Ex-Vanderbilt Commodores Shine as Eagles Defeat Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX

Ex-Vanderbilt Commodores Oren Burks and Khari Blasingame earned Super Bowl rings as the Eagles crushed the Chiefs 40-22, with Burks playing a key defensive role.

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins (8) catches a pass against Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Oren Burks (42) in the third quarter in Super Bowl LIX at Ceasars Superdome. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

A pair of former Vanderbilt Commodores are celebrating a Super Bowl championship this morning.

Former Commodores’ linebacker Oren Burks and fullback Khari Blasingame helped the Philadelphia Eagles prevent a three-peat by the Kansas City Chiefs, winning 40-22.

Burks led the defense in total snaps played with 55 and was a significant contributor in the Eagles forcing Patrick Mahomes into his worst game in his entire career. Burks had five total tackles, including three solo. As a team, Philadelphia held the Chiefs to less than 300 total yards, held them scoreless until late in the third quarter (with Philadelphia leading 34-0), sacked Mahomes six times and forced three turnovers, including a pick-six by rookie Cooper DeJean.

Super Bowl Champions 🏆⚓️#SBLIX | #AnchorDown pic.twitter.com/sOLR4bxVRM

— Vanderbilt Football (@VandyFootball) February 10, 2025

The former Vanderbilt player won’t get the attention some of his other teammates will get, but that’s simply because there were great performances from every Philadelphia defender.

Blasingame played just three offensive snaps in Super Bowl LIX after the Eagles elevated him from the practice squad to the gameday roster.

Burks and Blasingame played together while in Nashville. Burks played for Vanderbilt from 2014-2017 and Blasingame played from 2015-2018.

In four seasons with the Commodores, Burks played in 45 games and had 136 career tackles, 16 tackles for a loss, five interceptions, 22 passes defended, three fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles. He’d go on to be drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft. He spent four seasons in Green Bay then played for San Francisco for the 2022 and 2023 seasons. He signed a one-year deal with the Eagles this season and saw his role increase with an injury to starting linebacker Nakobe Dean.

Blasingame initially came to Vanderbilt as a linebacker but moved to the other side of the ball after his freshman season. He ended his four-year collegiate career with 238 total carries for 997 yards and 15 touchdowns. He also had 35 catches for 380 yards.