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DeMarcus Ware helped make things tough for Cam Newton in Super Bowl 50

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The Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles will meet in the 59th Super Bowl on Sunday. Counting down to the NFL title game, AL.com is spotlighting a Super Bowl hero with Alabama football roots daily through Sunday. The series started with Bart Starr on Monday, looked at Joe Namath on Tuesday, John Stallworth on Wednesday, Justin Tuck on Thursday and Malcolm Butler on Friday and continues with Auburn High School and Troy alumnus DeMarcus Ware:

In the nine seasons after the Dallas Cowboys used the 11th selection in the 2005 NFL Draft on DeMarcus Ware, the former Troy star had become the franchise’s career leader in sacks, reached seven Pro Bowls and received first-team All-Pro recognition four times.

But with Ware needing offseason elbow surgery and coming off a career-low six sacks in 2013, Dallas released the pass-rusher on March 11, 2014, to save $7.4 million off its 2014 salary cap.

“A decision like this, involving a man who is a cornerstone player in the history of your franchise, is extremely difficult,” said Jerry Jones, the Cowboys’ owner and general manager, at the time.

While in Dallas, Ware appeared in four postseason games.

As an NFL free agent, he chose to sign with the Denver Broncos, who were coming off a loss in Super Bowl XLVIII. The move paid off with a Super Bowl ring for Ware, but not that season.

Ware turned in a Pro Bowl campaign for Denver in 2014, but the Broncos lost in their playoff opener after posting a 12-4 regular-season record.

Denver went 12-4 again in 2015, and this time, the Broncos reached Super Bowl 50, where they beat the Carolina Panthers 24-10 on Feb. 7, 2016. Ware made five tackles, recorded two sacks and registered four quarterback hits.

In Super Bowl 50, Denver faced quarterback Cam Newton, who won the NFL MVP Award for the 2015 season. The former Auburn All-American led the Panthers to a 15-1 regular-season record as he threw for 35 touchdowns and ran for 10 more scores.

The Broncos made it tough for Newton with seven sacks and 13 quarterback hits, which produced a pair of lost fumbles. One was recovered by Denver for the game’s first touchdown.

Ware sacked Newton for a 10-yard loss on the final play of the first half – a second-and-10 snap at the Denver 45-yard line – as the Broncos went into the locker room leading 13-7.

Ware’s second sack came when he dropped Newton for a 14-yard loss on a second-and-10 snap at the Carolina 20-yard line with 3:02 to play.

Ware played in one more season for the Broncos before retiring. He entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2023.

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.