Chiefs and 49ers With Prior Super Bowl Experience – Super Bowl LIV may come down to the players who have the most experience on Sunday. Both the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers have players and coaches on their rosters who have played in the Super Bowls in year’s past. Let’s begin by taking a look at the 49ers.
San Francisco 49ers with Super Bowl Experience
Front Office
- John Lynch: Super Bowl champion (XXXVII)
Defense
- Robert Saleh: Super Bowl champion (XLVIII) as Defensive quality control coach for the Seattle Seahawks
- Richard Sherman: Super Bowl champion (XLVIII), also lost SB XLIX
- Johnny Holland: Super Bowl XXXI Champion, Run Game Specialist/Outside Linebackers
Offense
- Kyle Shanahan: (father, Mike Shanahan won Super Bowls XXXII and XXXIII). Was the OC for the Atlanta Falcons and helped them get to Super Bowl LI, but lost.
- Jimmy Garoppolo: 2× Super Bowl champion as a backup QB (XLIX, LI)
- Emmanuel Sanders: Super Bowl champion (50)
- Wes Welker: WR Coach, never won a SB, New England Patriots (2007–2012)
I can’t discount the Super Bowl experience of any of these individuals but it would seem that those with an SB background that happened the furthest in the past would not be as helpful. Perhaps the same can be said for those who aren’t still players like the 9ers GM, John Lynch. Next. Kyle Shanahan lost the Super Bowl in grand fashion a couple years back when the Falcons gave up the largest lead in SB history. Welker was only with the Patriots during some dry years when they never won the SB.
The two most prominent player, one each on offense and defense, for the 49ers, who can help share their experiences of going to a Super Bowl in recent years are Emmanuel Sanders and Richard Sherman. Sherman is the most vocal of the two and should be able to help keep others on-task during this week and the game. I’m not so sure of Sanders.
Sanders verbal commitment to the Chiefs… then pulling out and signing with the Broncos still stings to this day. I doubt that any Chiefs players or coaches have any ill feelings that will be expressed this week, or through their play during the game.
Kansas City Chiefs with Super Bowl Experience
Defense
- Terrell Suggs: Super Bowl champion (XLVII)
- Steve Spagnuolo: Super Bowl champion (XLII)
- Brendan Daly: 3× Super Bowl champion (XLIX, LI, LIII)
- Dave Merritt: 2× Super Bowl champion (XLII, XLVI)
- Sam Madison: Super Bowl champion (XLII)
Offense
- Andy Reid: Super Bowl champion (XXXI) – Assistant offensive line & tight ends coach for the Green Bay Packers, was HC of the Eagles in Super Bowl XXXIX but lost.
- Stefen Wisniewski: Super Bowl champion (LII)
While I usually value the player’s actual involvement in the Super Bowl process… because, that’s what it has become, much more of a Colossal Convention and Cirque du Soleil on steroids. Get this:
- Byron Pringle was asked to eat Pringles and dance.
- Frank Clark called himself the “Black Elvis”… the “Craziest S.O.B.’ In the NFL.”
- In an interview it was revealed that Kyle Shanahan stopped playing Madden 10 years ago because kids online were killing him. He said, “… with them talking so much smack to me, I eventually retired.”
- TE George Kittle ask Deion Sanders, Who are you?”
Dance lesson for Byron Pringle on Super Bowl Opening Night pic.twitter.com/eMyOkkfZpg
— Blair Kerkhoff (@BlairKerkhoff) January 28, 2020
You can also bet on just about anything happening, or being asked, during Super Bowl week. These are called “Prop Bets.” Like, you can bet on whether or not Demi Lovato will wear a skirt or a dress during the National Anthem. The bet I like has to do with Joe Montana: Will there be a clip or picture of Joe Montana playing for the Chiefs?
Anyway, I think Andy Reid’s direct involvement in the Super Bowl as a head coach 15 years ago has given him a long time to think about what he would do differently the next time around. Terrell Suggs on Defense and Stefen Wisniewski on Offense should be the most helpful for the Chiefs. Wiz was with the Eagles when they downed the Patriots in the Super Bowl just two years ago.
Beyond the players, the Super Bowl winning experiences of the Chiefs defensive coaches should be most helpful. Those coaches include: DC Spagnuolo, DL line coach Brendan Daly, and defensive backs coaches Dave Merritt and Sam Madison.
I’m reminded of ex-Chiefs HC Herman Edwards and what he used to say, “That’s why they play the game.” So, although both teams have the benefit of players and coaches with previous SB experience, it’s the players who will play the game. Sweet anticipation!
Laddie Morse — ArrowheadOne
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