Alabama will not tie its Super Bowl player record in Sunday’s game
The most Alabama alumni who have played in a Super Bowl is five. The Philadelphia Eagles have five former Crimson Tide players on their 53-man roster entering Sunday’s Super Bowl LIX meeting with the Kansas City Chiefs.
But the program will not tie its record for Super Bowl participation on Sunday. Cornerback Eli Ricks is among the seven eligible players declared as game-day inactives by the Eagles 90 minutes before the kickoff for Super Bowl LIX.
Although each NFL team has a 53-player active roster, only 48 can dress for the game (as long as eight of them are offensive lineman; otherwise, 47 can dress).
Philadelphia is dressing 48 players for Sunday’s game. They have seven inactive players instead of five because both practice-squad members elevated by the Eagles on Saturday will dress for Super Bowl LIX.
Each NFL team can elevate two practice-squad members to active status for each game. Philadelphia did that for fullback Khari Blasingame from Buckhorn High School and linebacker Nicholas Morrow from Huntsville High School.
But another former Alabama high school standout joined Ricks among the Eagles’ inactive players, with defensive end Bryce Huff from St. Paul’s Episcopal out with the return of defensive end Brandon Graham from injured reserve on Saturday.
Huff played in 12 regular-season games, with six starts, and two playoff games this season. He missed five games because of a torn ligament in his left wrist.
Ricks played in seven regular-season games in 2024. He did not play in the postseason.
RELATED: ALABAMA’S ALL-TIME SUPER BOWL ROSTER
Five Alabama alumni played in the Super Bowls to cap the 1982 and 1984 seasons.
In the Washington Redskins’ 27-17 victory over the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl XVII, defensive tackle Bob Baumhower, cornerback Don McNeal, running back Tony Nathan and center Dwight Stephenson played for Miami and running back Wilbur Jackson played for Washington.
For Super Bowl XIX, the four Miami players returned and were joined by running back Joe Carter when the Dolphins lost 38-16 to the San Francisco 49ers.
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The Crimson Tide alumni eligible to play on Sunday are all on the Eagles – guard Landon Dickerson, quarterback Jalen Hurts, wide receiver DeVonta Smith and offensive lineman Tyler Steen.
One other player from an Alabama high school or college is eligible to play in Super Bowl LIX — Philadelphia safety Reed Blankenship from West Limestone High School.
The Eagles and Chiefs kick off in Super Bowl LIX at 5:30 p.m. CST Sunday at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.
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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.