The San Francisco 49ers retook the lead three times after rookie cornerback Darrell Luter Jr. got charged with a fumble with 2:32 left in the third quarter of Super Bowl LVIII on Sunday. But the former South Alabama standout said he can’t help but feel responsible for the 49ers’ 25-22 overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the NFL championship game for the 2023 season.

“It’s a sucky feeling,” Luter told the San Francisco Chronicle’s Eric Branch. “It kind of makes you feel like it was all on you. …

“It’s still kind of getting to me. It’s probably something I’ll be thinking about for the (next) couple days. I’ll eventually get over it.”

READ ERIC BRANCH’S “49ERS’ SECOND-HALF SPECIAL-TEAMS MISCUES PROVE COSTLY IN SUPER BOWL LOSS TO CHIEFS”

Kansas City’s fourth possession of the second half was its third of the third quarter that failed to last more than three plays. On third-and-2 at the Chiefs 35-yard line, Tommy Townsend punted for Kansas City.

The football came down 40 yards past the line of scrimmage but short of San Francisco punt returner Ray-Ray McCloud, who appeared to point at the football or his blockers.

The falling football glanced off Luter’s heel and skittered away. McCloud tried to pick up the bouncing ball, which now could be claimed by either team, but couldn’t corral it on the run. That allowed Kansas City cornerback Jaylen Watson to fall on the football at the 49ers 16-yard line.

“I was just blocking my guy,” Luter said. “I didn’t hear a ‘Peter’ call or anything like that. I can’t really look at the returner in a position like that anyway because we’re on punt return. At the end of the day, it’s just to block your man and not allow him to make the play and get to the returner.”

“Peter” is an audible call used by punt returners for San Francisco to warn blockers to vacate the area to avoid being accidentally nicked by a short punt.

Luter was charged with a muff, which goes into the books as a fumble even though he barely had contact with the ball.

“I saw the ball bounce, and it hit off Luter,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said when asked about the play after the game, “and so yelling ‘Peter,’ I don’t know, I can’t hear it out there, so it looks like he didn’t hear it either. The ball took a bad bounce and got him.”

It took the Chiefs only one snap to capitalize on the break. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Marquez Valdez-Scantling as Kansas City took a 13-10 lead with 2:38 left in the third quarter.

San Francisco responded with a 12-play, 75-yard touchdown drive to retake the lead with 11:22 remaining in the fourth quarter. But linebacker Leo Chenal blocked kicker Jake Moody’s extra point, leaving the 49ers’ lead at 16-13.

“Those are some tough plays,” Shanahan said of the muff and the blocked PAT.

Kansas City’s Harrison Butker kicked two field goals and Moody one in the time left in the fourth quarter. Moody kicked another field goal to open the overtime scoring. But Kansas City came back with Mahomes’ 3-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Mecole Hardman with three seconds remaining in the extra period to win.

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On Sunday, Luter was on the field for 22 special-teams plays as he became the second South Alabama alumnus to appear in the Super Bowl. Tight end Gerald Everett was the first in the Los Angeles Rams’ 13-3 loss to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII on Feb. 3, 2019.

A fifth-round selection in the 2023 NFL Draft, Luter didn’t make his debut with San Francisco until Nov. 19 in a 27-14 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneer and didn’t play his first defensive snap until Dec. 17 in a 45-29 victory over the Arizona Cardinals. A knee issue kept the cornerback from practicing until Nov. 6, and Luter spent the first 10 weeks of the season on the physically-unable-to-perform list.

Luter played in 10 of the 49ers’ 11 games after being activated, including the three playoff contests. He got on the field for 153 special-teams plays and 64 defensive snaps.

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.