Longhorns in the NFL: Championship Round Preview
It’s time for the AFC and NFC Championship games, and there are still a few Texas Longhorns with a chance to get to the Super Bowl and potentially hoist the Lombardi Trophy next month. Here, we highlight which Longhorns are still alive for championship weekend.
No. 4 Cincinnati Bengals at No. 2 Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday, Jan. 30, 2:05 p.m., CBS
Trey Hopkins has a chance to help the Cincinnati Bengals get back to the Super Bowl for the first time since falling to the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XXIII. Hopkins is the Bengals’ starting center and he’s played well as the Bengals have navigated victories over Las Vegas and Tennessee. Now, they must tangle with Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City and that Arrowhead Stadium crowd. The only other Longhorn on the Bengals’ roster is rookie Joseph Ossai. But he can only watch as he’s on the reserve-injured list.
For Kansas City, they have a Longhorn with Super Bowl experience. Defensive lineman Alex Okafor has been in the NFL since 2013 and he’s been with the Chiefs for their last three playoff runs, which includes their Super Bowl victory two seasons ago and their Super Bowl loss to Tampa Bay last February. He’s looking for a third straight trip to the Super Bowl, something few players get the chance to accomplish.
No. 6 San Francisco 49ers at No. 4 Los Angeles Rams, Sunday, Jan. 30, 5:40 p.m., FOX
Charles Omenihu will be the lonely Longhorn in this game. He’s the only former Texas player for either team. He was a fifth-round pick of the Houston Texas in 2019, and he was traded to San Francisco on Nov. 2 for a sixth-round pick in 2023. He got out at the perfect time as the 49ers have gone on a bit of a Cinderella run to get to the NFC title game, beating the Dallas Cowboys and the Green Bay Packers on the road. Omenihu had one of his best games as a pro against the Cowboys, finishing with 1 1/2 sacks and a forced fumble.
You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard.
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