With Super Bowl berths up for grabs, the Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Commanders, Buffalo Bills, and Kansas City Chiefs will square off on Sunday. Additionally, some names will be familiar to Penn State and Pennsylvania football fans when they check in to watch the NFC and AFC championship games.
Check out all of the Penn State athletes and former Pennsylvania high school standouts on the rosters of the NFL championship games.
Chiefs of Kansas City
OL Hunter Nourzad, Penn State: Nourzad played center and guard for the Nittany Lions in 2022 and 2023 after transferring from Cornell. The Chiefs selected Nourzad, a backup and second-team All-Big Ten choice, in the fifth round (No. 159) of the 2024 NFL draft.
Justin Watson, South Fayette, wide receiver:In 2018, Tampa Bay drafted Watson, a former South Fayette and Penn standout, in the fifth round (No. 144). Watson, who has won three Super Bowls, joined the Chiefs prior to the 2022 campaign.
WR Skyy Moore, Shady Side Academy: Currently on injured leave, Moore was selected in the second round (No. 54) in the 2022 NFL Draft after excelling at Western Michigan and Shady Side Academy.
BUFFALO BILLS
OL Connor McGovern, Penn State’s Lake-Lehman:The Cowboys selected McGovern, an All-Big Ten guard, in the second round (No. 90) of the 2019 NFL Draft. Before joining the Bills, he played in Dallas for four seasons. He is presently Buffalo’s starting center after starting at guard the previous season.
DB Pittsburgh Central Catholic’s Damar Hamlin:Two seasons ago, Hamlin had a heart arrest while playing. However, the former Pitt and Central Catholic standout has recovered from that circumstance and is among Buffalo’s starting safetys this season, recording 82 tackles.
Penn State DT Austin Johnson:The Tennessee Titans selected Johnson, a multi-season standout at Penn State, in the second round (at pick No. 43) of the 2016 NFL Draft. He is a rotational player in Buffalo and has played for the Titans, Giants, Chargers, and Bills.
DT DaQuan Jones, Penn State: The Titans selected Jones in the fourth round (No. 112) of the 2014 NFL Draft. Jones was a teammate of Johnson’s at Penn State and was also selected as an All-Big Ten player. He started for Buffalo after spending seven seasons in Tennessee and a short time in Carolina.
Jefferson, Woodland Hills, DT Quinton:Over his nine-year career, Jefferson has played for seven different teams. The backup is the former standout from Maryland and Woodland Hills.
CB Daequan Hardy of Penn State is on the practice squad.
COMPANIONS IN WASHINGTON
St. Joe’s Prep wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus is not from Pennsylvania. However, the New Jersey native attended Philadelphia’s St. Joe’s Prep and was enough adaptable to get accepted to Virginia, where he was named to the All-ACC team in 2017 and 2018. In 2023, Zaccheaus was a member of the Eagles.
Practice squad: Penn State wide receiver Mitchell Tinsley
The Philadelphia Eagles
RB Saquon Barkley, Penn State, Whitehall:What is there to say about Saquon that hasn’t already been said? In his first season with the Eagles, the record-setting, thrilling fan favorite has solidified his status as a team great.
WR Jahan Dotson, Penn State, Nazareth Area:In the preseason, Dotson, a 2022 first-round pick (No. 16) by Washington, was traded to the Eagles. After DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown, the former All-Big Ten selection has become a supplementary player in the passing game.
CB Tariq Castro-Fields of Penn State is on the practice squad.
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