The NFL is littered with former Alabama football players making an impact in a significant way. And on Feb. 9, six former Crimson Tide players will have a chance to win it all.
After a 55-23 win against the Washington Commanders in the NFC championship game Sunday, the Philadelphia Eagles will play in its fifth Super Bowl in team history. The Eagles are looking for its first Super Bowl win since 2018.
The Eagles will play the Kansas City Chiefs, which does not have a former Alabama player on its roster.
The Eagles will take on the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX at 5:30 p.m. CT from the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans Feb. 9.
Here are the six Crimson Tide players that will try for a Super Bowl championship:
OL Landon Dickerson
A former first-team All-American, Rimington Trophy winner and Florida State transfer, Landon Dickerson was selected in the second round of the 2021 NFL draft. Since, he’s been named a three-time Pro Bowl team member.
Dickerson been a mainstay on the Eagles starting offensive line mostly at left guard, but returned to center in the NFC championship against the Washington Commanders. He played the first half, but was sidelined for the second half with a knee injury.
WR DeVonta Smith
A former Heisman Trophy and Maxwell Award winner, and a unanimous All-American, DeVonta Smith’s production has continued for the Eagles in the NFL.
In 63 regular season games for the Eagles, Smith, a former No. 10 overall pick of the 2021 NFL draft, has 308 receptions for 4,011 yards and 27 touchdowns. Smith has averaged more than 1,000 yards and seven touchdown receptions per regular season.
QB Jalen Hurts
While Oklahoma has a claim as well, Alabama football fans have watched Jalen Hurts become on of the top quarterbacks in the NFL.
A former second-round pick in the 2020 NFL draft, Hurts is a two-time Pro Bowl team member and and is tied for the NFL record for most rushing touchdowns in a season by a quarterback with 15 in 2023.
Hurts has 85 passing touchdowns, 55 rushing touchdowns and 39 interceptions in five seasons, and has a 46-20 regular-season record as a starting quarterback. He has a 5-3 record in the NFL playoffs.
OL Tyler Steen
A former third-round pick of the 2023 NFL draft, Tyler Steen has played all over the Eagles’ offensive line in his two NFL seasons.
A second-team All-SEC left tackle who transferred to the Crimson Tide in 2022 for his final season of eligibility, Steen has played four of five offensive line spots for the Eagles. Per Pro Football Focus, he played 386 snaps in 2024, and made a start for the Eagles at left guard in the NFC championship against the Commanders.
CB Eli Ricks
After one season with Alabama in 2022, where he had 13 tackles and four pass deflections in nine games, Eli Ricks was signed by the Eagles as an undrafted free agent. where he had three pass deflections as a rookie in 2023.
Ricks has appeared in seven games in 2024, mostly appearing on special teams.
DL Byron Young
A 2023 third-round NFL draft pick and a former second-team All-SEC defensive lineman, Byron Young was claimed off waivers by the Eagles in August. He’s spent the 2024 season on IR with a hamstring injury.
In one season with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2024, Young had four tackles.
TE Cameron Latu
The Eagles signed former Alabama tight end Cameron Latu to the practice squad before the team’s win NFC championship win against the Commanders.
Latu had eight touchdowns for the Crimson Tide in 2021 after moving from linebacker to tight end, and was a third-round pick of the 2023 NFL draft by the San Francisco 49ers. He spent most of 2024 on the Cleveland Browns’ practice squad.
Philadelphia Eagles has former Alabama football coaches on staff
The six former Crimson Tide players are not the only representatives of Alabama on the Eagles.
Jeff Stoutland was Nick Saban’s offensive line coach at Alabama in 2011-12 before becoming the Eagles’ offensive line coach in 2013. He added the title of run game coordinator in 2018.
Doug Nussmeier was Saban’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Alabama in 2012-13. He was hired by Michigan on 2014 as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach before a three-year stop at Florida. Nussmeier was hired as the Eagles’ quarterbacks coach in 2024.
Joe Pannunzio was Saban’s tight ends coach and special teams coordinator at Alabama in 2017 before he was named as the Crimson Tide’s running backs coach in 2018. He was also Alabama’s director of football operations from 2011-14. Pannunzio was hired as the Eagles’ assistant special teams coach in 2021 after a two-season stint as the team’s director of player development.
Colin Gay covers Alabama football for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at cgay@gannett.com or follow him @_ColinGay on X, formerly known as Twitter.Â
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Which Alabama football players will play in Super Bowl LIX?
