As we approach the final curtain call of the NFL season this Super Bowl Sunday, anticipation builds for an epic showdown between the New England Patriots (17-3) and the Seattle Seahawks (16-3) at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. This year’s Super Bowl will showcase a remarkable 31 former SEC players on active rosters, with an additional 13 former athletes from the SEC on practice squads and injured reserve lists for both teams, bringing the total to 44. The only SEC schools absent from tonight’s finale are Kentucky and Texas A&M.
Fourteen SEC schools will be represented in some capacity during this game, with Alabama leading the charge—boasting seven players on active rosters. Interestingly, LSU and Ole Miss follow closely behind, each contributing six former players across active rosters and practice squads. Since 2006, SEC alumni have claimed the Super Bowl MVP title five times.
For tonight’s matchup, 23 former SEC athletes will take to the field for the Patriots, while the Seahawks will feature 21. The Rebels are well represented on both sides of the ball:
New England Patriots:
- Ben Brown (Active)
- Royce Newman (Active)
- Otis Reese (Practice)
Seattle Seahawks:
- Jared Ivey (Active)
- AJ Finley (IR)
- Chris Pooh Paul (Practice)
The weather forecast predicts a comfortable kickoff temperature of around 65 degrees under partly cloudy skies, with humidity at approximately 60% and winds blowing between 7 and 10 MPH. This marks Seattle’s fourth Super Bowl appearance and New England’s twelfth; historically, they hold a record of 6-5 in these championship games, including a previous head-to-head victory over Seattle. Despite their experience in postseason play, Seattle enters as a slight favorite at -4.5.
Having spent considerable time in Foxborough—where I nearly found myself on the sidelines during my days at Brown (that’s a story for another column)—I can attest to the intensity surrounding this matchup. While Seattle is healthy overall, they’ll miss RB Zach Charbonnet alongside Walker III in their backfield. If New England can effectively contain Seattle’s running game and force quarterback Sam Darnold into difficult situations, it could spell trouble for the Seahawks.
Tonight, I’m rooting for all our Rebels but leaning towards Ben Brown, Royce Newman, and Otis Reese’s Pats squad not just to cover but to upset Seattle. As one of my betting mentors wisely said, “When everyone is running away from the fire, you run toward it.” So the world is siding with Seattle tonight, but once again I am closing out the NFL season by putting my bet on the underdogs. Tip-off is set for 5:30 PM live on NBC.
Final prediction: Patriots 23, Seahawks 19.