The Super Bowl provides the players involved a chance to be part of indelible moments.

Lynn Swann’s acrobatic catches in Super Bowl X.

Marcus Allen streaking 74 yards through Washington’s defense in Super Bowl XVIII.

Tracy Porter’s pick-6 of a Peyton Manning pass late in Super Bowl XLIV.

But there is a flip side to competing in this country’s single biggest sporting event — fail to play well and the effort becomes almost as magnified as the great plays and performances.

Here are a few examples of what players in Sunday’s game will be trying to avoid.

Miami was looking to put the finishing touches on a victory in Super Bowl VII — and a perfect 17-0 season — when it sent out Garo Yepremian, a placekicker from Cyprus, to kick a 42-yard field goal that would have put the Dolphins up 17-0 over Washington. Instead, the attempt was blocked and the ball bounced back to Yepremian, who rolled right and tried to throw a pass. The ball slipped out of his hand and he batted it up in the air. Redskin CB Mike Bass snatched the ball and raced 49 yards for a touchdown with just over two minutes left in the game.

Fortunately for Yepremian, the Dolphins held on for a 14-7 victory. Otherwise, his gaffe would be remembered as much worse.

Hall of Famer Fran Tarkenton played poorly in three Super Bowls, but his showing in Super Bowl IX against Pittsburgh was the worst, by far. Minnesota’s quarterback completed just 11 of 26 passes for 102 yards and three interceptions. It all added up to a dreadful QB rating of 14.1 as the Steelers won their first Super Bowl, 16-6.

As bad as Tarkenton’s effort was, there was a starting quarterback in a Super Bowl that fared even worse. Denver’s Craig Morton attempted 15 passes against Dallas’ Doomsday Defense in Super Bowl XII, completing just four for 39 yards and throwing four interceptions in a 27-10 victory for the Cowboys.

Ironically, Morton had previously started a Super Bowl for the Cowboys, losing to the Baltimore Colts at the end of the 1970 season.

Morton’s NFL career lasted 18 years (1965-82) and he amassed nearly 28,000 passing yards and 183 touchdown passes. But he is best remembered by many fans for his inept play against Dallas.

Buffalo running back Thurman Thomas most certainly would have been named MVP of Super Bowl XXV against the Giants had Scott Norwood made his 47-yard field goal attempt in the closing seconds. Thomas totaled 190 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown on just 20 touches in a 20-19 loss.

The Bills reached the Super Bowl the next three years and Thomas accounted for just 69 combined rushing yards on 37 attempts as Buffalo lost all three games.

Oakland quarterback Rich Gannon threw five interceptions, including two that were returned for touchdowns, in a 48-21 loss to Tampa Bay in Super Bowl XXXVII.

The biggest beneficiary of Gannon’s horrible game was Bucs’ safety Dexter Jackson, who picked off two passes and was named MVP.

Derek Pyda is a staff writer for the Butler Eagle