BI-STATE MO IL–Three players will enter Super Bowl LIX with two Missourians seeking to prevent points and one Illinoisian seeking to score. Both Missourians are Kansas City Chiefs defensive lineman. The lone Illinoisian is the Eagles kicker.

Chiefs’ fifth year defensive tackle Tershawn Wharton hails from University City in the Saint Louis area. He was drafted by the Chiefs in 2020 but is playing his best ball this season with career highs in tackles (29T), sacks (6.5), and passes deflected (2). In playoffs, Wharton had a sack in both games according to Pro Football Reference.

Chiefs’ second year defensive end out of Kansas State, Felix Anudike-Uzomah, comes from Kansas City, Missouri. He’s started three games this season but is not listed as a starter on the team’s website. The young native sees the field often in rotation with other defensive ends for Steve Spagnuolo’s notorious blitzes (“Spags” is the only coordinator in NFL history to win four Super Bowls and the sole coordinator to win a Super Bowl with more than one team). Anudike-Uzomah has built upon his rookie season by nearly doubling up his tackle count (27, up from 14) and sacked the quarterback 2.5 times this season. He also sacked Texans quarterback CJ Stroud in the divisional round of playoffs. 

Eagles’ kicker Jake Elliott grew up in La Grange, Illinois. He’s kicked in each of the last three Super Bowls for the Eagles, including their Super Bowl victory against the New England Patriots in 2018. Between his two Super Bowl appearances, Elliott is five for five on field goal attempts. Elliott is 28 of his 36 field goal attempts in the 2024 regular season, his second lowest conversion rate of his career. 

Super Bowl LIX, a rematch of Super Bowl LVII for many players, is on Feb. 9, 2025.