With Mitchell Schwartz Out, Cal's Run of Super Bowl Starters Will End
Kansas City Chiefs offensive tackle Mitchell Schwartz remains on injured reserve and will not be available to play in Sunday's Super Bowl, which means Cal's impressive run of starters in the Super Bowl will end.
If Schwartz, who has been sidelined by a back injury most of the season, had been healthy enough to play against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl LV it would have marked the eighth straight year in which at least one former Cal player was a starter on offense or defense in the Super Bowl.
The most impressive was the 2015 Super Bowl, following the 2014 season, when both starting running backs were from Cal.
Let's count down the previous seven:
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2020 Super Bowl (2019 season): Chiefs 31, 49ers 20
Starters from Cal:
Chiefs: offensive tackle Mitchell Schwartz.
49ers: none
2019 Super Bowl (2018 season): Patriots 13, Rams 3
Starters from Cal:
Rams: quarterback Jared Goff
Patriots: none
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2018 Super Bowl (2017 season): Eagles 41, Patriots 33
Starters from Cal:
Eagles: linebacker Mychal Kendricks.
Patriots: none
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2017 Super Bowl (2016 season): Patriots 34, Falcons 28 (OT)
Starters from Cal:
Falcons: center Alex Mack
Patriots: none
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2016 Super Bowl (2015 season): Broncos 24, Panthers 10
Starters from Cal:
Broncos: running back C.J. Anderson
Panthers: none
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2015 Super Bowl (2014 season): Patriots 28, Seahawks 24
Starters from Cal:
Seahawks: running back Marshawn Lynch
Patriots: running back Shane Vereen
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2014 Super Bowl (2013 season): Seahawks 43, Broncos 8
Starters from Cal:
Seahawks: running back Marshawn Lynch
Broncos: none.
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No starters from Cal in 2013 Super Bowl won by the Ravers over the 49ers 34-31.
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So which of those starters from Cal had the best game in the Super Bowl?
Well, we know it wasn't Goff in the Rams' loss to the Patriots in 2019, but there are some tough choices.
Shane Vereen had just 13 rushing yards on four carries in the 2014 Super Bowl, but he had 11 receptions for 64 yards in that game. That's impressive, but not the best ex-Golden Bears showing.
C.J. Anderson's performance in the 2015 Super Bowl is a contender. He rushed for 90 yards and a touchdown and had four receptions for 10 yards in the Broncos' 14-point win. It was his 2-yard touchdown run with 3:08 left that clinched the victory for Denver.
A strong candidate would be Marshawn Lynch's performance in the Seahawks' loss to the Patriots in 2014. Lynch had 102 rushing yards and one reception for 15 yards in that game, although most observers believe he should have had one more carry. Instead the Seahawks called a pass play on second down from the 1-yard line with 26 seconds left, resulting in an interception that gave New England the four-point win.
But the best Super Bowl performance by a former Cal player was Mitchell Schwartz's game in last year's Super Bowl.
Pro Football Focus gave Schwartz the highest postseason grade of any NFL player in last year's playoffs.
It's a shame Schwartz can't play this year to keep Cal's streak of starters going.
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Cover photo of Eagles linebacker Mychal Kendricks is by Eric Hartline, USA TODAY Sports
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Follow Jake Curtis of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jakecurtis53
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