PHOTOS: Super Bowl LVIII players with ties to Tennessee
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) – Although the Titans wrapped up their 25th season with a (6-11) record, sports fans in Tennessee can find some hope in knowing that several players with ties to the Volunteer State will make an appearance in Super Bowl LVIII.
Super Bowl LVIII is slated to take place in Las Vegas on Sunday, Feb. 11 at Allegiant Stadium. The stage will be set for the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers as they both compete for the Lombardi Trophy.
VIDEO: Flashback to the Titans’ 2000 championship parade
Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) announced it will have four Blue Raiders playing in the big game, which marks the fifth consecutive season with a Blue Raider on the roster!
Here’s a look at several people in the big game with ties to Tennessee:
San Francisco 49ers
Cornerback Charvarius Ward (MTSU)
San Francisco 49ers cornerback Charvarius Ward (7)) gestures during the NFC Championship NFL football game against the Detroit Lions in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Jan. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Scot Tucker) (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
It’ll be a sticky situation for MTSU alumni Charvarius Ward on Super Bowl weekend. The cornerback is with the San Francisco 49ers, but previously played for the Kansas City Chiefs. Ward played for the MTSU Blue Raiders during his junior and senior year. As a Blue Raider, Ward recorded recorded 74 total tackles, 21 passes defensed and two interceptions in 25 games, according to the 49ers.
Wide Receiver Jauan Jennings (Tennessee)
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings (15) catches a pass against Detroit Lions linebacker Jack Campbell (46) during the second half of the NFC Championship NFL football game in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Jan. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) October 1, 2016: A victorious Jauan Jennings (15) Tennessee Volunteers wide receiver celebrates after catching the game winning pass as time expired in a game between the Tennessee Volunteers (34) and the Georgia Bulldogs (31) (Photo by Jeffrey Vest/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Jauan Jennings is a Tennessee native through and through. Jennings attended Blackman High School and was honored as Mr. Football Division I Class A during his senior year, according to the 49ers. After his high school career, Jennings went on to play for the University of Tennessee and capped his career as one of the top receivers in the program’s history.
Running Back Jordan Mason (Gallatin High School)
Former Gallatin High School player Jordan Mason will represent the 49ers in the big game! After a successful high school career, Mason went on to play with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.
Kansas City Chiefs
Tight End Izaiah Gathings (MTSU)
KANSAS CITY, MO – AUGUST 26: Kansas City Chiefs tight end Izaiah Gathings (42) smiles before an NFL preseason game between the Cleveland Browns and Kansas City Chiefs on Aug 26, 2023 at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, MO. (Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) HONOLULU, HI – DECEMBER 24: Izaiah Gathings #2 of the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders runs the ball and puts the stiff-arm on Dezjhon Malone #32 of the San Diego State Aztecs during the first half of the EasyPost Hawaii Bowl at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex on December 24, 2022 in Honolulu, Hawaii. (Photo by Darryl Oumi/Getty Images)
Gathings, from North Carolina, spent part of his college career at Middle Tennessee State University. During his junior year, the university said Gathings hauled in a game-high 11 catches for 92 yards in a win over Colorado State, which equaled the eighth-most grabs in school history. He now plays as a Tight End for the Kansas City Chiefs.
Linebacker Darius Harris (MTSU)
A former MTSU player, and current Linebacker with the Chiefs, Darius Harris will see action this weekend in Super Bowl 58. During his senior year with the university, Harris ranked second on the team with a career-best 96 tackles.
Wide Receiver Richie James (MTSU)
After being drafted as a seventh-round pick by the San Francisco 49ers in 2018, MTSU alum Richie James will be playing for the opposing team on Super Bowl weekend. The sixth-year wide receiver began his first season with the Chiefs in 2023.
Offensive Lineman Trey Smith (Tennessee)
Kansas City Chiefs guard Trey Smith runs onto the field before an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) ATLANTA, GA – SEPTEMBER 04: Tennessee Volunteers offensive lineman Trey Smith (73) blocking Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets defensive back Lance Austin (17) during a game between the Tennessee Volunteers and Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on September 4, 2017, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Bryan Lynn/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Third-year offensive lineman Trey Smith is entering his third season with the Chiefs. The former Vol was drafted as a six-round pick by the Chiefs in the 2021 NFL Draft. The lineman had a brilliant career with the Volunteers and even returned in 2020 to participate in the Senior Bowl.
Offensive Tackle Wanya Morris (Tennessee)
Rookie tackle Wanya Morris spent the 2019-20 seasons at the University of Tennessee before he transferred to Oklahoma in 2021. The Kansas City Chiefs selected Morris as a third-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Referee
From playing in Super Bowl XXXIV to officiating Super Bowl LVIII, Terry Killens is making history this weekend! In fact, Killens is the first person to ever play and officiate a Super Bowl.
The biggest game of the year will air Sunday at 5:30 p.m. on CBS.
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