Baltimore Ravens defensive backs Marlon Humphrey (on the right) and Kyle Hamilton (on the left) express jubilation following an interception in an NFL game against the San Francisco 49ers on December 25, 2023, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Robin Alam/ISI Photos/Getty Images)
Article gifting is available for subscribers. Mark Inabinett, reachable at minabinett@al.com, reports that among the teams participating in the AFC Championship Game, twelve colleges have alumni on their active rosters. Additionally, fourteen colleges are represented on the active rosters of the teams in the NFC Championship Game.
Notably, only one college program, Notre Dame, boasts former players on the active rosters of all four teams, securing their position as the sole college program guaranteed to have a winning player in Super Bowl LVIII as the conference championship games approach on Sunday.
Alabama led in the number of former players appearing during the 2023 regular season with a total of 72 and commenced the postseason with the highest representation, featuring 28 former players on the active rosters of the 14 playoff teams. However, Alabama’s representation has dwindled to just four players, with three of them currently playing for the Detroit Lions.
A noteworthy statistic reveals that in fourteen out of the last fifteen Super Bowls, there has been at least one former Alabama player on the field. The lone exception was in Super Bowl LV on February 7, 2021, when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers secured a 31-9 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs, and former Tide tight end O.J. Howard, on injured reserve, was unable to play.
Auburn, unfortunately, saw its remaining five players eliminated as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Green Bay Packers exited during the Divisional Weekend. However, former Auburn offensive tackle Prince Tega Wanogho recently returned to practice with the Kansas City Chiefs after recuperating from a quadriceps injury sustained on September 24. Despite his return, the Chiefs did not activate him from injured reserve for the AFC Championship Games against the Baltimore Ravens.
In a positive light, North Alabama, Samford, and South Alabama each have one former player still in contention. The Southeastern Conference (SEC) collectively contributes 45 former players to the active rosters of the four teams, accounting for 21 percent of the players in the postseason.
Additionally, the active rosters for the postseason feature eight former high school standouts from Alabama.
