The Philadelphia Eagles should be Alabama’s team on Sunday when the NFL decides its Super Bowl participants for the 2022 season.
Philadelphia has eight players from Alabama high schools and colleges on its active roster. The other three teams still playing have seven combined.
· FORMER ALABAMA PREP STAR SUDDENLY 1 WIN FROM SUPER BOWL
· JALEN HURTS ON BROCK PURDY: ‘HE HAD A LOT OF MOXIE’
· COLLEGE CHAMPS PART OF PHILADELPHIA’S NFC TITLE DRIVE
Four of the Eagles played for the Crimson Tide.
Alabama had a record 70 of its alumni appear in NFL regular-season games in 2022, but only the Philadelphia four will represent the Tide on the field on conference-championship Sunday. The Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers do not have any former Alabama players, and offensive tackle Jonah Williams, a former Tide All-American, will not be able to play for the Cincinnati Bengals because of a dislocated kneecap.
While it’s possible Super Bowl LVII will be played without a former Alabama player on either team, three college programs are assured to have at least one winning alumni, based on current active rosters. Georgia, Michigan and Oklahoma have at least one former player on the active rosters of each of the four remaining teams.
Oklahoma has the most alumni remaining in the playoffs with nine, Michigan has seven and Georgia has six, tied with Florida and Ohio State for the third-most.
Florida and Ohio State are among the 21 other college programs that are assured of having an alumnus reach Super Bowl LVII from one side or the other of the playoff bracket.
The Eagles have alumni from Alabama, Auburn and Samford on their active roster. Philadelphia also has three of the nine former Alabama high school players still vying to reach Super Bowl LVII.
The players from Alabama high schools and colleges on the rosters for the four teams remaining in the NFL playoffs include:
AFC
Cincinnati Bengals
· Allan George, cornerback, Andalusia
· Evan McPherson, kicker, Fort Payne
· Cam Taylor-Britt, cornerback, Park Crossing
· Jonah Williams, offensive tackle, Alabama
Kansas City Chiefs
· Practice squad: La’Mical Perine, running back, Theodore
· Reserve/injured: Justyn Ross, wide receiver, Central-Phenix City
· Kadarius Toney, wide receiver, Blount
· Prince Tega Wanogho, offensive tackle, Edgewood Academy, Auburn
NFC
Philadelphia Eagles
· Reed Blankenship, safety, West Limestone
· James Bradberry, cornerback, Pleasant Grove, Samford
· Landon Dickerson, guard, Alabama
· Jack Driscoll, offensive lineman, Auburn
· Jalen Hurts, quarterback, Alabama
· Josh Jobe, cornerback, Alabama
· Reserve/injured: Arryn Siposs, punter, Auburn
· DeVonta Smith, wide receiver, Alabama
· Quez Watkins, wide receiver, Athens
San Francisco 49ers
· Practice squad: Jackrabbit Jenkins, cornerback, North Alabama
· Reserve/injured: Jordan Matthews, tight end, Madison Academy
· Jimmie Ward, safety, Davidson
The results and schedule for the NFL playoffs (with all times Central and point spreads from Catena):
SUPER WILD-CARD WEEKEND
Saturday, Jan. 14
· NFC: No. 2 San Francisco 49ers 41, No. 7 Seattle Seahawks 23
· AFC: No. 4 Jacksonville Jaguars 31, No. 5 Los Angeles Chargers 30
Sunday, Jan. 15
· AFC: No. 2 Buffalo Bills 34, No. 7 Miami Dolphins 31
· NFC: No. 6 New York Giants 31, No. 3 Minnesota Vikings 24
· AFC: No. 3 Cincinnati Bengals 24, No. 6 Baltimore Ravens 17
Monday, Jan. 16
· NFC: No. 5 Dallas Cowboys 31, No. 4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 14
DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS
Saturday, Jan. 21
· AFC: No. 1 Kansas City Chiefs 27, No. 4 Jacksonville Jaguars 20
· NFC: No. 1 Philadelphia Eagles 38, No. 6 New York Giants 7
Sunday, Jan. 22
· AFC: No. 3 Cincinnati Bengals 27, No. 2 Buffalo Bills 10
· NFC: No. 2 San Francisco 49ers 19, No. 5 Dallas Cowboys 12
CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS
Sunday, Jan. 29
· NFC: No. 2 San Francisco 49ers (15-4) at No. 1 Philadelphia Eagles (15-3), 2 p.m. (FOX, FOX Deportes) Line: Eagles by 2.5.
· AFC: No. 3 Cincinnati Bengals (14-4) at No. 1 Kansas City Chiefs (15-3), 5:30 p.m. (CBS, Paramount+) Line: Chiefs by 1.5.
SUPER BOWL LVII
Sunday, Feb. 12
· AFC champion vs. NFC champion, 5:30 p.m. at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona (FOX, FOX Deportes)
FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE
Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.
