When it comes to producing championship-caliber talent, no college in America can match the UCLA Bruins. They are the only school in history to have alumni win MVP honors in all three of America's biggest professional sports championships: the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, and the World Series. That's a trifecta that puts UCLA in a league of its own.
To put this achievement in perspective, College Baseball Reference recently shared a graphic showing that while eight schools have produced MVPs in two of the three major sports, only UCLA has managed to complete the set. For instance, USC, BYU, and Florida have both World Series and Super Bowl MVPs among their alumni. Arizona, Cal, and Michigan State can boast Super Bowl and NBA Finals MVPs. And San Diego State is the only other school besides UCLA to have World Series and NBA Finals MVPs. But UCLA stands alone at the top.
So, who are the Bruins who made history? Let's start with the diamond. Troy Glaus, inducted into the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame in 2007, was the World Series MVP in 2002. That year, he led the Los Angeles Angels in a stunning comeback against the San Francisco Giants, staving off elimination in Game 6 before clinching it all in Game 7. Glaus batted an impressive .385 with three home runs and eight RBIs in the series, adding three doubles and four walks. The Angels haven't returned to the Fall Classic since.
Maybe it's something about the name "Troy." Troy Aikman, the legendary Dallas Cowboys quarterback, won Super Bowl MVP in the 1993 game—a 52-17 blowout victory over the Buffalo Bills. Playing at the Rose Bowl, Aikman threw for four touchdowns and 273 yards, leading the Cowboys to the first of his three Super Bowl wins.
On the hardwood, UCLA's dominance is unmatched. The Bruins have produced three NBA Finals MVPs. First was Lew Alcindor (later Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), who earned the honor in 1971 by leading the Milwaukee Bucks to a sweep of the Baltimore Bullets alongside Oscar Robertson. Then came Bill Walton in 1977, who powered the Portland Trail Blazers past the Philadelphia 76ers in six games, posting a monster stat line of 20 points and 23 rebounds in the clinching Game 6.
From the baseball diamond to the gridiron to the basketball court, UCLA's legacy of producing champions is truly one of a kind. Whether you're repping the Bruins or just love a winning tradition, this is a history worth celebrating.