What to know about South Dakota native Dallas Goedert, now Super Bowl-bound with Eagles

Former South Dakota State tight end and South Dakota native Dallas Goedert is Super Bowl-bound.

Goedert, who played his high school ball in Britton, a northeastern South Dakota city in Marshall County, was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft. The Eagles traded up to get Goedert ahead of their rival Dallas Cowboys, who were also in need of a talented tight end with the retirement of Jason Witten.

Here's what to know about Goedert ahead of his first-ever appearance in the biggest game in professional football.

Goedert was a walk-on at South Dakota State

In 2021, Goedert returned to his home state for a football clinic at Northern State University with fellow South Dakotans in the NFL.

“It’s really cool. There’s only a handful of people that are from South Dakota that went to a South Dakota school that are in the league,” Goedert said at the time. “So just to be able to meet them and build a bond with them, and hopefully be able to see them more and more down the road, it’s really cool. It just shows that South Dakota has some great athletes too.”

Goedert remained grateful for the faith his coaches at South Dakota State put in him despite flying under the radar during recruiting.

“I was blessed with a lot of perfect situations that I was in. I wasn’t sure if I was going to play college basketball or college football,” Goedert said. “[SDSU head coach] John Stiegelmeier talked to me and I’m like, Yeah, I’m going to walk on there, and then just each year, I kept developing and I had great coaches there that led me down the right path.”

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Dallas Goedert is a rising star as the Eagle's tight end

This won't come as much of a surprise to Jackrabbits fans, who watched the walk-on rack up 198 receptions for 2,988 yards and 21 touchdowns in his collegiate career and be named a first-team FCS All-American twice.

Though a shoulder injury sidelined Goedert for five games in the 2022 season, he was on pace to be one of the Eagles' top receivers in a group of pass catchers including A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. Goedert in 12 games had 55 catches for 702 yards and three touchdowns, and it's no fluke. Goedert told Fox Sports this year that he emphasizes the passing game in his preparation. His skill at running routes, specifically, has made him a valuable threat for Philadelphia.

"You don't have to throw him the ball down the field 30 yards," Eagles head coach Nick Siriani told Fox. "You could throw it to him at the line of scrimmage, 5 yards, 15 yards, and he's going to be able to make a big play."

This was perhaps most clear in the divisional round of the playoffs, when Goedert scored a touchdown against the New York Giants off a 16-yard pass from quarterback Jalen Hurts. Goedert caught the ball with one hand before bulldozing through multiple defenders into the endzone. The Eagles, buoyed by the play, never looked back.

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Philadelphia's Dallas Goedert vs. Kansas City's Travis Kelce a marquee matchup in Super Bowl

Despite his impressive stats in 2022, Goedert won't be the tight end most eyes will be on in the Super Bowl. Kansas City's Travis Kelce is the cream of the crop of tight ends, and he has the numbers to prove it.

Kelce amassed 110 catches for 1,338 yards and 12 touchdowns this season, an astounding number that isn't quite as surprising when put into context. Kelce, long a stud talent for the Super Bowl regular-Chiefs, has become quarterback Patrick Mahomes' top target with the departure of wide receiver Tyreek Hill before the season's start.

In many ways, however, Kelce has set the blueprint for Goedert to follow. Kelce has built his game on reliable hands and the ability to create yards after catches, a skillset that more and more tight ends like Goedert across the league are having to improve as NFL offenses look to become more dynamic.

And while Goedert is not yet named among the leagues top tight ends with names like George Kittle and Mark Andrews, only he and Kelce can say they're still playing for something big in the playoffs.

Dallas Goedert's NFL career stats, number and height

Dallas Goedert wears the number 88 with the Eagles. He is billed at 6'5 and weighs 256 pounds.

Gabriela Velasquez is a planner and audience engagement specialist based out of Columbia, Mo. You can find her on Twitter @not_gabriela.

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: What to know about Philadelphia Eagles' Dallas Goedert, Ex-SDSU player