Nine Gators Remain in NFL Postseason
Friday, January 11, 2019 | Football
Nine former Gators still have a chance to play in Super Bowl LIII.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The NFL Playoffs continue this weekend and nine former Gator football players are on teams who have a chance to play in Super Bowl LIII on Feb. 3 in Atlanta, Ga.
UF has had a former player on a Super Bowl roster for 16 straight years, dating back to the 2003 season when offensive linemen Kenyatta Walker and Lomas Brown helped the Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat Mo Collins and the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl XXXVII. The 16-year streak stands as the second longest of its kind in the SEC, as Georgia and LSU are tied for the longest streak at 17 years.
In addition, a former Gator has hoisted the Lombardi Trophy six of the last seven years.
Overall, there have been 52 former Gators make 70 appearances in Super Bowl history, with a former UF player on the winning team 21 times.
Six of the nine remaining Gators had last weekend off, as the Chiefs (Demarcus Robinson), Saints (Alex Anzalone), Patriots (Trent Brown, Duke Dawson, Jr.) and Rams (Dante Fowler, Jr., Dominique Easley) earned first round byes.
Here's a look at who to watch for during this weekend's Divisional Round action:
Indianapolis Colts at Kansas City Chiefs, Saturday (4:35 p.m. // ESPN/ABC)
Indianapolis soundly defeated Houston in last weekend's Wild Card Round matchup, 21-7. During that matchup, former Gators DB Quincy Wilson tallied five tackles.
Overall for the season, Wilson totaled 22 tackles, two pass breakups and one interception.
On the other side of the field, wide receiver Demarcus Robinson helped the No. 1 seeded Kansas City Chiefs to a an overall record of 12-4. Robinson played in all 16 games this season and tallied 22 catches, 288 receiving yards and four touchdowns. The Fort Valley, Ga. native also played a key role on special teams for the Chiefs and recorded one tackle as a gunner.
These two teams did not play one another during the regular season.
Dallas Cowboys at Los Angeles Rams, Saturday (8:15 p.m. // FOX)
Saturday night features an exciting matchup between NFC East Champs Dallas Cowboys (10-6) and No. 2 seed Los Angeles Rams (13-3) in L.A. at the Coliseum.
Although there are no former Gators on the Cowboys, Dan Mullen's former quarterback at Mississippi State Dak Prescott will be playing in his third career playoff game for Dallas. Last weekend in its win over Seattle, Prescott was 22-for-33 for 226 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He also rushed for 29 yards and a TD on six carries.
For the Rams, they have a pair of former Gators first round picks on their defensive line with Dante Fowler, Jr. and Dominique Easley.
Fowler was acquired via trade during the season from the Jaguars. Over the course of 15 games throughout the season he amassed 23 tackles, four sacks, two forced fumbles and two fumbles recovered.
Unfortunately, Easley was placed on injured reserve earlier this season after only seeing action in three games.
These two teams did not play one another during the regular season.
Los Angeles Chargers at New England Patriots, Sunday (1:05 p.m. // CBS)The Chargers dispatched the Baltimore Ravens last weekend, 23-17. L.A. added a pair of Gators last summer with center Mike Pouncey and defensive back Jaylen Watkins.
Pouncey has played and started all 17 games, including last weekend, on the Chargers' offensive line as he stabilized a once-week unit for Coach Anthony Lynn. With the consistent play of that group up front, QB Phillip Rivers and RB Melvin Gordon had career years.
Watkins, who won a Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles last season, sustained a season-ending injury during fall camp.
Meanwhile, for the No. 2 seed New England Patriots (11-5) Trenton Brown has been Tom Brady's blindside tackle all season as he started all 16 games. Brown helped pave the way for the league's fifth-best rushing attack as New England totaled 127.3 yards per game. Rookie DB Duke Dawson, Jr., who was a second round pick by the Pats last April, has battled injuries throughout the season and has yet to see game action.
These two teams did not play one another during the regular season.
Philadelphia Eagles at New Orleans Saints, Sunday (4:40 p.m. // FOX)
Philadelphia defeated Chicago last weekend in an upset, 16-15.
For New Orleans, linebacker Alex Anzalone played a key role defensively for the New Orleans Saints who finished the season with an NFL-best record of 13-3. Anzalone, who played in all 16 games, recorded 59 tackles, two sacks, three tackles-for-loss, one interception and three forced fumbles. His three forced fumbles ranked second on the team.
When these two teams met during the regular season, NOLA pounded Philly, 48-7.
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