Garden State Stars Shine in Super Bowl Spotlight
As the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs prepare to face off in Super Bowl LIX at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans this Sunday, New Jersey will once again have a strong presence on football’s biggest stage. Five players with Garden State roots are set to participate in the championship rematch, representing their home state at the highest level of professional football.
According to Patch, four players who graduated from New Jersey high schools are on the official 53-man rosters for Sunday’s game. These hometown heroes developed their football skills on Garden State gridirons before ascending to NFL stardom.
Chiefs’ New Jersey Connections
Kansas City’s standout running back Isiah Pacheco, a Vineland High School graduate, will make his third consecutive Super Bowl appearance with the Chiefs. The Rutgers University alumnus has already cemented his place in NFL history as the first running back to start and win two championships in his first two seasons, according to Rutgers University records.
Pacheco, who has Puerto Rican heritage, was selected 251st overall in the 2022 NFL Draft after playing for the Scarlet Knights from 2018 to 2021. His meteoric rise from seventh-round selection to key offensive contributor has made him a source of pride for South Jersey.
Joining Pacheco on the Chiefs roster is rookie offensive lineman C.J. Hanson from Wyckoff. The DePaul Catholic High School graduate has an inspiring story of perseverance, having not earned a starting role at his high school until his senior year. This lack of game experience initially made him a no-star recruit, as reported by NBC New York.
Hanson eventually secured a full-time starting position at Holy Cross, leading to his selection by Kansas City in the seventh round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Now, the rookie has the rare opportunity to win a championship in his debut season as the Chiefs seek an unprecedented third consecutive Super Bowl victory.
I still think Isiah Pacheco is the most beautiful NFL player. In fact, he’s one of the most beautiful men ever! Those eyes are absolutely lethal! When he smiled…😭😭give me him!!! 😍😍 pic.twitter.com/AOzhP5bA41
— Vanessa Nguyen Hernández (@hernandez_64876) February 13, 2025
Eagles’ Jersey Representation
On the Philadelphia side, backup quarterback Kenny Pickett, who grew up in Oakhurst and graduated from Ocean Township High School, will make his Super Bowl debut. The 2022 first-round draft pick has family connections to the Eagles—his father grew up in the Philadelphia area before moving to New Jersey, making Pickett a lifelong Eagles fan prior to joining the team.
According to his team biography, Pickett was rated as “the nation’s No. 10 pro-style QB” by 247Sports during his high school career. He appeared in five regular season games this year and saw action in the Eagles’ NFC Championship victory over the Washington Commanders.
Long snapper Rick Lovato, a Middletown South High School graduate, brings championship experience to the Eagles roster. This will be Lovato’s third Super Bowl appearance, having been part of Philadelphia’s rosters for Super Bowl LII (2018) and Super Bowl LVII (2023).
Lovato’s New Jersey roots run deep—after graduating from Old Dominion University, he returned home to work at his family’s deli in Lincroft while continuing to train for a shot at the NFL. His persistence paid off when the Eagles signed him in 2016 after brief stints with the Green Bay Packers and Washington Redskins.
Additional Tri-State Representation
While not a high school graduate from New Jersey, Eagles linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. also has significant ties to the Garden State. Though he attended St. Joseph’s Prep in Philadelphia, Trotter grew up in Hainesport Township, approximately 24 miles outside of Philadelphia.
Trotter has football in his bloodline as the son of former linebacker and Eagles Hall of Famer Jeremiah Trotter Sr., who played eight seasons with Philadelphia and anchored the team’s dominant defense in the early 2000s.
Rematch with High Stakes
Sunday’s game marks a rematch of Super Bowl LVII from two years ago, when the Chiefs defeated the Eagles 38-35 on a Harrison Butker field goal in the final seconds. For Philadelphia, this championship opportunity represents a chance at redemption, while Kansas City is pursuing NFL history as the first team to win three consecutive Super Bowls.
While New Jersey’s three NFL-affiliated teams—the Giants, Jets, and honorary mention Eagles—didn’t make it to this year’s championship, the Garden State’s presence will still be felt through these five players who developed their talents on local fields before reaching the pinnacle of professional football.
The game kicks off at 6:30 p.m. EST on Sunday and will be broadcast on Fox, giving New Jersey fans plenty of hometown talent to cheer for regardless of team allegiance.
