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Super Bowl LIX won’t have a John Stallworth or DeMarcus Ware

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One player from an Alabama college played in last season’s NFL championship game. Like Super Bowl LVIII, Super Bowl LIX is shaping up as a one-college game for the state.

The Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs will square off in Super Bowl LIX at 5:30 p.m. CST Sunday at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.

Five Alabama Crimson Tide alumni are on the Eagles’ active roster. The Chiefs do not have any players from Alabama colleges on their active roster.

But Kansas City does have a pair of possibilities beyond the active roster. Each NFL team is allowed to elevate two players from its practice squad to active status for each game, including the Super Bowl. The Chiefs have two Samford alumni on their practice squad – quarterback Chris Oladokun and wide receiver Montrell Washington.

Samford has had three alumni play in the Super Bowl, including cornerback James Bradberry, who is on the Philadelphia roster but has spent the entire season on injured reserve.

It appears unlikely either Oladokun or Washington will be elevated. Each has appeared in one game this season. Washington was on the field for 10 snaps. Oladokun was on the field for five snaps.

While Alabama has had 49 alumni play in the Super Bowl and Auburn has had 40, 29 players from other Alabama colleges have played in the Super Bowl, including the first of those 118 players to score a touchdown in the NFL’s big game. Former Alabama A&M star John Stallworth caught three touchdown passes while earning four Super Bowl rings with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1970s.

The 29 players appeared in 46 Super Bowls, with San Francisco 49ers cornerback Darrell Luter Jr. the latest Super Bowl player from Alabama’s non-SEC colleges with 22 special-teams plays in a 25-22 overtime loss to Kansas City on Feb. 11, 2024.

Luter was the second South Alabama player to appear in the Super Bowl.

The former players from Alabama’s colleges other than Alabama and Auburn who have played in the Super Bowl include:

ALABAMA A&M

Howard Ballard, an offensive tackle, started in four Super Bowls, all lost by the Buffalo Bills – 20-19 to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XXV on Jan. 27, 1991; 37-24 to the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl XXVI on Jan. 26, 1992; 52-17 to the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl XXVII on Jan. 31, 1993; and 30-13 to the Cowboys in Super Bowl XXVIII on Jan. 30, 1994.

Mike Hegman, a linebacker, made three tackles and broke up a pass in the Dallas Cowboys’ 27-10 victory over the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XII on Jan. 15, 1978; and played in the Cowboys’ 35-21 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XIII on Jan. 21, 1979.

Robert Mathis, a defensive end, started and made two tackles in the Indianapolis Colts’ 29-17 victory over the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XLI on Feb. 4, 2007; and started in the Colts’ 31-17 loss to the New Orleans Saints in Super Bowl XLIV on Feb. 7, 2010.

John Stallworth, a wide receiver, played in four Super Bowl victories for the Pittsburgh Steelers, catching 11 passes for 268 yards and three touchdowns as Pittsburgh beat the Minnesota Vikings 16-6 in Super Bowl IX on Jan. 12, 1975; the Dallas Cowboys 21-17 in Super Bowl X on Jan. 18, 1976; the Cowboys 35-31 in Super Bowl XIII on Jan. 21, 1979; and the Los Angeles Rams 31-19 in Super Bowl XIV on Jan. 20, 1980.

ALABAMA STATE

Tarvaris Jackson, a quarterback, came in to take the final snaps and throw an incomplete pass in the Seattle Seahawks’ 43-8 victory over the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII on Feb. 2, 2014. Jackson also was on the Seahawks when they lost to the New England Patriots 28-24 in Super Bowl XLIX on Feb. 1, 2015, but he did not play in the game.

JACKSONVILLE STATE

Eric Davis, a cornerback, started, made six tackles, intercepted a pass and broke up two more in the 49ers’ 49-26 victory over the San Diego Chargers in Super Bowl XXIX on Jan. 29, 1995.

Keith McKeller, a tight end, caught six passes for 53 yards in four Super Bowl losses by the Buffalo Bills – 20-19 to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XXV on Jan. 27, 1991; 37-24 to the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl XXVI on Jan. 26, 1992; 52-17 to the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl XXVII on Jan. 31, 1993; and 30-13 to the Cowboys in Super Bowl XXVIII on Jan. 30, 1994.

NORTH ALABAMA

Lewis Billups, a cornerback, started in the Cincinnati Bengals’ 20-16 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XXIII on Jan. 22, 1989. He made five tackles and broke up a pass.

SAMFORD

James Bradberry, a cornerback, played all 55 defensive snaps in the Philadelphia Eagles’ 38-35 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII on Feb. 12, 2023. Bradberry made five tackles in the game.

Cortland Finnegan, a cornerback, played his final NFL game in Super Bowl 50 in the Carolina Panthers’ 24-10 loss to the Denver Broncos on Feb. 7, 2016. He made four tackles.

Jaquiski Tartt, a safety, played all 79 of the San Francisco 49ers’ defensive snaps in a 31-20 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV on Feb. 2, 2020. Tartt made five tackles, including a sack.

SOUTH ALABAMA

Gerald Everett, a tight end, played 44 offensive snaps in the Los Angeles Rams’ 13-3 loss to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LIII on Feb. 3, 2019, but was thrown to only once and did not have a reception. Everett started his college career at UAB and transferred when the Blazers shuttered their program.

Darrell Luter Jr., a cornerback, had 22 special-teams plays in the San Francisco 49ers’ 25-22 loss to the Kanas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII on Feb. 11, 2024. While blocking on the punt-return team, Luter was hit by Kansas City’s punt. When San Francisco punt returner Ray Ray McCloud couldn’t handle the bouncing football cleanly, the Chiefs recovered at the 49ers 16-yard line and scored a touchdown on the next snap to take a 13-10 lead with 2:28 left in the third quarter.

TROY

Mario Addison, a defensive end, made a special-teams tackle in the Carolina Panthers’ 24-10 loss to the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 50 on Feb. 7, 2016.

Kerry Jenkins, a guard, started in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ 48-21 victory over the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl XXXVII on Jan. 26, 2003.

Jerrel Jernigan, a wide receiver, returned three kickoffs for 71 yards in the New York Giants’ 21-17 victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI on Feb. 5, 2012.

Virgil Seay, a wide receiver, played in the Washington Redskins’ 27-17 victory over the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl XVII on Jan. 30, 1983.

Lawrence Tynes, a place-kicker, made a 32-yard field goal and two extra points in the New York Giants’ 17-14 victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII on Feb. 3, 2008, and made field goals of 33 and 38 yards and an extra point in the Giants’ 21-17 victory over the Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI on Feb. 5, 2012.

Osi Umenyiora, a defensive end, made four tackles and recovered a fumble in the New York Giants’ 17-14 victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII on Feb. 3, 2008, and had a tackle and two quarterback hits in the Giants’ 21-17 victory over the Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI on Feb. 5, 2012.

DeMarcus Ware, an outside linebacker, had five tackles, two sacks and four quarterback hits in the Denver Broncos’ 24-10 victory over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50 on Feb. 7, 2016.

Steve McLendon, a defensive tackle, had one tackle and registered a quarterback hit in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ 31-9 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV on Feb. 7, 2021.

TUSKEGEE

Anthony Mitchell, a safety, played in the Baltimore Ravens’ 34-7 victory over the New York Giants in Super Bowl XXXV on Jan. 28, 2001.

Ken Woodard, a linebacker, made 11 tackles, including a sack, in the Denver Broncos’ 39-20 loss to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XXI on Jan. 25, 1987.

UAB

Josh Evans, a defensive tackle, made three tackles in the Tennessee Titans’ 23-16 loss to the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXIV on Jan. 30, 2000.

Dainon Sidney, a cornerback, made five tackles in the Tennessee Titans’ 23-16 loss to the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXIV on Jan. 30, 2000.

Joe Webb, a quarterback, had a 24-yard kickoff return in the Carolina Panthers’ 24-10 loss to the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 50 on Feb. 7, 2016.

Darious Williams, a cornerback, led Los Angeles with a career-high eight tackles and broke up a pass in the Rams’ 23-20 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI on Feb. 13, 2022.

WEST ALABAMA

Malcolm Butler, a cornerback, took the field as the New England Patriots’ third cornerback in the second half and sealed a 28-24 victory over Seattle in Super Bowl XLIX on Feb. 1, 2015, by intercepting a pass at the goal line on the Seahawks’ final snap of the game. Butler played every defensive snap and made two tackles in the Patriots’ 34-28 overtime victory against the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI on Feb. 5, 2017. In the Patriots’ 41-33 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LII on Feb. 4, 2018, Butler’s action was limited to one special-teams play after he took more defensive snaps than any other New England player during the regular season.

Tyreek Hill, a wide receiver, caught nine passes for 105 yards in the Kansas City Chiefs’ 31-20 victory over the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LIV on Feb. 2, 2020. Hill’s receptions included a 44-yard reception on a third-and-15 pass that advanced Kansas City to the San Francisco 21-yard line. Four snaps later, the Chiefs scored a touchdown that cut the 49ers’ lead to 20-17 with 6:13 left to play, the first of three straight TD series for Kansas City. In Super Bowl LV on Feb. 7, 2021, Hill caught seven passes for 73 yards and have a 5-yard rushing attempt in the Chiefs’ 31-9 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

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