757 in the Super Bowl: Booker T. Washington’s Cornell Gordon and Crestwood’s Charlie Stukes played in Super Bowl III

South Hampton Roads football players have appeared in 16 of the last 21 Super Bowls — including former Ocean Lakes standout Derrick Nnadi, who will play in his second consecutive Super Bowl with the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.

And of the 55 Super Bowls overall, South Hampton Roads players will have played in 28. Another 14 players from the Peninsula have played in the big game, beginning with former Warwick star Henry Jordan in the first Super Bowl with Green Bay.

This is the first of three Q&A sessions leading up to the big game from former players talking about their experiences in the Super Bowl.

New York Jets defensive back Cornell Gordon and Baltimore Colts defensive back Charlie Stukes became the first players from South Hampton Roads to play in a Super Bowl when the Jets beat the Colts in Super Bowl III in 1969. Gordon played for Booker T. Washington High in Norfolk. Stukes played at Crestwood High in Chesapeake.

The game, the first one to officially bear the trademark name “Super Bowl,” is remembered for quarterback Joe Namath guaranteeing a victory three days prior to the game. The Jets were an 18-point underdog, but their 16-7 victory is regarded as one of the greatest upsets in sports history.

Although Stukes lost in Super Bowl III, he returned with the Colts to beat the Dallas Cowboys 16-13 in Super Bowl V.

When you hear South Hampton Roads athletes will have played in 28 of 55 Super Bowls, what does that mean to you?

Gordon: “This area is very rich in talent. To be one of the first, that’s a big deal as far as history.”

Stukes: “It means that we were fortunate and blessed (more) than a whole lot of people who played and never got a chance to play in a Super Bowl.”

What do you remember most about that experience?

Gordon: “We were the first AFL team to beat an NFL team. The thing of it was, we knew we could play with them, and it showed. … When Joe Namath guaranteed that we would beat them, that put a little pressure on everybody. And everybody stepped up and we came out on top. We had a chance to prove to the world that we were good enough to play against the NFL. Baltimore was considered the best team in the world. But we did the job.”

Stukes: (Laughs) “We lost. It’s a situation that you play a whole football season. Then playoff games. Then you go to the Super Bowl. Then game day comes, and it hits you that you’re going to play in one of the biggest games that’s to be played during a football season, and that’s the Super Bowl. It’s just not a game. It’s the biggest game and it’s the championship game. It’s going to point out not necessarily who is the best team, but who was the best team on that day. And it’s something the winner never forgets and the loser never forgets.”

When you look at your ring, what does it mean to you?

Gordon: “It’s something that nobody can take away from you. It brings back memories of the game. And every time I see Joe Namath on TV, I flash back to when he was our quarterback. It’s something that you can always cherish, and I always have. And I’m the first person from (South Hampton Roads) to win a Super Bowl.”

Stukes: “It’s a highlight of a career to get to the Super Bowl and win it. Nobody likes to lose, but even if you lose, you still got the knowledge of knowing that you got there. You have a whole lot of folks that can say that. (Winning a Super Bowl) means that you reached the ultimate goal. But you also got to realize that you only reached the goal because of hard work. When we lost the first Super Bowl, we were determined that we were going to go back and win.”

Do you still keep in touch with your teammates?

Gordon: “The only time I talk to them is when we have our reunions. I used to talk to Randy Beverly. And Earl Christy used to come down here and we’d get together once in a while.”

Stukes: “I don’t like I used to. A lot of guys moved out of Baltimore, and it’s hard to keep up with them.”

Who are you rooting for on Sunday?

Gordon: “I usually root for the AFC teams ... but (Tampa Bay starting safety) Antoine Winfield Jr. is real close to my son and his family. So, I’m kind of in between. But I hope Winfield Jr. can get a Super Bowl ring.”

Stukes: “I guess I’ll be rooting for the Chiefs. It’s very seldom that people get there in back-to-back years and win.”

Larry Rubama, 757-575-6449, larry.rubama@pilotonline.com

From the 757 to the Super Bowl

Here’s a look at South Hampton Roads players who have played in a Super Bowl:

Super Bowl III (1969) – Charlie Stukes, Baltimore Colts/Crestwood; Cornell Gordon, New York Jets/Booker T. Washington

V (1971) – Charlie Stukes, Baltimore Colts/Crestwood

X (1976) – Herb Scott, Dallas Cowboys/Kellam

XII (1978) – Herb Scott, Dallas Cowboys/Kellam

XIII (1979) – Herb Scott, Dallas Cowboys/Kellam

XIV (1980) – Tom Graves, Pittsburgh Steelers/Lake Taylor

XVI (1982) – Amos Lawrence, San Francisco 49ers/Lake Taylor

XXV (1991) – Bruce Smith, Buffalo Bills/Booker T. Washington

XXVI (1992) – Bruce Smith, Buffalo Bills/Booker T. Washington

XXVII (1993) – Bruce Smith, Buffalo Bills/Booker T. Washington; Keith Goganious, Buffalo Bills/Green Run; Matt Darby, Buffalo Bills/Green Run

XXVIII (1994) – Bruce Smith, Buffalo Bills/Booker T. Washington; Keith Goganious, Buffalo Bills/Green Run; Matt Darby, Buffalo Bills/Green Run

XXX (1996) – Darren Perry, Pittsburgh Steelers/Deep Creek

XXXIV (2000) – Dre Bly, St. Louis/Western Branch

XXXVI (2002) – Dre Bly, St. Louis/Western Branch

XXXVIII (2004) – Jamin Elliott, New England/Churchland

XXXIX (2005) – Dexter Reid, New England/Granby

XLI (2007) – Dexter Reid, Indianapolis/Granby

XLII (2008) – Plaxico Burress, New York Giants/Green Run

XLIII (2009) – Levi Brown, Arizona/Granby

XLIV (2010) – Marvin Mitchell, New Orleans/Lake Taylor

XLVI (2012) – Ras-I Dowling, New England/Deep Creek

XLVIII (2014) – Kam Chancellor, Seattle/Maury; Percy Harvin, Seattle/Landstown; Vinston Painter, Denver/Maury

XLIX (2015) – Kam Chancellor, Seattle/Maury; Chandler Fenner, Seattle/Cox

L (2016) – Ras-I Dowling, Carolina/Deep Creek

LI (2017) – LaRoy Reynolds, Atlanta/Maury

LII (2018) – Deatrich Wise, Jr, New England/Suffolk

LIII (2019) – Deatrich Wise, Jr, New England/Suffolk

LIV (2020) – Derrick Nnadi, Kansas City/Ocean Lakes

LV (2021) – Derrick Nnadi, Kansas City/Ocean Lakes

Here’s a look at Peninsula area players who have played in a Super Bowl:

I (1967) – Henry Jordan, Green Bay Packers/Warwick.

II (1968) – Henry Jordan, Green Bay Packers/Warwick.

IX (1975) – Dwight White, Pittsburgh Steelers/born in Hampton.

X (1976) – Herb Scott, Dallas Cowboys/Kellam; Dwight White, Pittsburgh Steelers/born in Hampton.

XIII (1979) – Dwight White, Pittsburgh Steelers/born in Hampton.

XIV (1980) – Dwight White, Pittsburgh Steelers/born in Hampton.

XVII (1983) – Stuart Anderson, Washington/Mathews.

XVIII (1984) – Stuart Anderson, Washington/Mathews; Reggie Evans, Washington/York.

XX (1986) – Shaun Gayle, Chicago Bears/Bethel.

XXI (1987) – Lawrence Taylor, New York Giants/Lafayette.

XXV (1991) – Lawrence Taylor, New York Giants/Lafayette.

XXIX (1995) – Todd Kelly, San Francisco 49ers/Bethel.

XXXI (1997) – Chris Slade, New England Patriots/Tabb.

XXXVII (2003) – Terry Kirby, Oakland Raiders/Tabb.

XLI (2007) – Antoine Bethea, Indianapolis Colts/Denbigh

XLIII (2009) – Elton Brown, Arizona Cardinals/Heritage and Hampton High; Coach Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers/Denbigh.

XLIV (2010) – Antoine Bethea, Indianapolis Colts/Denbigh.

XLV (2011) – Coach Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers/Denbigh.

XLVI (2012) – Jerod Mayo, New England Patriots/Kecoughtan.

XLVII (2013) – Tyrod Taylor, Baltimore Ravens/Hampton High.

XLIX (2015) – Jerod Mayo, New England Patriots/Kecoughtan.