Boilermakers Country

3 Former Boilermakers Set to Take The Field in Super Bowl LVI Between Cincinnati Bengals, Los Angeles Rams

Cincinnati Bengals safety Ricardo Allen and linebacker Markus Bailey will face off against Los Angeles Rams tight end Brycen Hopkins in Super Bowl LVI. All three players are former Purdue student-athletes.
D.J. Fezler|
3 Former Boilermakers Set to Take The Field in Super Bowl LVI Between Cincinnati Bengals, Los Angeles Rams
3 Former Boilermakers Set to Take The Field in Super Bowl LVI Between Cincinnati Bengals, Los Angeles Rams

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — No matter the outcome of Super Bowl LVI between the Cincinnati Bengals and Los Angeles Rams, at least one former Purdue player will hoist the Lombardi Trophy. 

Bengals safety Ricardo Allen and linebacker Markus Bailey will face off against Rams tight end Brycen Hopkins. All three are former Boilermakers and will take the field on Sunday. There has been at least one Purdue player in 22 of the last 23 Super Bowls, which included a 21-year streak that was broken last season. 

With three players representing the program, Purdue football is tied with Alabama and Texas A&M for the third-most former players suiting up for Super Bowl LVI. Florida and LSU each have the most with five players. 

Ohio State will have the most representation of all Big Ten schools, having four former student-athletes competing. 

Hopkins and Bailey were each part of the 2015 recruiting class for Purdue. Both redshirted during their freshman seasons and entered the 2020 NFL Draft as redshirt seniors. 

Hopkins was a fourth-round selection by the Rams while Bailey was taken in the seventh round by the Bengals after injury cut his final college season short. Allen, on the other hand, was a 2014 NFL Draft pick after four seasons with the Boilermakers. He was originally drafted by the Atlanta Falcons. 

There, Allen started 76 of 77 games before signing with the Bengals as a free agent during the 2021 NFL season. His four interceptions returned for touchdowns are a program record at Purdue. 

Brycen Hopkins, Los Angeles Rams

Former Purdue tight end (2015-2019)

Hopkins played in 40 games over his five seasons with the Purdue football program. He tallied 130 catches, 1,945 yards and 16 touchdowns during his college career. 

The 6-foot-4 tight end was a first-team All-Big Ten selection in his final season with the Boilermakers. Hopkins recorded 61 catches for 830 yards and seven scores in 2019. 

After being drafted by the Rams, Hopkins has appeared in 10 games during his two NFL seasons. This year, he has just one catch for nine yards in an explosive offense that features the NFL's leading receiver in Cooper Kupp, Odell Beckham Jr. and tight end Tyler Higbee. 

Markus Bailey, Cincinnati Bengals

Former Purdue linebacker (2015-2019)

After a redshirt season, Bailey turned into a steady force for the Boilermakers when healthy. In five years at Purdue, he totaled 324 total tackles, 28 tackles for loss and 14.5 sacks. 

In Purdue's 49-20 upset over No. 2 Ohio State at Ross-Ade Stadium in 2018, Bailey notched a career-high 15 tackles and an interception that he returned for a touchdown. 

Despite a redshirt senior season that was cut short due to an ACL tear, Bailey was selected in the seventh round by the Bengals. In two seasons as a professional, the linebacker has logged 39 total tackles in 27 game appearances. 

During the 2021 season, he appeared in all but two games and was a starter in three contests. 

Ricardo Allen, Cincinnati Bengals

Former Purdue safety (2010-2013)

Veteran safety Ricardo Allen joined the Bengals after spending seven seasons with the Atlanta Falcons. Throughout his career, the former Purdue defensive back has 355 tackles and 11 interceptions in 91 games. 

Allen has served mainly as a backup free safety for the Bengals this season, logging 15 combined tackles in 14 games. He started one game for Cincinnati during the regular season. 

Allen is the only player on the entire Cincinnati Bengals roster to come into the game with Super Bowl experience. He was a member of the Atlanta Falcons during their 34-28 overtime loss in Super Bowl LI. 

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D.J. Fezler
D.J. FEZLER

D.J. Fezler is a staff writer for BoilermakersCountry.com. Hailing from The Region, he is from Cedar Lake in Northwest Indiana and has spent the last two years covering Purdue football and basketball. 

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