Florida Gators Well Represented in NFC and AFC Championship Games

Four teams remain standing in the hunt for a Super Bowl victory, and each team has its share of Gators alumni
The Gators will see an alum win the Super Bowl no matter what
The Gators will see an alum win the Super Bowl no matter what / Mark Konezny-Imagn Images
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The Florida Gators have some almighty representation in the NFL playoff picture heading into Championship Weekend.

Of the four remaining teams, at least one pair of shoes is filled by a Florida Gator.

This statistic echoes a similar one counted around the same time last year; the Gators held the record for the most former players remaining on active rosters heading into the divisional round of 2024.

Buffalo Bills

The ending of the exhilarating snow extravaganza that was the AFC divisional round match-up between the Bills and the Ravens left hearts in the mouths of both sets of fans.

In the end, a two-point conversion to tie the game was infamously dropped by Ravens tight end Mark Andrews, stamping Buffalo’s spot in an AFC Championship game at the dreaded Arrowhead stadium against a 15-2 Kansas City Chiefs squad.

But we’re not here to discuss Taylor Swift or what pomade Travis Kelce uses to slick back his hair; we’re here to discuss Florida Gator representation.

The Bills currently have three Gators on their roster: O’Cyrus Torrence (offensive lineman), Kaiir Elam (cornerback), and Richard Gouraige (offensive lineman), who currently resides on the Bills practice squad.

Torrence was one of the many Louisiana-Lafayette plucks from Billy Napier after the head coach made his move to the swamp.

He’s been a consistent performer for Buffalo’s squad, playing 1011 snaps for the Bills in 2024 and not giving up a single sack in that timeframe, according to Pro Football Focus (PFF).

While Torrence has seen consistent snaps in the trenches for the Bills postseason run, Elam has been on IR since November 2 with an ankle injury. This leaves a glaring hole in the Bills' secondary against a pass-heavy Chiefs opposition. Speaking of which…

Kansas City Chiefs

It’s becoming odd whenever a modern-day AFC Championship game doesn’t end up in the blistering cold of Kansas City, MO. It happened last year in Baltimore, granted the Chiefs still got the better of Jackson and Co.

This year, the AFC Championship game returns to its surrogate home at Arrowhead Stadium for a highly anticipated match-up against the talented Buffalo Bills.

Regarding gators for the Chiefs, there are two: Jawaan Taylor (offensive lineman) and D.J. Humphries (offensive lineman), who is on the practice squad.

While Humphries hasn’t seen much on-field action, Taylor has been the Chiefs' starting right tackle all season.

According to PFF, Taylor has maintained an above-average pass block grade of 70.8 this season, which ranks 48th among the league's 141 tackles.

Furthermore, the six-season veteran allowed just one hurry and one pressure against the Houston Texans in the divisional round match-up, allowing Mahomes to breathe in the pocket.

Washington Commanders

For the Washington Commanders to go from a 4-13 circus act in 2023 to reach the NFC Championship after outsourcing a borderline unstoppable Lions squad in their 2024 divisional match-up is insane. It speaks volumes to the job Dan Quinn has done, as well as first-year quarterback Jayden Daniels.

But let’s not forget about the opposite side of football, and we should give some flowers to Linebacker Dante Fowler Jr, the sole Gator on the Commanders roster.

The former first-round pick is enjoying a very successful campaign. He scored a fitting 10.5 sacks in his 10th regular season, the second most in his career.

Fowler is thriving in his first season in Washington, and he looks to make an impact against a high-octane offense in Philly.

Philadelphia Eagles

Perhaps surprisingly, the Eagles are staying home in Philadelphia following their 28-22 win over the LA Rams on Sunday to host their divisional rivals, the Washington Commanders.

The last time these two met in Philadelphia was on a Thursday night in November, when the Eagles got the better of the Commanders, 26-18.

However, a Week 16 re-match in Washington went the way of the Commanders, setting up the ultimate NFC Championship tie-breaker.

Two Gators call Philadelphia home: C.J. Gardner-Johnson (cornerback) and Fred Johnson (offensive tackle).

Gardner-Johnson blossomed into an incredibly reliable cornerback in his second stint with the Eagles. The fifth-year man out of Gainesville tied his career-high of six interceptions in 2024, which ranks as the third most out of any player in the league, according to PFF.

Fred Johnson filled in for left tackle Jordan Mailata after he was placed on IR with a knee injury in October. When called upon, he was a sturdy OL, playing 480 snaps for the Eagles. Johnson’s playing time has been condensed since Mailata’s return in the playoffs.

The overarching message is simple: whether the rest of the country wants it or not, a Florida Gator will get a ring this year. 


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