LAS VEGAS — We're days away from Super Bowl LVIII between the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas and there will be some big ties to Arizona during the biggest game of the year.
Here's a look at everyone on the 49ers and Chiefs with ties to the Grand Canyon State.
San Francisco 49ers
- Quarterback Brock Purdy
- The most well-known player with ties to Arizona is 49ers QB Brock Purdy, who was born in Gilbert. Purdy played at Perry High School and was the 2017 Friday Night Fever Offensive Player of the Year. Purdy went on to star at Iowa State and win the 2021 Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium in Glendale. He was taken with the final pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, earning the nickname Mr. Irrelevant. Since taking over as the 49ers starting QB during the 2022-23 season, Purdy has starred, taking the 49ers to back-to-back NFC Championship games and now the Super Bowl. His alma mater, Perry, is even hosting a Purdy-themed spirit week ahead of the Super Bowl.
- Wide Receiver Brandon Aiyuk
- Aiyuk was a star wide receiver at Arizona State before being drafted with the 25th overall pick by the 49ers in the 2020 NFL Draft. In two seasons in Tempe, Aiyuk caught 98 passes for 1,666 yards and 11 touchdowns. So far in his NFL career, Aiyuk has caught 269 passes for 3,931 yards and 25 touchdowns and has emerged as one of Purdy's top targets.
- Cornerback Isaiah Oliver
- Oliver, who was born in Phoenix, was a star at Brophy College Prep and was named the 2015 Friday Night Fever Defensive Player of the Year before playing college football at Colorado. He was taken by the Atlanta Falcons in the 2nd round of the 2018 NFL Draft. He signed with the 49ers as a free agent last March. Both his father, Muhammad Oliver (who played high school football at North High School in Phoenix), and his uncle, Damon Mays (who played high school football at Central High School in Phoenix), played in the NFL.
- Linebacker Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles
- Flannigan-Fowles is a Tucson native and played high school football at Tucson High School for two years and Mountain View High School in Marana for two years before playing college football at Arizona. He signed with the 49ers as an undrafted free agent after the 2019 NFL Draft and has spent time on both San Francisco's practice squad and active roster.
Kansas City Chiefs
- Head Coach Andy Reid
- The person with the most ties to the Grand Canyon State from Kansas City is none other than their head coach. Andy Reid was an offensive line coach at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff in the late 1980s under head coach Larry Kentera and his wife and her family are from Arizona. Reid was also linked to the Arizona Cardinals' head coaching vacancy in 2013 before he took the job in Kansas City. The Cardinals ended up hiring Bruce Arians. Reid coached the Chiefs to a win in Super Bowl LVII in Glendale last season.
- Quarterback Blaine Gabbert
- Gabbert has spent his career bouncing around the NFL since being selected by Jacksonville with the 10th overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. One of those stops was right here in Arizona, where Gabbert spent the 2017 season as a backup quarterback. The former Missouri Tiger won a Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (against Kansas City) in 2021.
- Center Creed Humphrey
- Humphrey's ties to Arizona come through Cardinals starting quarterback Kyler Murray. Humphrey was Murray's center at Oklahoma during Murray's Heisman Trophy-winning 2018 season. Humphrey won Super Bowl LVII with the Chiefs in Glendale last season.
- Tight End Matt Bushman
- Bushman, who is originally from Illinois, played high school football at Sabino High School in Tucson. He played college football at BYU. He originally signed with the Raiders as an undrafted free agent after the 2021 NFL Draft and signed with the Chiefs as a member of the practice squad in Jan. 2022. Bushman won Super Bowl LVII with the Chiefs in Glendale last season.
- Running Back Keaontay Ingram
- Ingram was selected by the Cardinals in the 6th Round of the 2022 NFL Draft and spent his rookie year and most of the 2023 season with the Cardinals, appearing in a total of 20 games. He was cut by the Cardinals in Nov. 2023 and signed by the Chiefs a couple of days later. He is currently on Kansas City's practice squad.
Members of the Chiefs who played in Super Bowl LVII in Glendale
Of course, the Chiefs also have one major connection to Arizona, as they played in — and won — Super Bowl LVII at State Farm Stadium in Glendale last year.
Here are the members of the 2023-24 Kansas City Chiefs (including injured players and members of the practice squad) who were on the Chiefs' Super Bowl roster last season.
- Quarterback Patrick Mahomes
- Running Back Clyde Edwards-Helaire
- Running Back Isiah Pacheco
- Running Back Jerick McKinnon
- Wide Receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling
- Wide Receiver Kadarius Toney
- Wide Receiver Justin Watson
- Wide Receiver Skyy Moore
- Tight End Travis Kelce
- Tight End Noah Gray
- Tight End Blake Bell
- Tight End Jody Fortson
- Tight End Matt Bushman
- Offensive Guard Nick Allegretti
- Offensive Guard Trey Smith
- Offensive Guard Joe Thuney
- Offensive Tackle Lucas Niang
- Offensive Tackle Darian Kinnard
- Offensive Tackle Prince Tega Wanogho
- Defensive End Mike Danna
- Defensive End Malik Herring
- Defensive End George Karlaftis
- Defensive Tackle Chris Jones
- Defensive Tackle Derrick Nnadi
- Linebacker Nick Bolton
- Linebacker Leo Chenal
- Linebacker Jack Cochrane
- Linebacker Willie Gay
- Linebacker Darius Harris
- Cornerback Trent McDuffie
- Cornerback L'Jarius Sneed
- Cornerback Jaylen Watson
- Defensive Back Deon Bush
- Cornerback Joshua Williams
- Safety Bryan Cook
- Safety Nazeeh Johnson
- Safety Justin Reid
- Center Creed Humphrey
- Punter Tommy Townsend
- Long Snapper James Winchester
Super Bowl LVIII kicks off at 4:30 p.m. Arizona time at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
Arizona sports
The city of Phoenix is home to five major professional sports league teams; The NFL's Arizona Cardinals, NBA's Phoenix Suns, WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, MLB's Arizona Diamondbacks and NHL's Arizona Coyotes.
The Cardinals have made State Farm Stadium in Glendale their home turf and the Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix is home to both the Suns and the Mercury. The Indoor Football League’s Arizona Rattlers play at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale. The Coyotes play at Mullett Arena on ASU's Tempe campus.
Phoenix also has a soccer team with the USL's Phoenix Rising FC, who play at Phoenix Rising FC Stadium in Phoenix.
The Valley hosts multiple major sporting events on a yearly basis, including college football's Fiesta Bowl and Guaranteed Rate Bowl; the PGA Tour’s highest-attended event, the WM Phoenix Open; NASCAR events each spring and fall, including Championship Weekend in November; and Cactus League Spring Training for 15 Major League Baseball franchises.
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