With the college football season complete and just two teams still standing in the NFL, all eyes will turn to Super Bowl LIX next Sunday in New Orleans between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs. Patrick Mahomes is attempting to lead the Chiefs to the first-ever three-peat in league history, but a Penn State legend is standing in his way.
When Saquon Barkley became the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, he was immediately set up for failure. After three dominant seasons at Penn State, the superstar running back was consistently stuck behind terrible offensive lines on the dysfunctional New York Giants, and despite winning Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2018, he never reached his full potential and battled injuries for six seasons.
Then, Barkley left the Giants in free agency last offseason and to the thrill of nearly every Penn State fan, his career has been completely revitalized with the Philadelphia Eagles. Barkley joined the 2,000-yard club in 2024, sitting out the final week of the regular season while just 100 yards shy of Eric Dickerson’s single-season record, and somehow in the postseason, he’s been even better.
In Philadelphia’s Wild Card round win over the Green Bay Packers, Barkley failed to reach the end zone and finished with 118 yards on the ground, but in the Divisional round, he dominated. The former Nittany Lion ran for 205 yards on 26 carries with two touchdowns including a 78-yarder and for good measure, he caught four passes for 27 yards. He followed the performance up by taking his team’s first offensive snap of the NFC Championship Game 60 yards to the house and racking up another 118 yards, this time with three trips to paydirt.
Though in his first season with the franchise, Barkley’s name is already at the top of the marquee in New Orleans this week. But he’s not the only former Penn State football player who will be taking the field in Super Bowl 59.
Philadelphia Eagles:
- Saquon Barkley, RB: Penn State 2015-17
- Jahan Dotson, WR: Penn State 2018-21
- Tariq Castro-Fields, CB: Penn State 2017-21 (practice squad)
Kansas City Chiefs:
- Hunter Hourzad, OL: Penn State 2022-23
After adding Barkley this offseason, the Eagles did more business in division, swinging a trade with the Washington Commanders for former first-round pick Jahan Dotson. While he struggled in Washington, Dotson was a star in Happy Valley, going over 1,000 yards receiving in his final season at Penn State in 2021.
Dotson will play a role in Philadelphia’s offense, though not a massive one. Still, he will likely be the only Nittany Lion other than Barkley to see the field on Super Bowl Sunday as Tariq Castro-Fields is on the Philadelphia practice squad and Hunter Nourzad is a reserve interior offensive lineman for Kansas City.