Who Ya Got?
49ers, Chiefs Ready to do Battle
By Will Johnson
Messenger Reporter
EAST TEXAS – This coming Sunday, Feb. 2 a vast majority of households will be tuned into FOX Sports to watch as the San Francisco 49ers tangle with the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV.
The 49ers come into Sunday’s game with a record of 15-3. This will mark San Francisco’s seventh trip to the Super Bowl where they have a record of 5-1. The last time they hoisted the Vince Lombardi Trophy was in 1994.
The Chiefs, on the other hand, played in the first Super Bowl in 1967, but lost to the Green Bay Packers. Three years later, they were back in the NFL Championship game where they defeated the Minnesota Vikings, 23-7. Since then, Kansas City has only watched the big game from home.
There are several little factoids that stand out in this game. One involves San Francisco legend Joe Montana. Joe Cool was the starting QB in four of the five 49ers Super Bowl wins. After the 1992 season, however, Montana was traded to the Chiefs, where he ended his career.
Another little bit of trivia from CBS Sports indicates, “This is the first time a Super Bowl will feature two teams with red as a primary uniform color. The Chiefs will be rocking their traditional home red jerseys with white pants, while the 49ers will wear their standard white away jerseys with gold pants.”
The most important bit of trivia, however, to those of us behind the Pine Curtain is that Super Bowl LIV will have two players from the East Texas area suited up for the game.
The Chiefs will feature All-Pro QB Patrick Mahomes, who graduated from Whitehouse High School, just outside of Tyler. He went to Texas Tech after graduation and was drafted by the Chiefs in the 2017 draft.
Mahomes was the NFL MVP in the 2018-2019 season and has set numerous franchise records in Kansas City since his arrival in 2017.
The 49ers, meanwhile, will have the former Elkhart Elk Jeffrey Wilson on their sideline when the game gets underway.
I was fortunate enough to see Wilson play when he was in high school and knew he would probably take his talents to the next level after he graduated from Elkhart High.
During a game against the Grapeland Sandies in 2012, Wilson rushed for nearly 350 yards and four touchdowns in the first half. Had Coach Sam Wells not pulled him after the first series of downs in the second half, Wilson may well have broken the single-game rushing record in Texas high school football history.
When it came time to decide on a college, Wilson chose the University of North Texas where he helped resurrect a foundering Eagles’ program.
After college, Wilson signed with the 49ers as an undrafted free agent. He made the team’s active roster in 2018 after having been signed to the practice squad and played in six games – starting two – for San Francisco.
During this past season, the former Elk played in eight games and caught the winning TD pass from Jimmy Garoppolo in the 49ers win over the Arizona Cardinals.
San Francisco’s strength is their rushing attack and they have a stable of running backs they rotate in and out. While Mahomes will be all over the TV screen on Sunday, don’t be surprised if Wilson doesn’t play a role in the 49ers offense as the two teams battle it out.
Either way, it will be exciting to watch as East Texas is represented in Super Bowl LIV.
Will Johnson may be contacted via e-mail at [email protected].
