Five Georgia players make Super Bowl as Bulldogs extend streak
Five Georgia Bulldogs are bound for the Super Bowl after the results of Sunday’s conference championship games in the NFL – and at least two are guaranteed to take home a title. Representing the AFC with the Kansas City Chiefs will be Mecole Hardman and Malik Herring while Robert Beal, Chris Conley and Charlie Woerner will suit up for the San Francisco 49ers on the NFC side of things.
It’s the 23rd straight season that Georgia has had a former player in the Super Bowl, tied with LSU for the longest active streak. The streak started in 2002 when Patrick Pass and Jermaine Wiggins made an appearance with the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXVI, winning 20-17 over the St. Louis Rams in New Orleans for the first title of the Patriots dynasty. Most recently, Hardman and Herring were with the Chiefs last year while on the opposite side of Super Bowl LVII were Jordan Davis and Nakobe Dean in their respective rookie seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Hardman, who has been a part of two Super Bowl winning teams already in 2019 and 2022, has been the most productive of the players this season from a statistical perspective. In nine games with Kansas City, he has 16 catches for 123 yards. He started the season off with the New York Jets where he made just four appearances.
Meanwhile, Herring is responsible for 13 total tackles including a trio in the playoffs with 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble on the season.
From an impact perspective, Woerner might have Hardman beat out as one of the regulars on the field for the 49ers. He played in 18 games – catching three passes for 32 yards – and provided a major boost as a blocker in the run game. According to Pro Football Focus, 63% of his snaps entering the conference championship were in run blocking situations, and the NFC Championship Game was no different as Woerner opened several holes for the 49ers in their comeback effort.
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Conley caught an important pass for the 49ers in their Divisional Round win over the Green Bay Packers having seen an uptick in snaps recently, while Beal has been active for six straight games, primarily providing assistance on special teams.
Hardman and Woerner each signed with Georgia in the Class of 2016, Kirby Smart’s first as head coach in Athens. They were joined by Beal and Herring in 2017, a team that won the SEC Championship and made Georgia’s first appearance in the College Football Playoffs. Conley, a nine-year veteran in the league, suited up for the Bulldogs between 2011 and 2014.
Super Bowl LVIII is set for February 11th at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. CBS will have the broadcast for the big game with kickoff time set for 6:30 p.m. ET.
