NFL players with an Alabama connection shine bright in Super Bowl 50
NFL player Evan Mathis (69) playing for Philadelphia Eagles. (Solomon Crenshaw/Alabama NewsCenter)
Wenonah High football coach Ronald Cheatham thinks his Dragons could have had a special guest at their football banquet Monday night. But former Wenonah standout Joe Webb, who played collegiately at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, had a previous commitment.
“It’s called Super Bowl Sunday,” Cheatham said. “You can’t get mad at him but I wanted him to give a shout-out and we were going to shout back at him to let him know we’re all proud of him. We’re going to be pulling hard for those Carolina Panthers.”
S/O to BCS grads Jerricho Cotchery, center, & @joewebb_14, right, as they prep for #SuperBowl50. pic.twitter.com/oIwzGYyiuE
— BhamCitySchools (@BhamCitySchools) February 2, 2016
Webb, who paid for the banquet venue and bought lettermen jackets for the Dragons’ 10 seniors, is one of 13 players and coaches in Super Bowl 50 with connections to Alabama. Former Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton is likely the most recognizable of the state products; he is one of two former Auburn University players on the Carolina active roster along with running back Cameron Artis-Payne.
Wenonah seniors in lettermen jackets from Joe Webb.
The University of Alabama has three former players at Levi Stadium, the new home of the San Francisco 49ers. The Panthers have two – wide receiver Kevin Norwood and former Prattville High safety Roman Harper – and the Denver Broncos one in former Homewood High offensive guard Evan Mathis.
Troy University has a player on each roster – Carolina defensive end Mario Addison, a Tarrant High product, and Broncos outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware, a native of Auburn. Carolina cornerback Cortland Finnegan is a Samford University product.
AL.com reported that Super Bowl 50 sets the record for having the most products of Alabama high schools with seven. That includes former Phillips High wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery of the Panthers and Broncos safety Darian Stewart of Lee-Huntsville High.
Alabama and Auburn each has coaching representation on the sidelines. Former Alabama quarterback and head coach Mike Shula is Carolina’s offensive coordinator. Denver linebackers coach Reggie Herring coached Auburn’s linebackers from 1982 to 1985.
Retired Homewood coach Bob Newton is hoping Denver wins because of his big connection with Mathis. “But there’s a guy (Finnegan) who played at Samford that my son played with,” he said. “And Roman Harper; I coached him in an all-star game one time.”
“Evan’s turned into quite a very good player up there,” Newton said. “We’re just glad to see him get a chance to play in the big one.”
Former Phillips basketball coach Alvin Moore remembers Cotchery as the kind of player every coach wished he had.
DeMarcus Ware and Carolina Panther Luke Kuechly talk about Super Bowl 50 (Solomon Crenshaw, Jr./Alabama NewsCenter)
“He’s got the same kind of personality, a kid who never got into any trouble,” Moore recalled. “He could play football or basketball. But he made the right choice, going with football. He ain’t got blazing, blazing speed but he’s got great hands.”
Cotchery told Alabama NewsCenter that reaching the Super Bowl is a truly wonderful feeling.
“I’m just thankful that God would allow this to happen at this stage of my career,” the 12-year veteran said.
(Cover photo courtesy of Solomon Crenshaw, Jr./Alabama NewsCenter)
