Position | Quarterback

Born | Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Date-of-Birth | October 2, 1962

Height | 6’4″

Weight | 225 lbs

College | Washington State

NFL Career | 14 seasons (11 with Washington) Teams | Washington Redskins 1986-1993, Cleveland Browns 1994, St. Louis Rams 1995/1997, Philadelphia Eagles 1996, Indianapolis Colts 2001, Seattle Seahawks 2002

Career Highlights

• Sixth-round pick (146th overall) of the Washington Redskins in the 1986 NFL Draft
• 2x Super Bowl champion (XXII, XXVI)
• Super Bowl XXVI MVP — the first Canadian-born quarterback to start and win a Super Bowl
• The first foreign-born player in NFL history to be named Super Bowl MVP
• Led Washington to a 14-2 record in 1991, throwing for 3,564 yards and 28 touchdowns
• Career passing: 18,473 yards, 115 touchdowns
• Washington Redskins 90 Greatest

Awards

• 2x Pro Bowl (1989, 1991)
• Second-team All-Pro (1991)
• First-team All-Pac-10 at Washington State (1984)

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Mark Rypien: The Pride of Calgary Who Became Washington’s Super Bowl MVP

Mark Rypien grew up in Calgary, Alberta, before American football was ever part of the plan. By the time his career ended, he’d done something no Canadian-born player had ever done: start, and win, a Super Bowl — and become the first foreign-born player in NFL history to be named the game’s MVP.

From Calgary to Spokane

Rypien was born October 2, 1962, in Calgary, and moved with his family to Spokane, Washington, in 1965.

He became a three-sport star at Shadle Park High School. His numbers in football, basketball, and baseball were all later retired by the school.

Ryp stayed close to home for college, despite having offers from across the country. He took a scholarship to Washington State – earned first-team All-Pac-10 honors in 1984. Rypien was inducted into WSU’s Athletics Hall of Fame in 1993

The Redskins took a flier on him in the sixth round of the 1986 NFL Draft, 146th overall. This wasn’t a pick anyone expected to later feature with the franchise.

A Long Wait, Then a Breakout

Injuries kept Rypien off the field for most of his first two seasons, and he watched from the sideline in 1987 as Doug Williams led Washington to victory in Super Bowl XXII. He still earned himself a ring as part of the roster.

His real opportunity came in 1989, when he was named the starter over an aging Williams. He responded that season by throwing for 3,768 yards and 22 touchdowns. That earned Ryp his first Pro Bowl selection.

1991: A Season for the Ages

Rypien’s masterpiece came in 1991. He threw for 3,564 yards and 28 touchdowns, leading a stacked Washington roster to a 14-2 regular season.

He was sacked just seven times all season, thanks to a dominant Hogs V2 offensive line.

Head coach Joe Gibbs never cared that Rypien’s mechanics weren’t textbook. “Mark Rypien’s sideline throws would wobble and didn’t look all that pretty,” Gibbs said. “But that man could throw the deep stuff.”

Rypien could throw a deep ball like few could – especially in 1991. He seemed to throw dime after dime that season.

Super Bowl XXVI

The playoffs were just as dominant — wins over Atlanta and Detroit sent Washington to Super Bowl XXVI to face Jim Kelly’s high-powered Buffalo Bills.

Washington never trailed. The Redskins jumped to a 17-0 lead, sacked Kelly four times, and intercepted him four more, cruising to a 37-24 win.

Rypien completed 18 of 33 passes for 292 yards and two touchdowns and was named Super Bowl MVP — a distinction that made him, officially, the first player born outside the United States ever to win the award. Caught up in the moment afterward with his young daughter on his shoulders, Rypien had one plan: “We’re going to Disneyland!”

Injuries

Rypien signed a three-year, $9 million deal after his MVP season. Injuries — including a torn biceps tendon that he played through — cut into his effectiveness.

Washington moved on after the 1993 season.

He spent the rest of his career in mostly backup roles with Cleveland, St. Louis, Philadelphia, Indianapolis, and Seattle.

He retired in 2002.

In 11 NFL seasons, Rypien completed 1,466 of 2,613 passes for 18,473 yards. He had 115 touchdowns, and 88 interceptions. The Canadian quarterback rushed 127 times for 166 yards and 8 touchdowns.

Life After Football

In the years since, Rypien has spoken openly and courageously about the toll football took on him. That includes struggles with depression, anxiety. It’s a diagnosis he believes is linked to Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy from repeated concussions during his playing career.

He became a lead plaintiff in a landmark class-action concussion lawsuit against the NFL, choosing to use his platform to push for more awareness and better care for former players. “My story is impactful because people see me in a different light,” Rypien said. “I’ve been down the darkest path… but I’ve given myself a chance to progress forward.”

Rypien and his wife, Danielle, also endured the profound loss of their infant son. A tragedy Washington fans still remember, having learned of it from a stunned, silent stadium crowd at a preseason game. It’s a loss that adds real weight to everything Rypien has spoken about since.

Rypien has remained a beloved figure in Washington football history and a source of real pride in Canada. Three decades later, he’s still the answer to a great trivia question: the first Canadian to be named Super Bowl MVP.

On a Redskins team that remains the greatest in franchise history.

Career Statistics

G = Games played, Att = Pass attempts, Comp = Completions, Yds = Passing yards, %age = Passer rating, TD = Passing touchdowns, Int = Interceptions, Rush = Rushing yards. Rypien did not play in 1998, 1999, or 2000, having initially retired before a brief comeback attempt with the Colts in 2001. Stats via Pro Football Reference.