5 Louisiana footballers vying for Super Bowl LVII ring

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - Louisiana football fans will have something to cheer for no matter which team they’re pulling for in Super Bowl LVII.

Five Louisiana footballers will be on the sidelines and on the field when the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles kick off on Feb. 12.

Amite native and Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith will look to add a Super Bowl ring to his already incredible list of accolades.

Smith, 24, has been carving defenses up all season long on the receiving end of quarterback Jalen Hurts’ passes, recording 103 receptions and nearly 1,300 yards for eight touchdowns. Smith’s 1,196 regular season reception yards were the ninth most by any receiver this season.

The “Slim Reaper” was the first wide receiver to win the Heisman Trophy since Desmond Howard in 1991 and only the fourth ever. He also won two national championships while at Alabama prior to being selected by the Eagles tenth overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. As a freshman, Smith caught the national championship game-winning touchdown pass.

In 2020, days after winning the Heisman trophy, Smith set records for most title game catches (12) and touchdown receptions (three) in the Crimson Tide’s national championship title win over Ohio State.

Related: Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles advance to Super Bowl, Feb. 12 on FOX 8

Boston Scott, 27, was the leading rusher at Zachary High School and played all four years at Louisiana Tech. Scott has found himself as the number two running back for the Eagles behind Miles Sanders. Scott has run the ball for 66 times this year and logged five touchdowns with no fumbles. Scott has been running hot lately, scoring a touchdown in each of his last three games and averaging almost 4.5 yards per carry in the postseason.

Scott was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the sixth round of the 2018 NFL Draft and is also signed to a multi-year deal with professional esports organization Dignitas as a content creator and substitute on their Rocket League roster.

The Eagles’ high-powered offense dominated the league’s best defense in their 31-7 win over the San Francisco 49ers.

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On the other side of the field, and the other side of the ball, two Louisiana natives are expected to see action in the Kansas City secondary.

Strong safety Justin Reid, 25, a Baton Rouge native who committed to Stanford University after graduating from Dutchtown High in Prairieville, will hope to keep the Chiefs’ defense in order against the Eagles. Reid has recorded 96 tackles and eight passes defended on the year. He will look to keep his hot streak going, logging at least six tackles in each of his last three games.

Reid was drafted in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft by the Houston Texans. He signed a three-year, $31.5 million contract with the Chiefs in March of 2022. In Week 1, following an injury to kicker Harrison Butker, Reid made one of two extra points and had four kickoffs go into the endzone for touchbacks.

Reid’s older brother, Eric, was a three-sport Dutchtown product who was drafted in the first round of the 2013 Draft by the 49ers and selected to the 2014 Pro Bowl.

L’Jarius Sneed, 26, was born and raised in Minden and played at Louisiana Tech. He left the AFC Championship game in the first quarter with a concussion. Should he clear protocol in the two weeks leading up to the big game, the Chiefs will be delighted to have their first-string right cornerback on the field. Sneed has recorded 118 tackles and 3 interceptions on the year, including a season-high-tying nine tackles in the divisional round against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Sneed was selected in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft. After breaking his collarbone in Week 3, Sneed was placed on injured reserve but came back less than two months later. Sneed’s first career sack came in Week 15 against the New Orleans Saints.

LSU star Clyde Edwards-Helaire, 23, will have to cheer his Chiefs on from the sidelines. Edwards-Helaire saw a decreased role in the Chiefs’ backfield behind rookie Isiah Pacheco before being sent to the injured reserve list with a high ankle sprain in late November.

Edwards-Helaire was a catalyst in LSU’s 2020 National Championship season, foregoing his senior year before being selected by the Chiefs in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

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