SANTA CLARA, Calif. – It’s a rare feat to see the Inland Northwest so featured in any Super Bowl, especially between five players across the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots.
“Remembering where you came from and the relationships that you had there, it was a very special time,” Seahakws wide receiver Cooper Kupp said.
The Pats feature three of the five, including the first Super Bowl roster with a player from EWU, Idaho and WSU since the 1991 Super Bowl XXIV champion Washington.
“I had the opportunity to play with my brother there, be coached by my dad there, and then, I met my wife there,” Patriots linebacker and former Vandal Christian Elliss said. “I’m just so thankful for the university, thankful for everything they did for me. It’s honestly a huge honor to be able to represent them.”
Idaho’s Elliss anchors the New England defense, and he’s the first of four NFL brothers and father to make a Super Bowl, entering his second run still looking for a ring.
“There’s a lot that, if I don’t do my job, I can let the team down, I can let the city down,” Elliss said. “Not putting all the pressure on me, obviously, but there’s just a lot more that comes with that. But, at the same time, there’s a lot more opportunities.”
Coug Kyle Williams and Eag Efton Chism III make up the Pats’ wide receiver depth and remain so proud to represent their schools as rookies.
“It just shows that, you know, the Palouse has its products,” Williams said. “We can produce what every other big-time school can produce as well, so it’s just, yeah, we’re in a small town and yeah, we don’t have all the resources, but that doesn’t mean we don’t get the same amount of talent and the same development.”
“It’s awesome,” Chism said. “Like you said, I think Eastern Washington shaped me and helped me become a better man, a better player. I’m really looking forward to representing the school, and I know Coop is as well.”
Efton mentions the most decorated local player in the big game: former Super Bowl MVP and EWU legend Cooper Kupp.
“So many of my friends that I had met there will be lifelong friends,” Kupp said. “The coaches that spent so much time pouring into me, I truly was built during that time. In terms of all the things I do now, all the tools now were taught by the receiver coaches I had at Eastern Washington, so, incredibly thankful for my time there.”
Joining Kupp on the hawks is offensive tackle and former Coug Abe Lucas, who rose to the starting role on the right side of the offensive line.
“I love Pullman,” Lucas said. “I love the community, love the people that I met there. The experience that I had there playing for mike leach. Yeah, I can’t say enough positive things about it.”
Seahawks and Patriots kick off at Levi’s Stadium at 3:30 p.m. tomorrow for Super Bowl LX.
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