Wagner’s Burford one of 10 Texas products
It’s been 28 years since a Texas team has played in the Super Bowl, but every year there’s a healthy dose of Lone Star State flavor in the game. Last year’s Chiefs-eagles Super Bowl was the first time a pair of former Texas high school football stars faced each other in the big game as opposing starting quarterbacks when Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts went head to head.
Mahomes, the former Whitehouse High School star, is back this year and on the other side is a fellow future Hall of Famer who also grew up in East Texas, 49ers left tackle Trent Williams from Longview, plus a former UTSA and Wagner player in guard Spencer Burford.
The Chiefs have four former Texas high school standouts on their active roster, although defensive end Charles Omenihu, who played at Rowlett High School, will miss the game with a torn ACL. Kansas City also has two Texas guys on its practice squad: running backs Deneric Prince (Manvel) and Keaontay Ingram (Carthage). Prince appeared in two games on special teams this season but hasn’t been active since December.
In addition to Williams and Burford, the 49ers have four other former Texas high school stars on the active roster as well as Danny Gray (Dallas Madison) on injured reserve.
Here’s a look at the players from Texas in this year’s Super Bowl ...
49ers Spencer Burford, OG, Wagner
Burford was UTSA’S first four-star recruit as he opted to stay close to home to play college ball. The 49ers took him in the fourth round of the 2022 draft and he started right away at right guard. Due to some inconsistency, he lost his starting job late this year to veteran Jon Feliciano, but he still sees time as a reserve.
Trent Williams, OT, Longview
Williams was a three-star recruit in high school at offensive guard, but at Oklahoma he transformed himself into the No. 4 overall pick in the 2010 NFL draft and is a lock for the Hall of Fame after he retires. In nine seasons in Washington and four in San Francisco, the 6-foot-5, 320pound left tackle has made 11 Pro Bowls and been first-team Allpro in each of his past three seasons.
Jake Brendel, C, Plano East
After starring at Plano East, Brendel played at UCLA but went undrafted in 2016. He spent time on the Cowboys and Dolphins practice squads. After three seasons in Miami, Brendel was released. He eventually signed with the 49ers and won their starting job at center last season. He’s started every game for San Francisco the past two years.
Tashaun Gipson, S, Dallas Kimball
Gipson starred on both sides of the ball at Kimball before signing with Wyoming. Despite going undrafted, Gipson has put together a 12-year NFL career, including spending the 2019 season with the Texans. He’s been in San Francisco the past two years where he’s starting at free safety. He forced a game-changing fumble in the 49ers’ comeback win over the Lions in the NFC Championship Game.
Dee Winters, LB, Burton
Winters — who was a Class 2A high school star at Burton, just outside of Brenham — was drafted by the 49ers in the sixth round last year after an excellent career at TCU. The rookie recorded 10 tackles this season and plays mostly on special teams.
Brayden Willis, TE, Arlington Martin
The 49ers drafted Willis out of Oklahoma in the seventh round last year. He’s been mostly used as a blocking tight end and has yet to record a catch but has appeared in both of the 49ers playoff games this postseason.
Chiefs Patrick Mahomes, QB, Whitehouse
Mahomes played football, baseball and basketball in high school, helping Whitehouse reach the state tournament in baseball. Mahomes spent three years at Texas Tech before being picked 10th overall by the Chiefs in the 2017 draft. In six years as an NFL starter, Mahomes already has been named league MVP twice, been to four Super Bowls and is attempting to win his third.
Rashee Rice, WR, Richland
The rookie was a three-star recruit coming out of Richland High School, located about 10 miles northeast of Fort Worth, and played at SMU. After being picked in the second round of last year’s draft, Rice quickly has become Patrick Mahomes’ favorite target behind Travis Kelce. Rice caught 79 passes for 938 yards in the regular season and his seven receiving touchdowns broke the Chiefs’ rookie record
Nick Bolton, LB, Frisco Lone Star
Bolton was on the Lone Star team that made it to the Class 5A Division II state championship game in 2015 before going on to be named first-team ALL-SEC two times while at Missouri. Bolton has been a big part of the Chiefs defense ever since he was drafted in the second round in 2021. He led the team in tackles last season and is back at the center of things after missing nine games this season due to a dislocated wrist. He made a team-best 13 tackles in the playoff win at Buffalo.
Charles Omenihu, DE, Rowlett
The former four-star recruit from Rowlett, a northeast suburb of Dallas, won’t play in the Super Bowl after tearing his ACL in the AFC Championship Game, but he’s still on the Chiefs’ active roster. The Texans drafted Omenihu out of Texas in the fifth round in 2019. He was traded to San Francisco in the middle of his third season and signed with the Chiefs last offseason. He was third on the team in sacks this season with seven.