunkett said. “I’ve known a lot of guys in the league that have never had this chance. Guys like John Hannah and (veteran defensive line star) Julius Adams. They’ve been in the league 13, 15 years and this is their first chance. I feel pretty lucky.”
The idea of Plunkett as the “Cinderella Story on the Cinderella Team” posed by Prentiss didn’t turn out as the Patriots were pounded 46-10 by the Bears.
Jim Schwantz (Fremd)
Super Sunday: Played special teams for Dallas Cowboys in 1996 XXX win over Pittsburgh 27-17.
Getting traded by his hometown Bears to the Cowboys near the end of 1994 training camp turned out to be a huge blessing for the former three-sport standout at Fremd. Schwantz became a special teams whiz to help Dallas win its third Super Bowl in four years. The longtime mayor of Palatine also wrote a diary for the Daily Herald during the week of the game with the late, great Bears/NFL writer John “Moon” Mullin.
“What a feeling. What a feeling,” Schwantz led his diary following the Super Bowl victory. “I had such a great time with a great bunch of guys. It was unbelievable what was going on in the locker room afterward. It’s all done now and we did it. I don’t know what my ring size is. But I’ve got a finger set aside for it.”
Paul Justin (Schaumburg)
Super Sunday: Did not play as backup quarterback for St. Louis Rams in 2001 XXXIV win over Tennessee 23-16.
A late training camp trade from the Raiders made Justin, one of the earliest pilots of Schaumburg’s “Air Cerasani” under late head coach Tom Cerasani, part of “The Greatest Show on Turf.” It was a remarkable story as Justin was the roommate of an unknown starting quarterback and arena football refugee named Kurt Warner, for a coach making his own comeback (Dick Vermeil) and a franchise that had not had a winning season since 1989 when it was in Los Angeles.
Warner became one of sports’ biggest stories as the league’s MVP in what became a Hall of Fame career. And Justin saw some spot duty during the Rams’ turnaround 13-3 season. At Super Bowl media day one of the people who congratulated him was legendary Rams’ Hall of Fame offensive lineman Jackie Slater.
“This is awesome. Not everyone gets to go here,” Justin told Daily Herald columnist Mike Imrem before the game. “I’m a team player and the bottom line is to get a win. It would be an awesome thing to get in the Super Bowl. Then again, no matter how we do it, whether I play or not, it’ll be great to win the Super Bowl.”
And that’s just how it worked out in what turned out to be an incredible conclusion to his NFL career. Justin got a Super Bowl ring as his roommate Warner threw for 414 yards and 2 TDs to earn MVP honors as the Rams held on for a the dramatic win over Tennessee.
Scott Tolzien (Fremd)
Super Sunday: Backup quarterback didn’t play for San Francisco in 2013 XLVI loss to Baltimore Ravens 34-31.
Tolzien overcame a lot to get to the NFL from Fremd. He didn’t get a scholarship offer to Wisconsin until right before signing day and he worked his way from the bottom of the depth chart to become a Johnny Unitas Award winner and Rose Bowl starting quarterback.
Then the undrafted free agent hooked on with the San Francisco 49ers and was the No. 3 quarterback behind Colin Kaepernick and Alex Smith for the Super Bowl.
“I’ve been really fortunate and thankful and I’m still pinching myself,” Tolzien said leading up to the Super Bowl. “A lot of people don’t get this opportunity, guys who have played in the league 10 years and don’t get a sniff of the playoffs, much less the Super Bowl. Here I am in my second year, a guy standing on the sideline going to the Super Bowl. I almost feel guilty about it and I try not to take it for granted.
“What’s fun about it is this is the game you grew up in the backyard pretending you’re in and now it’s a reality. Your parents would drive you to all your games when you were younger and tell you to reach for your dreams, and that’s what’s cool about it.”
The battle of the Harbaugh brothers would go to John and the Ravens with their 34-31 win over Jim and the 49ers.
Jimmy Garoppolo (Rolling Meadows)
Super Sundays: Started at quarterback for San Francisco in 2020 LIV loss to Kansas City 31-20. Did not play as backup for New England in 2015 XLIX win over Seattle 28-24 and 2017 LI win over Atlanta 34-28.
Garoppolo’s meteoric rise from lightly recruited at Rolling Meadows to starring at Eastern Illinois and a second-round draft pick led to a Super Bowl ring as a rookie backup to Tom Brady. He did see action in the final minutes of an AFC championship rout of indianapolis. Two years later he got another ring although he didn’t appear in any of the Patriots’ three postseason games.
His first year as the full-time starter in San Francisco led to a 13-3 season and a pair of playoff victories for a shot to battle the Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes.
“I think every athlete just tries to envision being in that moment and how it’s going to play out, but it’s always a little different when you get here,” Garoppolo said before the game to long-time Bears and NFL reporter Hub Arkush. “You never think it’s actually going to be you in that moment and you in that situation … but I’m very thankful it’s here.
“This is a big part of it, all the media and everything. I’ve heard it from Tom (Brady), I’ve heard it from other people, you’ve got to have fun with it. It’s part of the Super Bowl. It’s a good problem to have.”
Garoppolo completed 20 of 31 passes for 219 yards with 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions as Patrick Mahomes got the first of his three Super Bowl titles going into LIX (2025). Garoppolo’s 15-yard TD pass to Kyle Juszczyk tied the game at 10-10 with 5:05 to play in the first half.
“You could see it in the guys eyes in there. It means something to the guys,” Garoppolo said to the AP’s Josh Dubow afterward. “That means you’ve got guys that care about what they’re doing, guys who care about each other. We’re a young team and we’ve got a very bright future.”
Garoppolo and the 49ers nearly made it back two years later but lost 20-17 to the Rams in the NFC championship game.
Scotty Miller (Barrington)
Super Sunday: Played wide receiver for Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2021 LV win over Kansas City 31-9
Miller’s time arrived in helping the Buccaneers get to the Super Bowl as he caught a 39-yard touchdown from Tom Brady in their 31-26 NFC championship game win over Green Bay. That helped him give Barrington two Super Bowl champions along with Gary Fencik from the famed ‘85 Bears.
Miller also overcame long odds to get there as a sixth-round draft pick out of Bowling Green in his second year in the NFL. Legendary Daily Herald preps writer John Radtke, who passed away in the spring of 2024, recounted it in a story leading up to the game.
“I’m super excited. I can’t really grasp it yet,” Miller said. “I just show up to work every day and I get to play in the NFL. Being in the Super Bowl is very special and I feel very fortunate.
“It’s amazing (playing with Brady). He’s the GOAT. He’s just a great dude. He’s humble, he’s a great leader and a great teammate. Hopefully he keeps leading us to one more win.”
Brady did that for his seventh Super Bowl title and Miller got a ring as well. He didn’t catch any passes but he did have one rushing attempt for a loss of 3 yards.
Unique Roles for Two Hersey Grads
Duke Tobin quarterbacked Hersey to the 1987 Class 6A state title before eventually following in the path of his father Bill and uncle Vince to the NFL. Duke Tobin has been the Cincinnati Bengals’ Director of Player Personnel since 1999 and they made it to Super Bowl LVI in 2022 where they suffered a heartbreaking 23-20 loss to the L.A. Rams.
Jeff Joniak, a 1980 Hersey grad, was rewarded for paying his broadcast dues by getting the Bears’ play-by-play job and calling his hometown team’s second Super Bowl appearance in XLI in 2007 against the Indianapolis Colts. Joniak got to describe the stunning start when Bears’ Hall of Famer Devin Hester returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown but the Colts and Peyton Manning would recover for a 29-17 victory.
No Ifs, Ands or Butz
Big Dave Butz, one of the greatest athletes in Maine South history in football, basketball and track, started at defensive tackle in three Super Bowls with the Washington Redskins during his illustrious NFL career. Butz had 5 tackles and a fumble recovery in a 27-17 win over Miami (XLII), a tackle in a 38-9 loss to the Raiders (XLII) and 2 tackles in a 42-10 rout of Denver (XXII).
Ryan Twin Powers
Rex and Rob Ryan, the Stevenson grads and twin sons of legendary ‘85 Bears defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan, also made coaching trips to the Super Bowl. Rex was the defensive line coach when the Baltimore Ravens won Super Bowl XXXV in 2001 over the Giants 34-7.
A year later, Rob was the linebackers coach when the Patriots won the first of 6 Super Bowls under Bill Belichick 20-17. Two years later Rob got another Super Bowl ring when the Patriots beat the Carolina Panthers 32-29.