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NFL No. 1 pick QBs and their varied paths to the Super Bowl

By Sayre Bedinger

NFL - Super Bowl; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) with the George Halas Trophy after defeating the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
NFL - Super Bowl; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) with the George Halas Trophy after defeating the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports /
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NFL, Super Bowl
NFL, Super Bowl: Cam Newton #1 of the Carolina Panthers reacts as he is interviewed by Terry Bradshaw after defeating the Arizona Cardinals with a score of 49 to 15 in the NFC Championship Game at Bank of America Stadium on January 24, 2016 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /

Fastest former #1 NFL Draft picks to reach Super Bowl (two-way tie)

These quarterbacks each reached their first Super Bowl in their fifth NFL season

T-4th. Terry Bradshaw, Pittsburgh Steelers

Terry Bradshaw is now the quirky TV guy that talks to players after they win their conference championship game, but he was once the original TB12 collecting ring after ring.

The former number one overall pick out of Louisiana Tech helped the Pittsburgh Steelers win four Super Bowls and with him under center, the Steelers went 14-4 in the playoffs throughout the 1970s.

The Steelers dominated that decade thanks to Bradshaw.

In Bradshaw’s first two Super Bowl appearances, he attempted a combined 107 passes.  That might be two games for some quarterbacks in the playoffs today.

T-4th. Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers

After being selected first overall in the 2011 NFL Draft — a lockout season for the NFL — it took just two years of learning on the job before Cam Newton and the Panthers were a pretty well-oiled machine offensively.

He made the playoffs by his third NFL season and won the NFL MVP award in his fifth season, reaching the Super Bowl after an incredible regular and postseason.

Pundits were extremely high on Newton and the Panthers going into Super Bowl 50 against the Denver Broncos, but the Broncos’ legendary defense broke Newton and the Panthers’ offense down, spoiling his lone appearance in the big game.

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