Georgia Southern Extra: Follow along as former Eagles play each other in NFL playoffs

The 2021 college football season has long been over for Georgia Southern, but a few former standout Eagles are still playing the game.

They're in the NFL, of course. This Sunday, Jan. 23, at 6:30 p.m. ET, former GS quarterback Jerick "Jet" McKinnon will line up at running back for the Kansas City Chiefs against the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Divisional Playoff round.

Across the field on the opponent's sideline, McKinnon could see two very familiar faces: Bills kicker Tyler Bass and running back Matt Breida — both GS graduates and former stars for the Eagles.

McKinnon, who signed as a free agent with the Chiefs this season after stints with the Minnesota Vikings and San Francisco 49ers, is coming off his best game with Kansas City.

He had a total of 12 carries for 63 yards, along with 13 catches for 107 yards and a touchdown over 13 regular-season contests. In the wild-card game against Pittsburgh last weekend, McKinnon started and rushed for a season-high 61 yards on 12 carries. He also contributed a season-best 81 yards and a touchdown on six pass receptions in a 42-21 win over the Steelers.

Bass, a sixth-round draft pick for the Bills in 2020, has been extremely consistent this season. In 17 regular-season games, he was 28 of 32 on field-goal attempts with a long kick of 57 yards, and made all 51 extra-point kicks.

Last Saturday in extreme conditions with temperatures in the single digits, the Irmo, S.C., native converted five PATs with two other attempts blocked as the Bills rolled past the New England Patriots 47-17.

Breida, who broke into the league as an undrafted free agent with the 49ers in 2017 and last season played for the Miami Dolphins, joined the Bills this season. In nine regular-season games played, he had 26 carries for 125 yards and one TD, and seven receptions for 72 yards and two scores.

It's a bit of Statesboro Northwest in Kansas City on Sunday, but the trio were not alone in bringing some Georgia Southern flavor to the NFL this season.

NFL veteran Younghoe Koo was stellar for the Atlanta Falcons, making 27 of 29 field-goal attempts with a long of 54 (twice) and all 30 extra-point attempts over 17 games.

Kindle Vildor, selected in the fifth round by Chicago in the 2020 draft (163rd overall), started 12 of his 17 games at cornerback for the Bears in 2021 and made 43 tackles with one sack and four pass break-ups.

Rookie defensive lineman Raymond Johnson III — signed as an undrafted free agent in May — played in 15 games for the New York Giants and made three tackles with one sack and one quarterback hurry.

According to the Sun Belt Conference, 49 SBC alumni — representing all 10 football programs — earned roster spots entering the 2021 season. Twenty advanced to the playoffs, with 16 moving on to the divisional round.

The SBC was represented on 24 of 32 rosters during the 2021 season and is represented on 11 of the14 playoff clubs and seven of the eight teams that advanced to the divisional round.

Women's tennis matches postponed

Georgia Southern's scheduled weekend women's tennis matches at Georgia Tech and home against Jacksonville State have been postponed, the athletic department announced Wednesday.

Both the Eagles' scheduled Saturday match in Atlanta against the Yellow Jackets and the Sunday home match vs. the Gamecocks will be made up later this season.

The Jacksonville State match will now take place at 2 p.m. March 8 at the Wallis Tennis Courts. Georgia Southern and Georgia Tech are still working toward a new date that will be announced later.

Georgia Southern will now open up the 2022 spring slate on Jan. 29, visiting Clemson for an 11 a.m. matchup with the Tigers.

For more coverage of Georgia Southern athletics, go to https://www.savannahnow.com/sports/college/georgia-southern/

Nathan Dominitz is the Sports Content Editor of the Savannah Morning News and savannahnow.com. Email him at ndominitz@savannahnow.com. Twitter: @NathanDominitz

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Georgia Southern football players NFL playoffs McKinnon Bass Breida