Super Bowl is set. 5 players with Kentucky ties who've played big roles in NFL title games

Brooks Warren, Louisville Courier Journal

The 2024 Super Bowl is set. The Kansas City Chiefs will face the San Francisco 49ers on Feb. 11 in Las Vegas.

A number of players with Kentucky ties have played prominent roles in the NFL title games.

Here is a look at five of the best:

Deion Branch, WR

Former Louisville standout Deion Branch was selected as Super Bowl MVP after he had a record-tying 11 receptions for 133 yards to help the New England Patriots defeat the Philadelphia Eagles, 24-21, in the 2005 Super Bowl.

Shaun Alexander, RB

Seahawks running back Shaun Alexander carries the ball after taking a handoff from quarterback Matt Hasselbeck during the third quarter of the 2006 Super Bowl against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Seahawks running back Shaun Alexander carries the ball after taking a handoff from quarterback Matt Hasselbeck during the third quarter of the 2006 Super Bowl against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Shaun Alexander, a former Mr. Football selection from Boone County, capped his 2005 NFL MVP season by leading the Seattle Seahawks to the 2006 Super Bowl against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Alexander ran for a game-high 95 yards against the Steelers, who won 21-10.

George Blanda, QB/K

Raiders quarterback and kicker George Blanda relaxes on his helmet during a workout Sept. 20, 1973, in Oakland, California.
Raiders quarterback and kicker George Blanda relaxes on his helmet during a workout Sept. 20, 1973, in Oakland, California.

George Blanda, a former quarterback and kicker at Kentucky, made two PATs in the Oakland Raiders' 1968 Super Bowl loss to the Green Bay Packers, who won 33-14.

Dermontti Dawson, OL

Former NFL player Dermontti Dawson poses with a bust of himself during an induction ceremony at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in August 2012.
Former NFL player Dermontti Dawson poses with a bust of himself during an induction ceremony at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in August 2012.

Dermontti Dawson, a Lexington native, Bryant Station alum and former UK standout, headlined the Steelers' offensive line during Pittsburgh's 27-17 loss in the 1996 Super Bowl to the Dallas Cowboys. Dawson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2012.

Irv Goode, LS/OL

Lineman Irv Goode (55), who played for the Cardinals, Bills and Dolphins in his NFL career, won his only championship with Miami.
Lineman Irv Goode (55), who played for the Cardinals, Bills and Dolphins in his NFL career, won his only championship with Miami.

Irv Goode, who was born in Newport and played for Boone County and at UK, helped the Miami Dolphins win the 1974 Super Bowl as a long snapper and backup offensive lineman. Goode won his first and only championship with the Dolphins, who defeated the Minnesota Vikings 24-7.

Reach sports reporter Brooks Warren at bwarren@gannett.com and follow him on X at @Broookksss.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Super Bowl 2024: 5 with Kentucky ties who've played big roles in game

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