The Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs face off in Super Bowl LVII Sunday, and Mississippi State University will be well-represented in the biggest sporting event of the year.
The Super Bowl is the most-watched sporting event on the calendar, and the two weeks leading up to the game are home to great storylines getting remarkable coverage.
This year, a storyline that may not get the national attention it deserves is the former Mississippi State Bulldogs playing in the big game. Defensive tackle Chris Jones, linebacker Willie Gay Jr., cornerback Darius Slay and defensive tackle Fletcher Cox are all headed to Glendale, Arizona, for Super Bowl LVII.
Four of the game’s biggest defensive stars once called Starkville, Mississippi, home. Of the four players, Slay is the only one who has not played in a Super Bowl before. Slay was drafted in the second round of the 2013 NFL draft and spent seven years playing for the Detroit Lions before joining the Eagles.
Slay has been selected to the NFL Pro Bowl five times and has been a First Team All-Pro once in his career. Slay is regarded as one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL and was voted by his peers to the inaugural Players’ All-Pro Team. Slay has had a long road to finally reach a Super Bowl and will have a chance to cement his legacy on Sunday.
Defensive tackle Cox will join Slay in trying to slow down Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Cox is not a stranger to the Super Bowl stage, as he won the 2017 Super Bowl with the Eagles. Cox has started every game for the Eagles this year in his 11th season. The former first-round pick has eight sacks in those games, including one in the Eagles’ playoff matchup against the New York Giants.
Slay and Cox might be two of the most important players on the Eagles’ defense. However, the Chiefs have two superstar Bulldogs of their own. Gay and Jones have both played in a Super Bowl before. Gay suffered a loss in his only appearance with the Chiefs in Super Bowl LV. Jones also lost in that game, but he won a Super Bowl the previous year when the Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers.
Gay has been a stable piece for the Chiefs’ defense since he was drafted in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Gay has been an impact player every time he sets foot on the gridiron, ever since his days in the Maroon and White. Gay will be looking to win his first Super Bowl just like his opponent and former Bulldog Slay.
Perhaps the most important player on the Chiefs, outside of Mahomes, is Jones. Jones was a second-round draft pick when he left Mississippi State and has been one of the league’s best ever since. Jones has been selected to four Pro Bowls and was a First Team All-Pro in 2022. Jones is a defensive player of the year candidate and can wreak havoc on any game he plays in.
Regardless of which side wins the game, four former Bulldogs will be able to celebrate achieving the ultimate goal in the sport.
