'Hail State, baby': Mississippi State legends Chris Jones, Willie Gay Jr. win Super Bowl

There is no doubt Chris Jones, the Mississippi State football legend and Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle, remembers his roots. Moments after the Chiefs took down the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl 57 on Sunday, Jones gave a shoutout to his hometown of Houston, Mississippi.

"This is remarkable," Jones said in a postgame interview with NFL Network. "You've got to enjoy these moments and embrace it. Houston, Mississippi, we're coming back for a celebration. Hail State, baby."

Jones was an overlooked prospect whose football career started at Nettleton High School. However, after transferring to Houston High School, Jones was discovered by MSU and eventually became the nation's No. 2 high school prospect.

MSU LEGEND:How Chris Jones' rise to 2023 Super Bowl began with Dan Mullen's secret Mississippi State recruitment

DARIUS SLAY:Mississippi State football has 'real, true dogs, not Georgia'

MSU FOOTBALL:How Zach Arnett meticulously assembled a staff rich with in-state ties

He has lived up to the hype in the NFL − finishing third in the NFL defensive player of the year race this season. He recorded three tackles in the Super Bowl.

Jones wasn't the lone player representing Mississippi in the title game, though.

Chiefs linebacker Willie Gay Jr. recorded eight tackles, including two tackles for loss, for the Chiefs. He played at Mississippi State (2017-2019) as a prospect out of Starkville High School.

Jones and Gay are bringing championship rings to the Magnolia State alongside Darius Harris − a backup linebacker who attended Middle Tennessee State and is a native of Horn Lake, Mississippi.

The state's presence in the Super Bowl comes with players on the losing side as well. A.J. Brown, a Starkville native and former Ole Miss wide receiver, scored a touchdown for the Eagles.

Eagles defensive tackle Fletcher Cox attended Yazoo City High School and played for Mississippi State. His cousin Kenneth Gainwell also attended Yazoo City and played at Memphis before being drafted by the Eagles in 2021.

They're accompanied by former MSU cornerback Darius Slay.

Former Southern Miss standout Quez Watkins caught a pass for 8 yards for the Eagles in the Super Bowl. The Golden Eagles are also represented on the Philadelphia practice squad with Cameron Tom. Davion Taylor, an alumnus of South Pike High School in Magnolia, Mississippi, accompanied Tom on the practice squad.

Nakobe Dean, a Horn Lake, Mississippi, native and former national champion at Georgia, is also on the Eagles roster. He's accompanied by Brandon, Mississippi, native Gardner Minshew.

Stefan Krajisnik is the Mississippi State beat writer for the Clarion Ledger. Contact him at skrajisnik@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter @skrajisnik3.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Mississippi State football's Chris Jones, Willie Gay Jr. win Super Bowl