The state of South Carolina has two former players looking for rings in the Super Bowl LV.
The Kansas City Chiefs defeated Buffalo Bills 38-22 on Sunday night to win a trip back to the Super Bowl. This means that Antonio Hamilton and Alex Brown will soon be able to add some new hardware.
This would be a second touch for Brown, who picked up one in 2020, when the Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl LIV. He is currently on the injury reservation after tearing his ACL last fall.
Hamilton will make his first Super Bowl appearance when the Chiefs face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on February 7. He is in his first season with the Chiefs after jumping through the league in his early seasons. He signed with the Chiefs last spring, after playing with the New York Giants in 2019.
The Johnston, SC native was a prominent return man at SC State, totaling 1,316 combined kick and punt yards in his junior and senior seasons, earning All-Conference honors as a return man in 2015.
In the NFL, he spent most of his time covering kicks. This versatility made it attractive to Super Bowl champions.
To make the Chiefs win even better for Hamilton, it was the fact that it happened on his birthday.
The SC State pair for the Chiefs will neutralize another MEAC football pair for the Bucs. Former North Carolina central defender Ryan Smith is on active roster, while point guard Nick Leverette is on the Bucs training team. Quinton Bell of Prairie View is also on the training team.
The Chiefs also have a former HBCU student as a coach. Defensive quality control technician Terry Bodden began his university career at Howard before moving to Tuskegee.
Either way, two HBCU players will receive Super Bowl rings.