here are 11 players in super bowl lviiii with ties to nc, sc and the carolina panthers
Here’s a look at 11 players (and a few others) who will played roles in Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, where the Kansas City Chiefs beat San Francisco 25-22.
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Christain McCaffrey
McCaffrey was traded to the 49ers in 2022 and has reemerged, in many ways, as the McCaffrey of old — the one who’d recorded 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards in 2019 before injuries hindered his five-season career in Carolina. McCaffrey had 1,459 rushing yards and 14 rushing touchdowns plus 564 receiving yards and seven receiving touchdowns.
Sam McDonald
Darnold is in a QB2 role for the surging Brock Purdy-led 49ers offense. He started in Carolina for two seasons (2021-22) before agreeing to a one-year deal with San Francisco. He helped rebuild his career at the end of his tenure as a Panther, when he helped lead a team with an interim head coach to a 4-2 finish, throwing for 1,143 yards and seven touchdowns in that six-game stretch.
Justin Ross
Ross has played in 10 games this NFL season and has notched six receptions on a 11 targets for 53 yards. The former Clemson star signed as an undrafted free agent with the Chiefs in 2022 and was placed on injured reserve due to an offseason foot injury that year.
Joshua Williams
Williams, in his second NFL season, has notched 18 tackles and five pass deflections for the Chiefs this season. He also played for Kansas City in the team’s Super Bowl run last year. The Fayetteville native graduated from Fayetteville State and was subsequently drafted in the fourth round of the 2022 draft.
Deebo Samuel
Samuel is one of the most elusive and dynamic players in the NFL. The San Francisco star is a University of South Carolina graduate and Inman, S.C., native. He had 1,117 yards from scrimmage and 12 total touchdowns (seven receiving, five rushing).
Ray-Ray McCloud III
McCloud has played for four different teams in his six seasons in the NFL. And the Panthers, in 2019, were one of them. More significantly, the 49ers’ receiver/returner played three seasons at Clemson before being drafted in the sixth round of the 2018 NFL Draft. He’s notched 12 catches for 135 yards this season.