Photo by: Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Former Spartans William Gholston, Drew Stanton Win Super Bowl Ring With Buccaneers
2/8/2021 7:38:00 AM | Football
EAST LANSING, Mich. – Former Spartan defensive end William Gholston and quarterback Drew Stanton won Super Bowl rings on Sunday night as Tampa Bay defeated Kansas City in Super Bowl LV in Tampa, 31-9.
Gholston, who lettered at MSU in 2010-12 and was a member of the 2010 Big Ten Champion and 2012 Outback Bowl Champion teams, has spent all eight of his seasons in the NFL with the Buccaneers, while Stanton was placed on the active roster the day before the game after spending time on the practice squad at the end of the season.
Gholston was credited with a quarterback hit on Patrick Mahomes in the fourth quarter as the Buccaneers defense held the reigning champs to just three field goals in the game.
Chiefs running back Le'Veon Bell dressed for the game but did not see action.
Gholston and Stanton are the 28th and 29th former Spartans to be on an active roster for a Super Bowl Champion.
Gholston tied his career high with three sacks and recorded 44 tackles overall during the regular season in 2020, the third-highest output of his career and most since 2016. He also had eight tackles for loss, ranking sixth on the Bucs. The native of Detroit has played in 119 career regular-season games, including 68 starts, all with Tampa Bay, and has 316 career tackles, including 47 tackles for loss and 15 sacks.
Gholston contributed in all four of the Bucs' playoff wins. In addition to his hit on Mahomes in the Super Bowl, he was credited with a quarterback hit in 40 snaps at Washington in the wild card round, recorded two tackles and a quarterback hit while playing 37 snaps in the victory over the Saints in the divisional round, and had a QB hit in 30 snaps in the NFC Championship Game at Green Bay.
The former Spartan also made a huge impact off the field last week, announcing on Feb. 1 that he donated $225,000 to the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa to support research into cancer health disparities. In the press release from the Moffitt Cancer Center, "the donation, made during Black History Month, will help fund discoveries in breast, colon, and prostate cancers — all of which disproportionately affect Black men and women. Gholston's gift will go to Moffitt's George Edgecomb Society, which seeks to eliminate cancer health disparities among communities of color."
"When I was presented with the opportunity to donate and be a part of the betterment of cancer research for Black communities, I could not think of a better way to honor my family," said Gholston. "My father died battling lung cancer, and my uncle from prostate cancer. My mother has won her breast cancer battle multiple times. This battle is hard, the fight is hard, and any amount of research or help is huge in my eyes. I hope this donation helps others who are fighting or may have to fight down the line. You can never get time back, but with this we may be able to add more time for others."
To read the entire release, please click here: https://moffitt.org/newsroom/press-release-archive/2021/tampa-bay-buccaneers-defensive-end-william-gholston-funds-cancer-health-disparities-research-at-moffitt-cancer-center/
In the coaching ranks, John Van Dam, who lettered as a quarterback in 2006, also earned a Super Bowl ring with Tampa Bay. He just finished his second season as an offensive quality control coach with the Buccaneers.
Former Spartan Super Bowl Champions (29)
Herb Adderley, CB: Green Bay (I, II); Dallas (VI)
Fred Arbanas, TE: Kansas City (IV)
Carl Banks, LB: New York Giants (XXI, XXV)
Tony Banks, QB: Baltimore (XXXV)
Larry Bethea, DT: Dallas (XII)
Ed Budde, OG: Kansas City (IV)
Plaxico Burress, WR: New York Giants (XLII)
Billy Joe DuPree, TE: Dallas (XII)
Dixon Edwards, LB: Dallas (XXVII, XXVIII, XXX)
Bennie Fowler, WR: Denver (50)
William Gholston, DE: Tampa Bay (LV)
Tom Graves, LB: Pittsburgh (XIV)
Dave Herman, OT: New York Jets (III)
Brian Hoyer, QB: New England (LIII)
Mark Ingram, WR: New York Giants (XXV)
Greg Jones, LB: New York Giants (XLVI)
Ed Lothamer, DT: Kansas City (IV)
Dave Manders, C: Dallas (VI)
Earl Morrall, QB: Baltimore (V); Miami (VII, VIII)
Jim Morrissey, LB: Chicago (XX)
Greg Robinson-Randall, OT: New England (XXXVI)
Jeff Richardson, OG: New York Jets (III)
Andre Rison, WR: Green Bay (XXXI)
Paul Rochester, DT: New York Jets (III)
Bubba Smith, DE: Baltimore (V)
Drew Stanton, QB: Tampa Bay (LV)
Devin Thomas, WR: New York Giants (XLVI)
Matt Vanderbeek, LB/DE: Dallas (XXVIII)
Bobby Wilson, DT: Washington (XXVI)
Gholston, who lettered at MSU in 2010-12 and was a member of the 2010 Big Ten Champion and 2012 Outback Bowl Champion teams, has spent all eight of his seasons in the NFL with the Buccaneers, while Stanton was placed on the active roster the day before the game after spending time on the practice squad at the end of the season.
Gholston was credited with a quarterback hit on Patrick Mahomes in the fourth quarter as the Buccaneers defense held the reigning champs to just three field goals in the game.
Chiefs running back Le'Veon Bell dressed for the game but did not see action.
Gholston and Stanton are the 28th and 29th former Spartans to be on an active roster for a Super Bowl Champion.
Gholston tied his career high with three sacks and recorded 44 tackles overall during the regular season in 2020, the third-highest output of his career and most since 2016. He also had eight tackles for loss, ranking sixth on the Bucs. The native of Detroit has played in 119 career regular-season games, including 68 starts, all with Tampa Bay, and has 316 career tackles, including 47 tackles for loss and 15 sacks.
Gholston contributed in all four of the Bucs' playoff wins. In addition to his hit on Mahomes in the Super Bowl, he was credited with a quarterback hit in 40 snaps at Washington in the wild card round, recorded two tackles and a quarterback hit while playing 37 snaps in the victory over the Saints in the divisional round, and had a QB hit in 30 snaps in the NFC Championship Game at Green Bay.
The former Spartan also made a huge impact off the field last week, announcing on Feb. 1 that he donated $225,000 to the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa to support research into cancer health disparities. In the press release from the Moffitt Cancer Center, "the donation, made during Black History Month, will help fund discoveries in breast, colon, and prostate cancers — all of which disproportionately affect Black men and women. Gholston's gift will go to Moffitt's George Edgecomb Society, which seeks to eliminate cancer health disparities among communities of color."
"When I was presented with the opportunity to donate and be a part of the betterment of cancer research for Black communities, I could not think of a better way to honor my family," said Gholston. "My father died battling lung cancer, and my uncle from prostate cancer. My mother has won her breast cancer battle multiple times. This battle is hard, the fight is hard, and any amount of research or help is huge in my eyes. I hope this donation helps others who are fighting or may have to fight down the line. You can never get time back, but with this we may be able to add more time for others."
To read the entire release, please click here: https://moffitt.org/newsroom/press-release-archive/2021/tampa-bay-buccaneers-defensive-end-william-gholston-funds-cancer-health-disparities-research-at-moffitt-cancer-center/
In the coaching ranks, John Van Dam, who lettered as a quarterback in 2006, also earned a Super Bowl ring with Tampa Bay. He just finished his second season as an offensive quality control coach with the Buccaneers.
A huge congratulations to @WILL_GHOLSTON2 & @drewstanton on their Super Bowl win 🏆👊🏾
— Mel Tucker (@Coach_mtucker) February 8, 2021
#GoGreen #SDFL 🐶 https://t.co/vienBViQpM
Former Spartan Super Bowl Champions (29)
Herb Adderley, CB: Green Bay (I, II); Dallas (VI)
Fred Arbanas, TE: Kansas City (IV)
Carl Banks, LB: New York Giants (XXI, XXV)
Tony Banks, QB: Baltimore (XXXV)
Larry Bethea, DT: Dallas (XII)
Ed Budde, OG: Kansas City (IV)
Plaxico Burress, WR: New York Giants (XLII)
Billy Joe DuPree, TE: Dallas (XII)
Dixon Edwards, LB: Dallas (XXVII, XXVIII, XXX)
Bennie Fowler, WR: Denver (50)
William Gholston, DE: Tampa Bay (LV)
Tom Graves, LB: Pittsburgh (XIV)
Dave Herman, OT: New York Jets (III)
Brian Hoyer, QB: New England (LIII)
Mark Ingram, WR: New York Giants (XXV)
Greg Jones, LB: New York Giants (XLVI)
Ed Lothamer, DT: Kansas City (IV)
Dave Manders, C: Dallas (VI)
Earl Morrall, QB: Baltimore (V); Miami (VII, VIII)
Jim Morrissey, LB: Chicago (XX)
Greg Robinson-Randall, OT: New England (XXXVI)
Jeff Richardson, OG: New York Jets (III)
Andre Rison, WR: Green Bay (XXXI)
Paul Rochester, DT: New York Jets (III)
Bubba Smith, DE: Baltimore (V)
Drew Stanton, QB: Tampa Bay (LV)
Devin Thomas, WR: New York Giants (XLVI)
Matt Vanderbeek, LB/DE: Dallas (XXVIII)
Bobby Wilson, DT: Washington (XXVI)
Players Mentioned
WR
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