Led by Patrick Mahomes, Lone Star State has plethora of Super Bowl LIX connections
The biggest game of the NFL season is just around the corner and the Lone Star state will once again be well represented at the Super Bowl this season.
Both starting quarterbacks hail from Texas, Jalen Hurts from Houston, and Patrick Mahomes from Tyler.
Here are the other players and coaches with Texas connections in the Super Bowl.
Kansas City Chiefs
Clark Hunt, part owner, CEO of the Chiefs: Hunt lives in Dallas and is also chairman of Hunt Sports Group. His father, Lamar Hunt, who died in 2006, was a founding member of the American Football League and founded the Dallas Texans, which later moved to Kansas City and became the Chiefs.
Xavier Worthy, WR: A California native who attended Central East High School in Fresno, Worthy played his college football at Texas where he earned three All-Big 12 selections before being the No. 28 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Patrick Mahomes, QB: The star quarterback and three-time Super Bowl MVP is a Texas native born in Tyler who attended Whitehouse High School. Mahomes starred in football and baseball during high school before attending Texas Tech. he was drafted with the 10th selection by the Chiefs in the 2017 NFL Draft. With a win, Mahomes became the fourth quarterback in NFL history to win four Super Bowls.
Nick Bolton, LB: Played the hero in the Chiefs’ Super Bowl LVII victory over the Eagles, Bolton was born in Frisco and went to Lone Star High School.
Porter Ellett, assistant running backs coach: Received his master’s degree from Baylor University while serving as a graduate assistant. He joined the Chiefs staff in 2017. Ellet’s story of becoming an NFL coach despite the loss of his arm has garnered him the nickname, the left-hand man.
Dave Toub, assistant head coach & special teams coordinator: In his 12th season with the Chiefs, Toub earned two All-Wac selections with UTEP in the 1983-84 seasons.
Rashee Rice, WR: Drafted in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft, Rice was born in Philadelphia before attending Richland High School in North Richland Hills. Rice was a breakout star for the Chiefs last season but legal troubles and an injury to his lateral collateral ligament (LCL) in his right knee have sidelined him.
Louis Addazio, defensive quality control coach: Addazio spent the past two seasons as an offensive line assistant coach with Texas A&M before joining the Chiefs this season.
Nick Cassetta, assistant strength and conditioning coach: Cassetta is in his second year with the Chiefs as a coach and previously coached for the Rice Owls in the same capacity.
BJ Thompson, DL: Drafted by the Chiefs in the fifth round of the 2023 Draft, the sophomore defensive lineman played for Baylor (2017-18) and Stephen F. Austin (2019-22). He is on the reserve/non-football illness list.
Jared Wiley, TE: A Temple native, who played at Texas (2019-21) and TCU (2022-23), Wiley set the Big 12 record for single-game receiving yards by a tight end in 2023 with 178 yards in a win over Baylor. The Chiefs drafted Wiley in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Baylor Cupp, TE: Attended Texas A&M (2019-2021) and Texas Tech (2022-2023) after a standout high school career at Brock High School in Texas.
Tyquan Thornton, WR: Originally committed to Florida, Thorton switched his commitment to Baylor where he earned a second-team All-Big 12 selection in 2021. He was drafted in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Eric Scott, CB: Was drafted in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys who waived him in August.
Justin Reid, S: Drafted by the Houston Texans in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft and spent the first four years of his career there before joining Kansas City.
Charles Omenihu, DL: A Houston native who played his high school (Rowlett), college (Texas ) and professional football (Houston) in the Lone Star State prior to joining the Chiefs.
Samaje Perine, RB: Played at Hendrickson High School in Pflugerville before attending college at Oklahoma.
DeAndre Hopkins, WR: Drafted with the No. 27 pick in the 2013 NFL Draft by the Houston Texans, he made four All-Pro selections with the team from 2013-2019.
Peyton Hendershot, TE: Signed with the Cowboys after going undrafted in the 2022 NFL Draft and spent two years with Dallas.
Philadelphia Eagles
Jalen Hurts, QB: The starting quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles was born in Houston and attended Channelview High School before playing college football at Alabama and Oklahoma. A victory for Hurts would make him the first quarterback since John Elway to win a Super Bowl after losing his first appearance.
Grant Calcaterra, TE: A backup tight end for the Eagles, Calcaterra attended Oklahoma from 2017-19 before transferring to SMU for his last college football season.
Lane Johnson, OL: A Groveton native, the All-Pro tackle attended Kilgore College where he played quarterback before transferring to Oklahoma and switching to the offensive line.
Milton Williams, DL: Born in Crowley, Williams was drafted in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft after playing his college football at Louisiana Tech.
Tristin McCollum, CB: A Galveston native, played his college football at Sam Houston State and went undrafted in the 2022 NFL Draft before signing with the Eagles.
Braden Mann, P: Played high school football at Cy-Fair in Cypress before playing at Texas A&M for four seasons.
Moro Ojomo, DL: Born in Lagos, Nigeria, Ojomo moved to the United States where he attended Katy High School before playing college football at Texas.
Ainias Smith, WR: In his first NFL season after playing five at Texas A&M, Smith was born in Missouri and played his high school football at Dulles.
Le’Raven Clark, OL: A Bryan native, Clark attended Rockdale High School before heading to Texas Tech to start his college football career.
Danny Gray, WR: The SMU started his college career at Blinn after playing his high school football at James Madison in Dallas.
Ochaun Mathis, LB: Born in Manor, Mathis played four seasons for TCU before transferring to Nebraska for the last season of his college career.
KJ Henry, DE: Spent part of this season with the Cowboys before being released by the team and signed to the Eagles practice squad.
Gabe Hall, DT: Hall was signed as an undrafted free agent after the 2024 NFL Draft after playing his college football at Baylor. Hall played his high school football at Waller.
Jalyx Hunt, DL: Transferred to Houston Christan after three seasons at Cornell.
Lewis Cine, S: Born in Haiti, he moved to the United States at four years old and attended Trinity Christian School located in Cedar Hill.
Victor Fangio, defensive coordinator: The veteran coach previously served as the defensive coordinator for the Houston Texans (2002-05).
Kellen Moore, offensive coordinator: Moore played for the Cowboys from 2015 to 2017 before becoming a quarterback coach and offensive coordinator for Dallas.
Christian Parker, passing game coordinator/defensive backs coach: Was a defensive analyst at Texas A&M in 2018.
Kevin Patullo, pass game coordinator: Served as a senior offensive analyst at Texas A&M during the 2017 season.
Bobby King, inside linebackers coach: Played three years as a starter from 1998-200 at the University of Texas El-Paso.
Aaron Moorehead, wide receivers coach: Coached wide receivers at Texas A&M for three seasons
Doug Nussmeier, quarterbacks coach: Nussmeier spent five seasons on the Dallas Cowboys coaching staff, working with both quarterbacks and tight ends.
Joe Pannunzio, assistant special teams coordinator: Coached under Jim Walker at TCU for two seasons in the early 90’s.
Kyle Valero, offensive assistant: Had a nine-year stint with the Cowboys in several positions including coaching wide receivers and tight ends coach.
This story was originally published February 7, 2025 at 10:16 AM.
