Super Bowls have showcased South Dakota's rich history of pro football players who've made their mark in the NFL

As we await for the 2026 Super Bowl, it’s worth recalling South Dakotans who made their mark in professional football.

One of the best was big Ernie Smith, a Spearfish native. Born in the Northern Black Hills on Nov. 26, 1909, he graduated from Spearfish High School and then enrolled at the University of Southern California. The 6-2, 215-pound tackle was a star for the Trojans, playing key roles in Rose Bowl wins over Tulane as a junior and Pittsburgh as a senior. He also did kickoffs and place-kicks, and in his spare time, played trombone in the USC marching band.

Smith played with the Green Bay Packers and legendary coach Curly Lambeau in 1935-37 and again in 1939. Once again, he was a standout, earning first-team All-Pro honors in 1936 and the second-team All-Pro in 1937. The Packers won the NFL title in 1936 and 1939. Smith drop-kicked a 42-yard field goal in the 1939 championship game, a record that endured for 12 years.

After two exhibition games in 1940, Smith retired from the demanding but low-paying position. He served as a major in the United States Air Force 1940-45, worked with the Boy Scouts, was on the Rose Bowl Committee, was an officer of the Southern California Symphony, and president of the Los Angeles chapter of the National Football Foundation.

Smith was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1970. He is not one of the 187 athletes in the South Dakota Sports Hall of Fame. Hopefully, that oversight will be corrected soon.

Among the athletes in our hall is Gene Vidal of Madison, who played one game for the Washington Senators — the football team, not the usually moribund baseball franchise — in 1921. He graduated from West Point in 1918, where he was an all-sports star, scoring three touchdowns and drop-kicking a 45-yard field goal in a 30-10 win over Notre Dame in 1916, according to the South Dakota Sports Hall of Fame, which inducted him in 1975.

Vidal was a fascinating character, competing in the decathlon in the 1920 Olympics, playing a key role in the creation of TWA, Eastern Airlines and Northeast Airlines and briefly serving as director of the Bureau of Air Commerce in the opening months of FDR’s first term.

Vidal was the father of the great writer and acerbic wit Gore Vidal, who visited Madison in the mid-1990s to see where his dad grew up.

Gene Vidal was married twice, and had a close friendship, business partnership and reportedly a personal relationship with another famous pilot, Amelia Earhart. While they were married to other people, it’s said they were the loves of each other’s lives.

There are other legendary players from South Dakota. Adam Vinatieri, the Yankton-born, Rapid City-raised kicker was the greatest to ever lace up a shoe.

Vinatieri, 53, played 24 seasons, 10 for the Patriots and 14 for the Colts. He retired as the NFL’s all-time leading scorer with 2,673 points, kicking more field goals (599) scoring more postseason points (238), and making more overtime field goals made (12) than any player.

It was just a question of when his bust is on display in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. Happily, that question was answered Thursday when he was elected. He deserved a first-ballot induction, but a second is still impressive.

Hall of Fame quarterback Norm Van Brocklin, famous for his strong arm and cranky nature, was born on March 15, 1926, near the tiny, unincorporated community of Parade in the central part of the state. Eagle Butte is the closest town.

Van Brocklin still holds the NFL record of throwing for 554 yards in a single game. He threw for 23,611 yards and 173 touchdowns, along with 178 interceptions. He also was a talented punter, with 22,413 punting yards to his credit.

“The Dutchman” played for a pair of NFL title teams, the 1951 Los Angeles Rams and the 1960 Philadelphia Eagles. He was named the league’s most valuable player, won a title — and retired.

In 1961, Van Brocklin was the first Minnesota Vikings head coach. He clashed with QB Fran Tarkenton, who scrambled and ducked tacklers, often in self-defense in the team’s early seasons. They had vastly different styles and both were strong-willed.

Pro Football Reference lists 63 South Dakotans who have been paid to play. Three tight ends — Dallas Goedert of the Eagles and Tucker Kraft of the Packers, both SDSU graduates and Jake Ferguson of the Cowboys suited up this season, as did Cooper DeJean, an Eagles defensive back.

Pierre native Gray Zabel, who was a part of three state championship teams, will start at left guard for the Seahawks. Zabel, 23, had an outstanding rookie season and might become the latest South Dakotan to win a ring.

Of course, my Chiefs, including Patrick Mahomes, who spent time in Sioux Falls, won’t play in this year’s big game. But I still plan to watch, and cheer for Zabel.

Let’s go Seahawks!

Fourth-generation South Dakotan Tom Lawrence has written for several newspapers and websites in South Dakota and other states for four decades. He has contributed to The New York Times, NPR, The London Telegraph, The Daily Beast and other media outlets. Do not republish without permission.

Photo:  Levi’s stadium, site of the 2026 Super Bowl, public domain, wikimedia commons

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