Crafting a list of the greatest players in Super Bowl history is a near-impossible endeavor. Do you favor the biggest stars? Those who shone brightest on Super Sunday? The ones with sustained levels of excellence?

While undertaking this fool’s errand, I weighed each consideration, attempting to also make it representative of all positions rather than skew too heavily toward quarterbacks or offensive players who more easily show up in the box score (and MVP log).

With that prologue in mind, here’s my list of the 58 greatest players in Super Bowl history as we head into Super Bowl 58 between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers:

1. QB Tom Brady

The longtime New England Patriots star, who was also crowned with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, has more rings (7) than any other franchise and more Super Bowl MVPs (5) than any other player. His record 10 Super Bowl starts have allowed him to become the game’s all-time leader in pass attempts (421), completions (277), yards (3,039) and TDs (21). Brady aired it out for a Super Sunday record 505 yards in the Super Bowl 52 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles following the 2017 season, breaking his mark of 466 set the previous year. But his Super Bowl 51 effort may be the most impressive given he orchestrated the greatest comeback in the game’s history, leading the Super Bowl’s lone overtime drive against the Atlanta Falcons after digging out of a 25-point hole. The storybook ending seemed to come three years ago, when he and the Bucs proved way too much for Super Bowl 54 MVP Patrick Mahomes and the defending champion Chiefs … even if TB12 added a two-season epilogue.

SUPER BOWL CENTRAL: Latest Super Bowl 58 news, stats, odds, matchups and more.

2. QB Joe Montana

He’s been overtaken in several categories by Brady, who grew up idolizing the man who set the gold standard for Super Bowl quarterback play. Montana went 4-0 on Super Sunday with the 49ers, was named MVP thrice and had 11 TD passes with nary an interception, which explains his remarkable record for passer rating (127.8). And who can forget the methodical, 92-yard TD drive he led – capped by the game-winning throw to John Taylor in the final minute – to win Super Bowl 23?

3. WR Jerry Rice

As you’d expect of the original ‘GOAT,’ he’s in a class by himself. He owns Super Bowl career records for receptions (33), receiving yards (589) and TDs (8). No one else save Rob Gronkowski (5) has more than three TD catches, a total Rice matched in Super Bowl 29. His single-game record of 215 receiving yards made him Super Bowl 23’s MVP.

4. QB Terry Bradshaw

He’ll always have his detractors. But it was Bradshaw, not the Pittsburgh Steelers’ famed Steel Curtain, who showed the way to victory in Super Bowls 13 and 14, taking MVP honors in both games. He was the first quarterback with four Lombardi Trophies, and his nine TD strikes trail only Brady and Montana. And what about the toughness factor? Bradshaw threw the game-winning touchdown in Super Bowl 10 while taking a helmet to the jaw that literally knocked him out.

5. OLB/DE Charles Haley

Count ’em, five Super Bowl rings (two with the 49ers, three with the Dallas Cowboys) – a figure exceeded only by Brady. Since sacks became official in 1982, Haley’s 4½ are tied for the most in the Super Bowl record book. He bagged Cincinnati Bengals QB Boomer Esiason twice in Super Bowl 23, the Niners’ narrowest Super Sunday win.

6. QB Doug Williams

He only played on Super Sunday once. But all the Washington star did was prove to any remaining naysayers that a Black quarterback could win it all … while doing it on a hyperextended knee … while throwing four TD passes in an unreal 35-point second quarter … on his way to MVP honors in Super Bowl 22.

7. RB Emmitt Smith

The Super Bowl 28 MVP was the Cowboys’ closer that night (132 yards, 2 second-half TDs) and again in Super Bowl 30. Smith’s five rushing TDs are a record, and his 289 rushing yards rank third.

8. QB Eli Manning

This is not a suggestion that he’s better than big brother Peyton. But Eli is definitely more deserving of a spot on this list given his heroics in twice winning Super Bowl MVP honors for the New York Giants with some truly miraculous plays in upsets of the Patriots.

9. RB Terrell Davis

In what was arguably the greatest Super Bowl effort by a tailback, he ran for 157 yards and a record-tying three TDs – while combating a migraine – on his way to Super Bowl 32 MVP honors as the Denver Broncos won their first title. Davis added 102 rushing yards and 50 more receiving when Denver repeated the next year.

10. QB Joe Namath

He was more game manager than gunslinger on Super Sunday and didn’t throw a touchdown in the New York Jets’ monumental upset of the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl 3. But Broadway Joe was still that contest’s MVP, wisely calling for effective gainers from his backs, taking what was available when passing, all while delivering on his epic pregame guarantee and changing the course of pro football history by vanquishing the NFL establishment – which had already agreed to absorb the American Football League.

11. K Adam Vinatieri

His 34 Super Bowl points trail only Rice’s 48. None were bigger than the pair of game-winning field goals Vinatieri drilled for the Patriots to end Super Bowls 36 and 38. He snagged a fourth ring with the Indianapolis Colts in 2006.

12. QB Bart Starr

The numbers won’t wow you – 452 passing yards and three TDs combined over the course of two games – but the steady hand of the Green Bay Packers great also clutched the first two Super Bowl MVPs as a capstone to a legendary dynasty.

13. WR Lynn Swann

He basically built a Hall of Fame career over four Super Sundays. Three of his four catches (totaling 161 yards) in Super Bowl 10 were of the acrobatic variety, including the game-deciding 64-yard TD in the fourth quarter, which is why Swann was the MVP. His 364 career receiving yards are tied with Gronkowski for second most after Rice.

14. QB Steve Young

His six TD passes in the Niners’ Super Bowl 29 victory remain a single-game Super Bowl record. And don’t forget, Young collected two more rings as Montana’s backup.

15. QB Patrick Mahomes

Yes, he’s awesome. But what a checkered Super Bowl résumé. Mahomes, 28, is about to become the first quarterback to start four times on Super Sunday before his 30th birthday. Heading into Super Bowl 58, he’s already won the game twice and come away with the MVP trophy both times. Yet he’s also thrown four INTs (against 5 TDs), played heroically (but poorly) behind a tattered line versus Brady’s Bucs in Super Bowl 55 and wasn’t the best quarterback on the field last year. His SB QB rating is 79.7.

16. MLB Jack Lambert

The vampire-toothed man in the middle racked up 46 tackles during Pittsburgh’s four victories and famously chucked Cowboys S Cliff Harris after he taunted Steelers K Roy Gerela in Super Bowl 10.

17. QB Kurt Warner

With a break here and there, he’d have three championships instead of one. But credit Warner for leading the long woebegone Rams and Cardinals out of the wilderness. And not only did the Super Bowl 34 MVP set a then-record with 414 passing yards, his 377 yards in Super Bowl 43 and 365 in Super Bowl 36 gave him the three most prolific passing days in the game’s history until Brady’s explosions in Super Bowls 51 and 52.

18. RB Franco Harris

A four-time champion, nearly half of his career record 354 rushing yards came when the Super Bowl 9 MVP posted a since-broken standard of 158 en route to Pittsburgh’s first title. Harris’ four rushing scores trail only Smith, and his 468 yards from scrimmage are second to Rice (604).

19. MLB Ray Lewis

He was the villain of the week prior to the game, but Lewis emerged as Super Bowl 35’s MVP after the dominant 2000 Baltimore Ravens defense shut out the Giants offense. Twelve years later, Lewis collected more bling in his final ride.

20. DE L.C. Greenwood

His four sacks of Dallas QB Roger Staubach in Super Bowl 10 represent an unofficial record since the NFL didn’t officially recognize sacks until 1982. Same goes for the five career sacks by Greenwood, who started all four of Pittsburgh’s victorious Super Sundays in the 1970s.

21. RB Roger Craig

The Niners’ main man in the backfield, he earned three rings as one of the original do-it-all backs. Craig piled up 410 yards from scrimmage, good for third place in the Super Bowl record book, and scored four TDs.

22. TE Rob Gronkowski

No tight end has truly taken over a Super Bowl, but Gronk came pretty close against the Eagles, finishing with nine receptions, 116 yards and a pair of scores in a losing effort. His impact in New England’s Super Bowl 49 victory went beyond six catches for 68 yards and a TD as he thoroughly occupied the attention of the Seahawks. In Super Bowl 53, his 29-yard reception on a badly bruised thigh set up the game’s only touchdown (a 2-yard run by Sony Michel) on the following play. Despite playing on a bum ankle that would require surgery, Gronkowski nearly corralled what would have been a game-winning Hail Mary on the final play of Super Bowl 46. Finally, the four-time champ scored the Bucs’ first two TDs against K.C. in Super Bowl 55, and Tampa Bay never looked back. Gronk’s five career TDs, 29 receptions and 364 receiving yards are bested only by Rice.

23. OLB Von Miller

A rare defender who won the game’s MVP, Miller was picked as the guy from the vaunted 2015 Broncos defense to take the hardware home after registering 2½ sacks and two forced fumbles in Super Bowl 50. He scored another ring with the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl 56, adding a pair of sacks, which allowed him to catch Haley for the Super Sunday lead.

24. OLB Ted Hendricks

He’s usually remembered as a Raider, but the first of Hendricks’ four Super Bowl wins came with the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl 5. None of the defenses he played on surrendered more than 14 points.

25. WR John Stallworth

Like Swann, his Steelers wingman, he has three Super Bowl TD grabs, two covering more than 70 yards. Stallworth’s 73-yard TD from Bradshaw in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl 14 broke the backs of the plucky LA Rams.

26. RB Larry Csonka

The workhorse for the Miami Dolphins, including the 17-0 1972 team, his 297 rushing yards in three games are second only to Harris. Csonka scored twice and had a then-record 145 yards to net Super Bowl 8 MVP honors and had 112 yards the previous year when Miami capped its perfect season.

27. WR Julian Edelman

He owns three rings after his 10-catch, 141-yard showing in Super Bowl 53 earned him the MVP trophy. Two years earlier, Edelman’s epic shoestring scoop of a Brady pass that was deflected by Falcons CB Robert Alford helped spark New England’s historic comeback. The Super Bowl 52 loss to Philadelphia might have had a different outcome had Edelman not been sidelined by a knee injury. His 337 Super Bowl receiving yards trail only Rice, Gronkowski and Swann.

28. QB Phil Simms

He threw 25 passes in Super Bowl 21, and only three hit the ground. Pretty high bar as the MVP led the Giants to the first of their four Lombardi Trophies.

29. QB Troy Aikman

He captained the ’90s Cowboys to three titles and was named MVP for the first one in Super Bowl 27 after throwing for 273 yards and four TDs. Aikman’s 70% completion rate in his three appearances makes him the most accurate Super Sunday passer.

30. S Jake Scott

His pair of interceptions, including the game-clincher, put a bow on the Dolphins’ perfect season and brought him Super Bowl 7’s MVP. Scott got another ring the following year, recovering a pair of Minnesota Vikings fumbles. He also handled kickoff and punt returns for Miami.

31. TE Travis Kelce

In three Super Bowls, he’s racked up 22 grabs for 257 yards with a pair of scores – most ever among tight ends not named Gronkowski. But Kelce’s meter is still running …

32. OLB Rod Martin

The only man to pick off three passes in one Super Bowl – Martin thrice victimized the Eagles’ Ron Jaworski in Super Bowl 15 – he got one ring when the Raiders were in Oakland and another after they moved to LA.

33. DT Joe Greene

No one embodies the Steel Curtain Steelers more than Mean Joe, who started all four Super Bowls in the 1970s.

34. WR Deion Branch

He’s best remembered as MVP of the Patriots’ Super Bowl 39 triumph, when he posted a then record-tying 11 catches for 133 yards. But Branch may have been even better the previous year against the Carolina Panthers, when he snatched 10 Brady passes for 143 yards and a TD.

35. DT Aaron Donald

36. CB Malcolm Butler

He was an undrafted rookie no-name when he made arguably the clutchest of all Super Bowl plays by undercutting Seattle Seahawks WR Ricardo Lockette’s route at the goal line to intercept Russell Wilson’s pass and turn what seemed near-certain defeat into the Patriots’ fourth title. Butler will never be a no-name the rest of his life … though he did garner unwanted attention for essentially being benched by Bill Belichick in Super Bowl 52, a decision that seemed to backfire.

37. OLB Chuck Howley

He’s the only man to win the MVP award despite playing for the losing side when the Cowboys fell in Super Bowl 5. Howley, who established the Super Bowl career record with three INTs, won a ring the following year.

38. DT Manny Fernandez

He had a remarkable 17 tackles and one sack – unofficial totals – in the Dolphins’ Super Bowl 7 win and almost certainly should have been named the MVP.

39. CB Ty Law

His 47-yard pick-six off Warner in Super Bowl 36 helped chart the course for New England’s dynastic run. Law wound up winning three championships with the Patriots.

40. DT Justin Tuck

His contributions typically get overshadowed in the Giants’ dual victories over New England. But Tuck was Brady’s personal nemesis, sacking him twice in each game.

41. G Gene Upshaw

The Oakland Raiders stalwart played in three Super Bowls, each in a different decade. In Super Bowls 11 and 15, he teamed with fellow Hall of Famer Art Shell – they formed probably the best left side of any O-line in history – to embarrass both the Vikings’ famed Purple People Eaters and Eagles defense as the Silver and Black won their first two titles.

42. CB Mel Blount

The Steelers’ super-sized corner collected a pair of Super Bowl picks and four rings.

43. CB Deion Sanders

The original shutdown corner went back-to-back with the 49ers and Cowboys in Super Bowls 29 and 30, respectively. Sanders picked off a pass for San Francisco, and the Steelers’ unwillingness to test him the following year was a big reason MVP Larry Brown snagged two INTs. However Sanders did make an impact on offense, catching a 47-yard pass from Aikman.

44. DE Richard Dent

One of the few D-linemen honored as the game’s MVP, Dent was picked as the guy from the vaunted ’85 Bears defense to take the hardware home after registering 1½ sacks and two forced fumbles in Super Bowl 20.

45. DB Ronnie Lott

The tone-setting defender of the 49ers’ great teams started at both cornerback and safety on his way to four championships.

46. DE Reggie White

Maybe the greatest defensive end ever, he set the official Super Bowl record with three sacks of Patriots QB Drew Bledsoe in the Packers’ Super Bowl 31 victory.

47. T Joe Jacoby

He was one of only two Hogs to start on the offensive line in all three of Washington’s Super Bowl wins. RBs John Riggins (166 rushing yards in Super Bowl 17) and Timmy Smith (204 yards in Super Bowl 22) both had record days running behind Jacoby and Co.

48. OLB Mike Vrabel

A consummate Patriot, he played in four Super Bowls and wound up with three rings. He also racked up 16 tackles, three sacks, a forced fumble … and two TDs on two receptions while lining up as a tight end in goal-line packages. Not bad.

49. OLB James Harrison

He picked up a pair of Lombardis in three trips with the Steelers. He also left his imprint with an unforgettable 100-yard INT return off a Warner misfire – producing at least a 10-point swing – in Pittsburgh’s 27-23 victory over the Cardinals in Super Bowl 43.

50. C Mike Webster

Another four-time Steelers champ, he was a tough-as-nails throwback who also handled long-snapping duties.

51. RB James White

Compelling case to be made that he, not Brady, should have been Super Bowl 51’s MVP. White set single-game records with 14 receptions and 20 points (he scored 3 TDs and a key 2-point conversion in New England’s comeback). His 2-yard TD run in overtime provided the winning margin against the Falcons. He added another 66 yards from scrimmage and a TD against Philadelphia the next year.

52. QB Jalen Hurts

He outplayed Mahomes in Philly’s Super Bowl 57 loss, passing for 304 yards and a TD … while rushing for 70 yards (most by a quarterback on Super Sunday) and three more scores, tying Davis’ mark. A two-point conversion also allowed Hurts to match White’s 20 personal points. About the only blemish was the fumble Hurts lost that Chiefs LB Nick Bolton returned 36 yards for a TD.

53. WR Max McGee

Love this guy. After a long night of partying on the eve of the first Super Bowl – McGee thought he’d be warming the pine for the Packers – he stepped in for injured Boyd Dowler and scored again. Despite being less than 100%, McGee caught seven passes for 138 yards and two scores, one a behind-the-back snare.

54. OLB Lawrence Taylor

He never tallied a Super sack, but we’re not leaving the two-time champion and greatest pass-rushing linebacker ever off the all-time team.

55. CB Dwight Smith

He had a pair of pick-sixes (covering 94 yards) in the Bucs’ Super Bowl 37 beatdown of the Raiders.

56. KR/WR Jacoby Jones

He gets the nod over Super Bowl 31 MVP Desmond Howard as our return ace. Jones had a strong case to be the Ravens’ Super Bowl 47 MVP after posting a single-game record 290 all-purpose yards, which included a record 108-yard TD on the opening kickoff of the second half. And that was after he ended the first half with his only catch of the game – a 56-yard TD.

57. OL Randy Cross

Had to give the linemen a little more love. Cross was a Pro Bowl guard for the 49ers’ first two title teams and moved to center for their third Super Bowl win, which happened to be his final game.

58. LB Mike Jones

A journeyman who would have receded into NFL anonymity had he not seized his Super Bowl moment by making a game-ending, title-saving tackle of Tennessee Titans WR Kevin Dyson just shy of the goal-line (and a potential game-tying TD) in the St. Louis Rams’ only Super Bowl victory.

***

Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Nate Davis on X, formerly Twitter @ByNateDavis.

Whether this was a predetermined scheduling masterpiece or the result of some good fortune, the first football-free weekend in men’s college basketball boasts one of the strongest slates you will ever see.

Saturday’s lineup includes not one, not two, but three games matching teams in the top 10. And there’s other key matchups across the country worth keeping an eye on. So with February here and the cold weather of winter still giving you reason to stay inside, it’s the perfect time to grab your remote and catch up on all that has been happening the past three months.

Where do you get started? We break down all the big matchups below so you can plan your day and hopefully there will be some nail-biters and buzzer-beaters to keep things interesting.

All times Eastern.

No. 4 Houston at No. 9 Kansas, Saturday, 4 p.m., ESPN

The Cougars had a rough start in their first taste of Big 12 road play but have since rebounded to lead the league with their usual defensive approach that puts them No. 1 in fewest points allowed. This might be their hardest test away from home, however the Jayhawks have recently hit a bit of a slump with a pair of losses in their last four. Hunter Dickinson and Kevin McCullar give Kansas two big scoring options. More will be needed from the rest of the starters and backups, though, because Houston has its own two-headed threat with L.J. Cryer and Jamal Shead.

No. 7 Duke at No. 3 North Carolina, Saturday, 6:30 p.m., ESPN

The Tar Heels appeared to be peaking ahead of this matchup before their 10-game winning streak was broken by Georgia Tech. They’ll be looking to get back into the groove against their biggest rival. It’s been an up-and-down season so far for the young the Blue Devils, who appear to be rounding into form and getting healthier, after some disappointing losses. The emotions are sure to be high in Chapel Hill and hopefully the game will match the expectations.

BRACKETOLOGY: North Carolina barely holding on to top seed

No. 5 Tennessee at No. 8 Kentucky, Saturday, 8:30 p.m., ESPN

It’s been a rough week for both the Volunteers and Wildcats, who both lost on their home court and slipped further behind first-place Alabama in the SEC title race. Tennessee has been getting a scoring jolt from Dalton Knecht, who is averaging more than 30 points in his last six games. Kentucky has the firepower to keep up, but needs to improve on the defensive end to avoid a fourth league loss.

No. 11 Iowa State at No. 18 Baylor, Saturday, 8 p.m., ESPN2

The Cyclones have been one of the surprise teams of the season and are only a half game off the Big 12 lead after wins against Houston and Kansas. The Bears got a big road victory at Central Florida after three consecutive losses, two of which were in overtime and the other by two points. Can their offense led by freshman standout Ja’Kobe Walter overcome the stingy defense of the Cyclones or will they drop further off the pace of the conference leaders?

No. 17 Utah State at San Diego State, Saturday, 3:30 p.m., Fox

Last March’s national runner-up squares off against the current Mountain West leader. Both the Aztecs and Aggies are comfortably in the field at this point, but another quality win will improve one of the team’s already strong profile with the committee. Utah State hasn’t missed a beat with Danny Sprinkle in his first season as coach, helped by the scoring of Great Osobor (19.1 ppg), a transfer Sprinkle brought in from Montana State. San Diego State relies on the inside presence of Jaedon LeDee (20.5 ppg).

Saint Mary’s at Gonzaga, Saturday, 10:30 p.m., ESPN

In a role reversal, it’s Saint Mary’s that leads the West Coast Conference standings and Gonzaga that is contemplating life on the bubble. The Bulldogs do have the advantage of playing at home and will be desperate to put a Quad 1 victory on their ledger come Selection Sunday. The Gaels, meanwhile, are flying high after a slow start to the season. They’ve won nine in a row, helped by their suffocating defense.

Las Vegas Aces guard Kelsey Plum says she is excited for Iowa superstar Caitlin Clark to break her NCAA career scoring record.

Clark enters Saturday’s game against Maryland (8 p.m. ET, Fox) 104 points from breaking Plum’s mark of 3,527 points she set playing for Washington from 2013 to 2017.

‘I’m actually very grateful to pass that baton. I’m very happy for her,’ Plum said.

Clark is averaging a nation’s leading 32.1 points, to go along with 7.7 assists and 7.0 rebounds this season for Iowa (20-2).

Plum said at the time when she was pursuing the record, previously held by Southwest Missouri State’s Jackie Stiles, she felt the pressure of being in the spotlight.

‘I remember, to be honest, [the record] was very much a low point in my life,’ Plum said. ‘It felt like a lot of pressure, and my identity was kind of caught up in that record. I hope everyone in the media takes time to understand that [Clark] is not just a basketball player but a young woman that has feelings and emotions. She carries it with grace, but there’s a lot to handle there.

‘If anything, make sure that we show her love outside of her performance. She’ll break it. I’m excited for her.’

Clark could enter the WNBA draft in April or return to school for a fifth year, taking advantage of the COVID-19 waiver instituted in the 2020 season.

Head football coach Deion Sanders taught his first class this semester at the University of Colorado, taking on the role of “Professor Prime” as he spoke to undergraduate students about life, personal branding and even building a football roster in today’s chaotic college football environment.

The class debuted recently in Boulder and is named after his nickname: “Prime Time: Public Performance and Leadership.” This was the first time “Coach Prime” appeared with his entourage of cameras and security detail in a session that was documented on YouTube by his son Deion Jr. The class will feature different speakers and topics, with Sanders slated to speak once more, per the Boulder Daily Camera.

As a visiting faculty member, Sanders took questions from students Thursday and told them why he doesn’t recruit many freshmen to his team and said that two of his players could be the first two players selected in next year’s NFL draft. He also talked about why he believes few college football players have gotten true endorsement deals for their names, images and likenesses (NIL).

What did Deion Sanders say about roster building?

Sanders said he likes recruiting sophomores who transferred in instead of bringing in a bunch of freshmen. His recruiting class for 2024 includes only six freshmen and nearly 25 transfer players.

“When you inherited a roster like we inherited a roster, you can’t deal with high school kids that much, because it takes them probably a couple of years to develop (and) you’ll be fired in a couple years,” Sanders told the students. “You don’t have that kind of time.”

That’s why he’s become the king of the transfer portal, bringing in 47 scholarship players from other four-year colleges last year. Only a few freshmen played last year in Sanders’ first season at Colorado, when the Buffaloes finished 4-8. If the freshmen he does recruit don’t play right away, Sanders noted those players then might get in the transfer portal to play somewhere else.

“So what we’d rather do is go get a sophomore in college … that understands the bus stops, understands what time class starts… And we don’t have to worry about them introducing themselves to the collegiate game,” Sanders said. “Because if you load your roster up with a bunch of freshmen, you’re in for a heckuva season… It’s not gonna be good. And when you have a pro kind of quarterback, you can’t give him youngsters to work with. It’s gonna be chaotic.”

Deion Sanders says Colorado might have top picks in 2025 NFL draft

Sanders also mentioned how lots of NFL scouts will be visiting Boulder this year and said his quarterback son Shedeur and two-way player Travis Hunter might be the top two overall picks in the draft next year.

“We got, proposedly, the first and second pick of the whole draft, Sheduer and Travis, so every NFL scout is coming, but they’re not just gonna come for that, because I want them to see the smorgasbord of players that we have and the operation that we have,” Sanders said.

Social branding seminar

Sanders is often followed by cameras that document his program for three main YouTube channels, including Well Off Media, which is run by his son Deion Jr. But those who edit those videos know they better be careful and not include footage that might make Sanders look bad. As an example, he told a story about how he used the term “wife beater” recently to describe a tank-top shirt and didn’t want it included in one of the videos.

He also told a story about how freshman offensive lineman Jordan Seaton recently posted a video in which the ”whole rap song was profanity.”

“I said, ‘Big fella, not today,’” Sanders said.

“I apologize coach; it won’t happen again,” Seaton replied, according to Sanders.

Sanders’ son Deion Jr. calls his father the “Instagram police.”

“You’ve got to teach them, because they don’t know any better,” Sanders said. “I said, Jordan, ‘You’re trying to brand yourself. The first thing people do is go through your social media.’”

Schooling on NIL

NIL became legal in 2021, but now NIL issues are roiling college sports. Sanders said he wouldn’t even call it NIL because he believes it’s not really NIL, which he considers to be an endorsement deal between a company and a player. Instead, he said NIL collectives are stepping in to pay players by passing around a collection plate to school boosters and then dividing the pot with ­­players.

“Since I got time today, I want you to tell me how many players in college football that you’ve seen in commercials,” Sanders said to the students.

The students came up with five names, including his sons Shedeur and Shilo Sanders.

“All these college athletes and you’ve named five people,” he said. “This is not NIL. This is not the day of NIL. That’s what it’s supposed to be, but it’s collectives and that’s where it went wrong.”

Sanders said major companies generally aren’t going to be interested in signing sponsorship deals with many college kids because they’re unproven and companies don’t want to risk damaging the company brand.

“I’m sick of everybody in the country talking about NIL,” Sanders said. “It’s not NIL.”

Seizing the moment at CU Boulder

Sanders also gave some advice: Seize your moment.

“The reason you know (NBA great) Michael Jordan is because when it came down to that moment, he seized it,” Sanders told the students. “The reason we know (singer) Taylor Swift or whoever you love and adore out there right now, is because when she get that mic in her hand, what she do? She delivers.

“You’re gonna have a moment to deliver and to go get it, and to just catapult yourself up to another level. What you gonna do with your moment? The only reason I’m standing in front of you today is because I have seized a multitude of my moments. And I’m still seizing.”

Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer on X: @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com

With two minutes left in the first quarter, Caitlin Clark grabbed a defensive rebound and sprinted up court. She had options ahead of her. She could thread the needle to a teammate. She could drive to the basket herself. Or … she could take a transition 3.

In what has become common for Iowa’s superstar, Clark pulled up about a foot beyond the arc. It was nothing but net.

Inside Northwestern’s Welsh-Ryan Arena Wednesday night, the raucous Hawkeye fans erupted. Little kids wearing Clark jerseys screamed in excitement. If not for the purple logo at center court, one might mistake this for an Iowa home game. 

Clark’s signature long-range shots wow coaches, players and fans across America, and will likely do so Saturday, when Clark and No. 4 Iowa travel to Maryland. But the logo 3s were once a source of contention between the reigning National Player of the Year and her coaches.

“There were some shots that she took in high school that only one of us thought were good shots,” said Kristin Meyer, Clark’s coach at Dowling Catholic High in Des Moines.

In college, Clark is a statistical anomaly. After her 35-point performance Wednesday night in Iowa’s 110-74 win over Northwestern — in which she broke Kelsey Mitchell’s Big Ten scoring record — the senior is just 104 points away from breaking the women’s all-time NCAA scoring record (3,527 points), set by Kelsey Plum in 2017. 

Clark shoots 40.1% from 3 this season, and 38.3% for her college career. While the leaders in women’s Division-I this season shoot around 50% from long-distance, Clark has taken nearly 200 more 3s than many of those players. 

And she’s not just taking 3s, she’s taking deep 3s. According to CBB Analytics, Clark shoots 39.2% on shots that are 25-30 feet from the rim (in college, the 3-point line is 22 feet, 1 3/4 inches). These are what CBB Analytics call “Long Distance 3s.” Others call them “logo shots.” The D-I average from this range is 29.5%, meaning that Clark shoots the (really) long ball 9.8% better than the national average.

For these reasons, the talk about Clark almost always focuses solely on her scoring ability, even though she’s widely considered the best passer in college basketball too, and also leads the nation in that statistical category. 

This poses a potential problem for coaches, especially at the high school level. Players trying to get recruited could try to differentiate themselves with a Clark-like range — even if they haven’t put in the reps like Clark. 

“She doesn’t see it necessarily as training or work,” said Meyer, her high school coach. “She does it because she loves it.” 

Despite a few meetings between Meyer and Clark about better shot selection, Clark had the confidence and work ethic to improve, Meyer said. Between her freshman and sophomore seasons at Dowling Catholic, Clark went from averaging 15.3 points to 27.1. Once Meyer realized that the deep 3s were just a part of Clark’s game, she encouraged Clark to take them.

Confidence is encouraged, but logo 3s aren’t

Putting in the work is one thing. Actually gaining Clark-range is another. Girls basketball coaches around the country trust their players, but maybe not to shoot logo 3s.

“I think her work-ethic is 100% unicorn-like,” Christina Raiti, head coach of Long Island Lutheran, the No. 2 high school team in the nation according to MaxPreps.com, said of Clark.

One of the talented players Raiti coaches is guard Syla Swords, a five-star recruit who has verbally committed to Michigan. Raiti says that Swords has earned the right to shoot deep 3s, but even she has a limit.

“Maybe no logo 3s,” Raiti said. “That would be a little crazy. She might have to sit down for a little bit.”

Swords herself thinks Clark is changing the perception of what is a good shot among coaches and younger players. It could encourage other players to shoot farther back.

“We haven’t seen someone like her before in the women’s game,” Swords said. 

Alicia Komaki, coach at No. 6 Sierra Canyon, echoed this sentiment. While shooting from 25 feet may be a terrible shot for the majority of players, it’s not for Clark.

“Caitlin’s numbers have proven that she’s able to shoot that shot like she can shoot a layup,” Komaki said. “You can’t argue that it’s not a good shot for Steph Curry and not a good shot for her.”

High school coaches say Caitlin Clark is ‘an energy-giver’

Clark’s range might be unicorn-like, but there are other aspects of her game that coaches seek to instill in their players.

“She’s an energy-giver, which is something we talk a lot about. But she’s also elevating the people who are playing with her and making them better basketball players,” Raiti said.

Clark’s mentality is another point of emphasis for high school coaches. 

“She’s willing to take the big shot and so we applaud the level of confidence in which she approaches the game with. We also talk about this idea that she puts the work in. That just doesn’t happen by accident,” said Sue Phillips of top-ranked Archbishop Mitty, who has coached players like three-time WNBA All-Star guard Danielle Robinson. 

While Philips doesn’t exactly condone her players shooting from the logo, she does think that Clark is a perfect example of someone who has extended her range to improve herself and her team. 

“That heat-check is encouraged sometimes,” Phillips said. “You encourage a kid to continue to test their limits to determine where that range is where you can consistently hit the 3.”

Scoring is undoubtedly important, but some coaches think it should be emphasized less by the media — especially when it comes to Clark. 

“[The media] sends a message to the kids that you’re only recognized for your ability to score the basketball,” said Tamika Dudley, coach of No. 5 Sidwell Friends in Washington D.C., where five-star recruit and UCLA commit Kendall Dudley plays. 

Like many coaches, Dudley doesn’t want her players to just be scorers. She also wants them to be good passers with the desire to improve and confidence to take the big shot — much like Clark.

Clark, her numbers and her style of play, are already impacting the next generation of basketball players, even if emulating her game is a lofty goal. But her impact is felt off the court, too — and some think that might be even more impressive. 

“She’s doing a tremendous amount of work to pave the way for women’s sports,” Raiti said. “How can you not be a fan?”

Everett Munez is a graduate student at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism.

Chicago Bulls forward Zach LaVine will miss the remainder of the season with a right foot injury, the team announced Saturday.

The Bulls said that LaVine, a two-time All-Star, will have surgery next week after consulting with the team’s training and medical staff. He is expected to be out 4-6 months.

The 28-year-old LaVine has not played since Jan. 18 because of an ankle injury, missing the last six games for Chicago after sitting out 17 games earlier this season, due to the lingering foot problem.

The Bulls are 23-26 and sit in 9th place in the Eastern Conference standings entering Saturday.

LaVine has appeared in 25 games this season, averaging 19.5 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game. He is in the second season of a five-year $215.16 million contract he signed with the Bulls.

He is set to make $43 million in the 2024-25 season.