I didn’t grow up watching sports. I studied music, played outside a lot, and loved (surprise, surprise…) to read and write.

When I went over to friends’ and, later, boyfriends’ houses and a football game was on, it seemed like everyone else would be watching wide-eyed, and I just had trouble knowing or, quite frankly, caring what was going on. I’d wander off and play with the family dog, play cards, or perhaps draw something in the background.

Well once I was all grown up, I married a football fan – and a Packer’s fan, at that. And what he did for me is something I’ve really come to appreciate, actually. He took the time – multiple seasons, in fact – to explain to me the actually somewhat complicated and interesting rules of this American game, synonymous with fall time, drinking beer, and friends and family coming together.

Many people I know who grew up in households where sports (especially somewhat violent and dangerous ones) weren’t exactly valued still have no interest in watching to this day, but my mind has forever been changed.

I’d like to thank my hubs, HD television, and Mr. Aaron Rodgers (the Packers QB, of course) for that.

Whether to convince your husband to try for a boy or just to get pumped for the season (or the fantasy football season) and the big game, here are 20 Super Bowl-inspired baby names just for you, sports fan.

20 Clay

Talk about carrying on a legacy! Green Bay Packer Clay Matthews III comes from a football family, and he’s been pretty hot stuff over the years in his role as outside linebacker for the beloved Wisconsin team.

If you don’t immediately know who I’m talking about, he’s the guy on the Packers with the long, flowing blonde hair cascading sweatily to his broad shoulders.

He’s been pretty busy off the field, as well, it seems, as he has four children of his own. His origins are in SoCal, and he was born in Los Angeles.

He’s just 31 (or “already 31,” if your phrasing it in football-age talk, I suppose), but he sure has already achieved a lot.

He’s a Super Bowl XLV champion, played in the Pro Bowl six times, is a three-time Pac-10 champ, and more.

19 Marcus

Now here’s a nice name! And for all you football fans out there, it comes with another great Super Bowl story, to boot.

Marcus Allen running 74 yards for a touchdown is perhaps the best remembered play of the January 27, 1991, game between the Los Angeles Raiders and the Washington Redskins, whom the then-L.A. team trampled 38-9.

It all took place at Tampa Stadium in Florida.

This particular Marcus, a running back, went on to be a football analyst for television network CBS. He was inducted to the Hall of Fame in 2003.

But before all that, he had quite a game in Super Bowl XVIII. This champ carried the ball a whopping 20 times for 191 rushing yards, scoring two touchdowns. This was actually a Super Bowl record at the time.

18 Aaron

If you don’t know which famous football Aaron I’m referring to, well, I’m not sure if we can be friends. (Kidding.)

But Cheeseheads near and far know about this handsome, level-headed QB for none other than the Green Bay Packers, where he dominates on the field and keeps cool under pressure – most of the time – with the help of certain clutch buddies as Jordy Nelson.

Aaron Rodgers is 6’2”, he’s 33 years old this year, and he and his fans, both, think he still has a LOT of football years left in him.

He’s from Chico, California, and a grad of the University of California, Berkeley (commonly known simply as Cal).

Back in 2011, Rodgers (#12, which you’ll surely see sported on many a green and gold football jersey), took it all the way to the NFL championship with his team – and won.

17 Harrison

James Harrison is a Super Bowl champ with a last name I think new and expectant parents might absolutely love (I do!).

In Tampa, Florida, back in 2009, the Pittsburgh Steelers took down the Arizona Cardinals, beating them out by just four points. Imagine – to have a championship win be so close, just four points away!

Well the Steelers are glad they had Harrison on their side that year, because he was a crucial part of them being able to secure the Super Bowl XLIII title.

Experts and fans, both, will tell you that he really claimed the momentum for his team as the first half of the game neared its end. The Steelers were leading by three points, but Arizona was at the Steelers’ one-yard line with only seconds left before halftime. Harrison intercepted the pigskin and ran it back the other way 100 yards for a touchdown.

16 Bart

In the very first Super Bowl ever, the Green Bay Packers played the Kansas City Chiefs. And the man leading the offense on the field as quarterback was none other than Bart Starr (hey, Starr might be a pretty cool name, too, now that I think about it).

The Packers won it, of course, and oh, they played in and won Super Bowl II in 1968, as well.

This blonde, rugged, all-American type of guy played for the Wisconsin team all the way from 1956 to 1971.

He’s from Montgomery, Alabama, where he was born in 1934, and in college, he was at the university of Alabama. He’s currently 83 years old.

This MVP (most valuable player) and Hall of Famer (he was inducted in 1977) was a hard-working player who knew that’s what it takes to win.

He once said, “If you work harder than somebody else, chances are you'll beat him though he has more talent than you.”

15 Lynn

Yeehaw! We sure would be forgettin’ somethin’ important if we didn’t give mention to the Dallas Cowboys at some point in this piece. But ya know what? I’m going to mention a Cowboys loss, so hold onto yer britches.

And FINALLY, a gender-ambiguous name! For parents of both little boys and baby girls, this one could be a serious contender.

Lynn Swann (and there’s another name idea! Swann!) was the MVP of the game between his team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Dallas Cowboys. It was January 18 way back in 1976, at the Orange Bowl in Miami.

Swann, a receiver, was a superstar in the team’s second Super Bowl win in a row.

First of all, he made a couple of AMAZING catches, for massive 50-plus-yard gains, and then he went ahead and scored a 64-yard touchdown, giving Pittsburgh a permanent lead.

14 Patriot

At the time of this writing, I have no way of knowing the date that this article will go to press, but I do know which team is favored to win the big game this year as the season starts, based on the players that they have drafted: It’s the Patriots, and only time will tell (has told?) if the odds will be a good indicator of reality this year.

I was thinking about players on this so-American team, and then I realized that, hey, “Patriot” might be a perfect name for some of the football fans out there, moms and dads who want something a little new, and a little different, as seems to be en vogue these days.

Some people may think that you just really, really love your country. But football fans may know you’re paying quite the homage to your number-one team.

13 Vince

When the Packers won the first-ever Super Bowl back in 1967, this man was at the helm. Vince Lombardi is one of the most famous and beloved coaches in football history, and there isn’t a football fan out there who doesn’t know his name.

If a parent is looking to name a boy inspired by someone with a focus on realism, a great work ethic, and a positive attitude, Vince might just be the way to go, or at least a top contender!

“The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will,” the great coach once said.

This man was not only a football player himself but also later an executive in the NFL.

12 Tom

Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. might offer you up quite a few naming options, it seems. His last name could definitely be used as a first name, for starters. In addition, you could choose Thomas or Tom, Edward or just Ed, and also Patrick or simply Pat. Think of the possibilities!

Yep, if your top pick to play in and win the big game is the New England Patriots, too, then you might love the idea of naming your little love after the team’s longtime quarterback. And we mean, like, a REALLY long time, as in since the year 2000.

This guy’s a five-time Super Bowl champ, as well as a four-time Super Bowl MVP.

Is he the most valuable player in your book, too?

The 6’4” beefcake is from San Mateo, California, and guess what? Those five championship wins make him one of only two players to achieve this stat – and the only one to have gathered all those big wins for the same team.

11 Russell

It was the Seattle Seahawks versus the Denver Broncos for the big show back in 2013, for Super Bowl XLVIII.

In only his second year as QB, the third-round draft pick Russell Wilson led the offensive side of the Seahawks to victory, throwing most of all to receiver Golden Tate (so there’s another fun name for you, Seattle fan).

What I like a lot about the name Russell is how cute it sounds abbreviated as “Rusty.”

Diehard Seattle fans may also like to consider his middle name, Carrington. I kind of like the sound of that myself, even though I’m always favoring the Packers in those intense early-season matchups.

This guy’s still only 28, so he may have a lot of glory ahead of him, yet. He’s no Tom Brady in stature, measuring in at just 5’11”, but that sure doesn’t seem to stop him. Plus, last year, he got married to Ciara.

10 Peyton

Let’s take it back to recent history, when a team with fans you seem to somehow encounter just about everywhere you go made it all the way to the Super Bowl – and won.

Yep, in 2016, QB Peyton Manning (wearing the now-retired jersey #18) and the Denver Broncos beat the Carolina Panthers with a score of 24-10 (ouch!).

It was a rush for two yards from running back C.J. Anderson that ended it all last year in Santa Clara, California.

Good old Manning played 18 seasons in the NFL, many of them with the Indianapolis Colts. He’s 41 now, and you may have noticed seeing him increasingly in humorous TV ad campaigns over the last many years.

This guy has lots of gems of quotes if you just look around for a minute, but maybe you’ll enjoy this one: “Pressure is something you feel when you don't know what the hell you're doing.”

9 Jordy

I’m personally a huge fan of this 6’3” 32-year-old who’s a (super clutch) wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers. I think part of his appeal, for me, is that he looks like he could just be some dude that went to your high school.

But then Jordy Nelson (who actually might inspire two names, either Jordy or Nelson, now that I think about it) can also do things like play in and win a Super Bowl, play in the Pro Bowl, earn the title of NFL Comeback Player of the Year (last year in 2016), be the NFL’s leader in receiving touchdowns (also in 2016), receive 63 touchdowns, and, well, much, much more.

The guy is awesome! To watch a pass sail perfectly (or even not so perfectly) from Packers QB Aaron Rodgers hands all the way down the field to his pal Jordy is for sure one of my favorite football things to see.

8 John

The year 1998 was an intense Super Bowl at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California.

Defending Super Bowl champs the Green Bay Packers (side note: Go, Pack, go!) were upset (boo!!!) by the Denver Broncos, 31-24.

Bronco John Elway made a move that’s become the stuff of sports legend to help his team secure the game. His action has been described as a “helicopter” play because of the way this athlete seemed to spin through air.

It was the third quarter that day on January 25, 1998, in Super Bowl XXXII. The score was tied 17-17, and the Broncos made quite a drive to take the lead. The most important play? When Elway scrambled to make a first down, dove to make it, and got hit by a couple of Green Bay defenders, spinning through the air.

7 Joe

The Washington Redskins beat the Miami Dolphins 27-17 back on January 30, 1983, at Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California.

Washington quarterback Joe Theismann made the handoff in this victory tale, so you may very well want to consider the cute, classic boy name Joe.

Then another “John” stepped in to run it, as he did 37 other times that game for a Super Bowl record of 38!

This Pro Football Hall of Famer, sometimes called “Big Rig,” ran over the defense (namely defensive back Don McNeal) and then hauled ass to the end zone to make the decisive score of Super Bowl XVII.

This guy actually carried the ball 166 yards in the course of the game.

So take your pick, either Joe or hard worker (and runner) John – either one would be paying homage to an epic game.

(Oh, and there’s also that superstar 49er of the ’80s, Joe Montana – and the legendary Joe Namath.)

6 Adam

Not so long ago (okay, I guess it was actually 15 years ago somehow…), on February 3, 2002, none other than the New England Patriots battled the St. Louis Rams for victory in Super Bowl XXXVI.

This was before the Patriots had become the winning team that they are today, and before a little name called Tom Brady was the stuff of football legend. The New England team, starting with this game, has had quite a successful many years, including – count ’em – six Super Bowl appearances and no less than four total wins.

And the first of those wins was on this day. A great upset was about to occur. A kicker by the name of Adam Vinatieri made a 48-yard field goal just as time ran out on the clock, winning the game by just those three little points for the Patriots.

In honor of a Patriot hero who grabbed the first Super Bowl win for the Patriots team, consider the name “Adam.”

5 Santonio

Yes, we’ve heard of plenty of Johns and the like today, but how about Santonio?

This Super Bowl MVP wide receiver, with the last name Holmes, has since been described as having some turbulent seasons, but things sure went right on February 1, 2009, during Super Bowl XLIII.

The Pittsburgh Steelers ended up prevailing over the Arizona Cardinals by just four points that day at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.

Holmes made an outstanding touchdown catch right along the sideline. In times like this, it pays to drag your feet, apparently. He was able to keep his toes inbounds to make the winning score before falling out of bounds, and the rest is history.

Less than a minute had been left in the game – so you can imagine (or perhaps recall) the excitement during this crucial football moment.

And the best part? He had four catches for 73 yards on this Steelers drive that won them the game.

4 Mike

Mike is not an uncommon name, and neither is Jones, but they’re both very good names, indeed, and a certain Mike Jones made Super Bowl history back at start of the millennium.

On January 30, 2000, the St. Luis Rams were at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta trying to beat out the Tennessee Titans for victory in Super Bowl XXXIV.

The NFL website describes this event at “the greatest tackle in Super Bowl history,” so yeah, it was kind of a big deal.

There wasn’t much time remaining – only five seconds, in fact. The titans were only 10 yards away from scoring, and Steve McNair found wide receiver Kevin Dyson, who caught the ball. It looked for a moment like he could run on through to the end zone, but that’s when the Rams’ Mike Jones stepped in. He made his tackle at the one-yard line, preventing his opponent from tying the game, and securing the big win, 23-16.

3 Malcolm

Have you noticed that the Patriots and the Seahawks seem to come up quite a lot when you’re talking about names that signify Super Bowl greatness? I personally think of all things Packers, myself, but you know that’s just how I roll.

Well, anyway, a rookie defensive back by the name of Malcom Butler made history on February 1, 2015, at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

The Patriots had secured a two-point lead just before the two-minute warning near the tail-end of the game. This gave Seattle ample time to do what they needed to do to steal the win, but oh, no, not on this day…

The Seahawks made an epic catch for a huge amount of yards, and it looked like they’d be able to succeed at another score. They were at the one-yard line, and QB Russell Wilson’s pass was picked off by Butler.

2 David

Both QB Eli Manning and receiver David Tyree are credited with a bit of luck and a lot of amazingness in this clutch pass that led to an unbelievable victory for the New York Giants over the New England Patriots on February 3, 2008, during Super Bowl XLII.

We’ve heard a lot about Patriots greatness in this article today, but how about that time Giant David Tyree caught a pass with the aid of his helmet?

It was a 32-yard completion, and the play has been described as being “quite unique” on both the passing and receiving end.

Manning somehow, some way managed to escape the defense, and then, appearing to act out of desperation, heaved the ball all the way down the center of the field.

David Tyree leapt up and managed to sort of use his helmet to help gain control of the pigskin, maintaining possession.

The best part? When the Giants won a few plays later, they snatched away the Patriots’ dream of a perfect season.

1 Dan

I suppose a girl can’t exactly write a list of Super Bowl-inspired baby names covering all sorts of football greatness without some serious mention of the San Francisco 49ers.

Dan Bunz (cue schoolgirl giggles now) might be the guy you choose to celebrate from this epic day, on January 24, 1982, which was the start of five Super Bowl wins for the California team in just 14 seasons. They earned themselves a little nickname during this era: the “Team of the ’80s.”

Though the Bengals were losing, they appeared to be gaining momentum and threatening to close a 13-point gap in the score. Cincinnati was at first and goal, but they just couldn’t seem to score. Suddenly it was third and goal, and QB Ken Anderson threw to running back Charles Alexander.

That’s where our pal Mr. Bunz came in. He made an intense tackle just outside of the end zone. The Bengals still went for it on fourth and goal – but no bust.

Sources: BleacherReport.com, NFL.com, Wikipedia.com, Google.com, CNN.com