Four Former Florida Gators Represented in the Upcoming Super Bowl

It’s simple math. As the four remaining NFL teams scaled the playoff ladder to championship week heaven, they each contained a former Florida Gators alumnus on their roster sheet.

It doesn’t matter what kind of irrational argument you want to try and spit out; a Florida Gator will walk away in February with a Super Bowl ring.

Eight gators remained in the hunt before championship week, but that number split directly in half following the victories of the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles.

It should be noted that thanks to the likes of Kadarius Toney and Tommy Townsend, a former Gator has been on every Super Bowl roster sheet for the Kansas City Chiefs in this historic three-season Super Bowl run. No team has ever made it to three straight Super Bowl appearances, meaning Mahomes and company have already made history and could go on to cement that legacy further with a win.

As both powerhouse franchises head south to the boot-shaped state of Louisiana, the big stage is set for these four gators to show out in New Orleans on February 9.

Jawaan Taylor, OT, Kansas City Chiefs

If the Chiefs want to obstruct an Eagles' defensive line that could see fountain-of-youth Brandon Graham return from IR, they will need their offensive line at full capacity.

After going into the AFC Championship game with an injury designation, the Chiefs were running a risk of starting Jawaan Taylor.

During Taylor’s three-season tenure as the right guard for the Gators from 2016 to 2018, he never missed a game, starting all but one of them. Taylor was part of a 2018 Gator team that allowed just 18 sacks over the course of the entire season, ranking 20th in the FBS. Following the season, Taylor was awarded spots on Second Team All-SEC and SEC Academic Honor Roll.

The big man declared for the NFL draft after his successful 2018 season and didn’t have to travel far after being selected 35th overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Taylor spent four seasons in Duval before signing an enticing four-year, $80 million contract with Kansas City before the start of the 2023 season.

Since his arrival, Taylor’s performance has been relatively inconsistent. At the end of the 2023 regular season, he ranked first overall in penalties amongst the entire league, accounting for a brutal 17 penalties that cost the team 115 penalty yards. He didn’t fare much better in 2024, tying 2nd overall with 14 penalties alongside Dallas Cowboys OT Tyler Guyton.

Although he’s been at the center of controversy regarding his penalty accumulation, Taylor was the starting right tackle for a Chiefs offensive line that won the Super Bowl last year against a challenging 49ers defensive front. With this experience in his back pocket, the Chiefs will hope to see him suited up in New Orleans.

Taylor is currently listed as Questionable heading into next Sunday’s contest and was a limited participant in practice on Thursday with a lingering knee injury, according to ESPN. It’s an injury that’s been bothering him for weeks after he sustained it in the third quarter of Kansas City’s Divisional Round win against Houston. For now, it looks like the Chiefs are just trying to give his knee a rest, but it’s something to keep an eye on.

D.J. Humphries, OT, Kansas City Chiefs

Speaking of injuries to KC’s O-line, 9-year veteran D.J. Humphries has been battling a hamstring injury that has kept him off the field since Week 14.

Humphries played in the swamp during the 2012-2014 seasons at left tackle. He was a consensus five-star recruit heading into Gainesville, delivering on his high ceiling. Although his time at the Swamp was sometimes riddled with injuries, there was no denying Humphries’ talent when he suited up.

He declared for the 2015 NFL draft following his junior year, eventually picked in the first round, 24th overall by the Arizona Cardinals.

After 8 seasons, the Cardinals released Humphries in March while he continued to recover from a torn ACL injury sustained in the final game of the 2023 season against the Eagles.

KC swooped in and signed Humphries by the time he fully healed from his injury in late November 2024, with the hopes of fulfilling a left tackle spot riddled with injuries of their own. The Chiefs immediately slotted Humphries into the starting left tackle position against the Los Angeles Chargers.

The saying goes that you don’t always get what you want, and the last thing KC needed was another body on the injury table, especially on the offensive front. Unfortunately for them, Humphries exited the Week 14 game with a hamstring injury and hasn’t seen the field since.

KC was left with no choice but to kick-start left guard Joe Thuney to the tackle position. Luckily for them, he’s faired well there, and although Humphries has since recovered from his hamstring issue, it looks like the former Gator will have to be content with a seat on the bench.

C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Safety, Philadelphia Eagles

C.J. Gardner-Johnson. The safety was so good that the Eagles couldn’t help but buy him back.

Gardner-Johnson played three seasons for the Gators between 2016 and 2018. He forgoed his junior year and opted for the NFL Draft in 2019, where he was picked up in the fourth round by the New Orleans Saints.

Four seasons in New Orleans bought him a season in Philadelphia, where he helped the Eagles make it to a legendary Super Bowl LVII match-up against the Chiefs. The Eagles inevitably fell short of the title, losing 38-35 in a stellar back-and-forth affair.

Gardner-Johnson was traded away from Philadelphia and found a spot on the Lions roster before the Eagles brought him back again following the 2023 season on a three-year, $27 million contract.

This is a chance for redemption for Gardner-Johnson, who’s been having a phenomenal second stint with the Eagles, starting 16 games at Safety and picking up six interceptions, tying his career-best set during his first season at Philly.

The challenge is ahead for Gardner-Johnson to defend against a hot-handed Mahomes who loves to spread the ball to his ferociously talented XYZ of Xavier Worthy, Hollywood Brown, and JuJu Smith-Schuster.

Fred Johnson, OL, Philadelphia Eagles

Fred Johnson appeared in 32 games overall during his time in the swamp, which spanned from 2015 to 2018, predominantly at right guard. He was part of the same offensive line in 2018 that included Jawaan Taylor.

Following his senior year, Johnson was named to the Wuerffel Trophy Watch List for his outstanding work in the community, which included volunteer work for Habitat for Humanity and the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

Following his senior year, the Pittsburgh Steelers came knocking, signing Johnson as an undrafted free agent in 2019. Johnson made the initial 53-man roster in Pittsburgh before being cut in October, later that year.

Johnson then floated over to Ohio to play in Cincinnati for three seasons before finding a roster spot on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the 2022 season.

Following a one-season stint with the Bucs, Johnson found a spot on the Philadelphia Eagles. The 2024 season saw an uptick in playtime for Johnson, who had to fill in the shoes of injured Mekhi Becton.