Three Former Nebraska Football Players, One Future Assistant Advance to Super Bowl LIX

Nebraska football will be well-represented in the biggest game in football.

Three former Husker football players and a future assistant coach will participate in Super Bowl LIX on Feb. 9, as the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs each advanced to the NFL's biggest stage following their conference championship victories. The Eagles include two former Husker offensive lineman and a practice squad pass rusher, while the Chiefs' Terry Bradden is set to replace Terrance Knighton as NU's defensive line coach.

Nebraska will continue an impressive run of alumni appearing in the Super Bowl following a 26-year streak that was snapped in 2020. The Big Red have had a representative in the past four Super Bowls, with teams featuring a Husker going 0-4 in the championship contest.

Mar 4, 2022; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Nebraska offensive lineman Cam Jurgens (OL24) goes through drills during the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia Eagles are led by Pro Bowl center Cam Jurgens, a former Husker center that is a first-year starter at the position after replacing All-Pro Jason Kelce following Kelce's retirement. Jurgens became a starter on the offensive line in the 2023-24 season, then moved back to his center position this season. During the NFC Championship game, Jurgens gritted through a back injury to push the Eagles past the Washington Commanders in a 55-23 victory on Sunday.

"It was just dealing with some pain, trying to get through it," Jurgens said. "It was a long week."

Jurgens was an emergency option for the championship game, according to CBS Sports, as starting left tackle Landon Dickerson moved from left guard to center to replace Jurgens. However, Dickerson would leave the NFC Championship game at halftime due to a knee injury with Jurgens pushing through the pain to play 25 snaps in the second half.

Jan 12, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) reacts with center Cam Jurgens (51) during the first half in an NFC wild card game at Lincoln Financial Field. | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Philadelphia didn't miss a beat without Jurgens and then with an injured-center throughout the game, scoring touchdowns on four of their six second half possessions and rushing for 128 yards. The Eagles ran for nearly eight yards per carry in the final 30 minutes of game time despite Jurgens having failed to practice the entire week.

"That was really, that was gritty of him," said Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts. "He hadn't practiced all week, really pushing through, and the resilience he showed coming in and being able to see the defense the way he was. We loved how he prepared, obviously, the preparation showed, and he's been great all year. ... He's done a great job. We'll need him to do that again this upcoming week."

Joining Jurgens on the offensive line as the NFC's representative in the Super Bowl is backup guard Nick Gates. Gates has yet to appear in a postseason contest for Philadelphia, but appeared in nine games this season, including the Week 18 regular season-finale.

Jan 5, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles center Nick Gates (61) against the New York Giants at Lincoln Financial Field. | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Gates and Jurgens narrowly missed each other in their Nebraska careers, as Gates' tenure with the Huskers ended in 2017 after electing to forego his senior season to enter the National Football League. Jurgens would join the program in 2018 as a freshman tight end out of Beatrice. He would later move to center following his first season in Lincoln.

Former Husker pass rusher Ochaun Mathis is also a member of the Eagles' practice squad. Mathis has recorded two tackles this season with one forced fumbles and saw action in three games as a member of the New England Patriots prior to being picked up by the Eagles.

The Chiefs do not have Nebraska football player on the roster, but future defensive line coach Terry Bradden remains as an assistant defensive line coach with Kansas City until their season concludes. He will wrap up his eighth season in Kansas City and his fourth in his current role. During Bradden's tenure in Kansas City, the Chiefs have captured three Super Bowl titles, including back-to-back championships the past two season.

Jan 26, 2025; Kansas City, MO, USA;Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones (95) reacts after a play against the Buffalo Bills during the first quarter in the AFC Championship game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

A Nebraska alum's last victory in the Super Bowl came in 2021, when Lavonte David, Khalil Davis, and Ndamukong Suh collected the Lombardi Trophy with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a 31-9 victory over the Chiefs. Suh, Jurgens, and tight end Jack Stoll failed to take down the Chiefs in 2023 as the Eagles fell to Kansas City 38-35.

The Philadelphia/Kansas City rematch is set for Sunday, Feb. 9 from the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.

See also: HuskerMax has a full list of Super Bowl Huskers.

Three Former Nebraska Football Players, One Future Assistant Advance to Super Bowl LIX

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