Texas Tech Football: Red Raiders represent both teams in Super Bowl LVII

Championship weekend has come and gone in the NFL and the matchup for Super Bowl LVII is set. Next Sunday will feature the Kansas City Chiefs taking on the Philadelphia Eagles for the championship. Not only is this a matchup of two number-one seeds, but two Red Raider football alums will also have a chance to win it all.

Patrick Mahomes and Zech McPhearson will share the field in Glendale, Arizona next week with the opportunity to win a championship. Mahomes is playing in his third Super Bowl in four years, winning in 2019, while McPhearson is playing in his first with the Eagles. While to pair never played together in Lubbock, both have one thing in common: getting to represent Texas Tech and the football program on the game’s biggest stage.

For Mahomes, the road back to the Super Bowl encountered a few obstacles. The Chiefs had an up-and-down year in 2021 but managed to make their fourth straight AFC Championship Game appearance. A hard-fought game only saw the Chiefs lose in overtime to the Cincinnati Bengals on a field goal after Mahomes threw an interception. Seeking redemption, Mahomes put together another MVP-caliber season in 2022 and guided his team back to the championship game against the same Bengals.

Despite being hobbled by a high ankle sprain he suffered in the divisional round win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, Mahomes played the entire game and threw for 326 yards and two touchdowns. He was limited in his ability to scramble to get out of trouble, but the play of the game was the only time he flashed his playmaking ability. Facing a third down in field goal range with the game tied, Mahomes scrambled and picked up the first down while also being aided by a penalty that allowed his team to make the game-winning field goal.

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For all Red Raider fans watching, it was just another example of how much desire Mahomes has. His toughness and playmaking were shown plenty of times in Jones AT&T Stadium when he had to make something out of nothing. Sunday’s AFC Championship Game was just another example to go on his resume.

Zech McPhearson saw limited action in the Eagles’ NFC Championship win against the San Francisco 49ers. He has spent the majority of this season playing on special teams but did manage to have one tackle toward the end of the game. After the victory, McPhearson took to social media to express how happy he felt getting a chance to play in the Super Bowl.

McPhearson spent the last two years of his college career as a Red Raider after transferring from Penn State. While his statistics were not off the charts, he developed a good reputation for always being around the football. His final two years at Tech were enough to convince the Eagles to draft him in the fourth round of the 2021 draft.

While both of these former Red Raiders have a contrast in notoriety, each contributed well to the school’s football program. Texas Tech coaches, faculty, alumni, and everyone who roots for the Red Raiders always enjoy seeing their athletes succeed at the professional level so Mahomes and McPhearson make this year’s Super Bowl extra sweet for Red Raider fans.