Chiefs’ Nnadi, Erving hope to continue winning ways in Miami
Cameron Erving and Derrick Nnadi didn’t even need to say anything when they realized they would be coming down to Hard Rock Stadium to play in Super Bowl 54 with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Both played in Miami Gardens three times throughout their careers with the Florida State Seminoles and posted a career 6-0 record — 4-0 against the Miami Hurricanes and 2-0 in Orange Bowls.
“It’s not a conversation we have to have,” said Erving, a reserve offensive tackle. “We know we don’t lose in Miami like that.”
Erving played in Tallahassee from 2010 to 2014 and played in Florida State’s road wins against the Hurricanes in 2012 and 2014. He also helped FSU beat Northern Illinois in the Orange Bowl in 2013. Nnadi played for the Seminoles from 20142017, and helped beat Miami on the road in 2014 and 2016, while also knocking off Michigan in the Orange Bowl in 2016, too.
“It feels fantastic,” said Nnadi, who has started every game at defensive tackle this season. “Normally, every time I come down here we normally win.”
With all due respect to the Hurricanes’ annual rivalry game against Florida State, Sunday will dwarf the stage Nnadi and Erving are used to being on in South Florida. The Chiefs will face the San Francisco 49ers on the sport’s biggest stage and Nnadi, in particular, will play a key role in determining the victor.
The 49ers boast a runheavy offense — they only threw eight passes in their 37-20, NFC Championship Game win against the Green Bay Packers on Jan. 19 — and will have their best chance at springing an upset by pounding the ball and keeping Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes off the field.
Raheem Mostert ran for 220 yards in the win against the Packers. Kansas City’s goal is to hold the running back to less than 100, just like it did to star running back Derrick Henry in its 35-24 AFC Championship Game win over the Tennessee Titans on Jan. 19.
“Every game we’ve had that we’ve stopped them from running for 100 yards, we’ve won,” said Nnadi, who had one tackle in the win against the Titans and 30 in the regular season.
It’s a goal easier said than accomplished, but the Chiefs have plenty of reasons to feel great heading into their first Super Bowl in 50 years. For Erving and Nnadi, just being back in Miami-Dade County is one more.
“It definitely feels like good mojo,” said Erving, who started eight games earlier this season. “The team’s great, the chemistry’s great — it has been all year. It feels like it gets better every day.”
REID HUMBLED
Chiefs coach Andy Reid has been a star all throughout Super Bowl week across the Miami metropolitan area.
At Super Bowl opening night Monday at Marlins Park in Miami, Reid traipsed across the stage wearing a Hawaiian shirt. Any time his players have opened their mouths at the team hotel to talk about the upcoming game, the conversation has inevitably pivoted to praise for their coach.
When he took the podium for the final time before the Super Bowl, he ripped off the best one-liner of the week, comparing having grandchildren to “sweet-and-sour pork” because of how it makes him feel both young and old at the same time. Almost 20 years after he first became the coach of the Philadelphia Eagles, the
NFL has fallen back in love with Reid.
He said he has noticed the outpouring of support from his players and friends across the league, but he tried to downplay it one final time before he tries to fill the one final gap on a Hall of Fame resume.
“I’m humbled by it. I’m very humbled by it,” Reid said. “I’ve got great guys here, friends likewise around the league I’ve known a long time, so I appreciate that, but this is about this team and so the guys work so hard to get where they’re at right now — the players, coaches. It’s about the organization. You’d love to say it’s one man. That’s not what it is.”
David Wilson: 305-376-3406, @DBWilson2