Sunday’s Tremendous Bowl 56 matchup between the NFC’s Los Angeles Rams and the AFC’s Cincinnati Bengals can have some native taste.
Here's a record of gamers and coaches with Maryland ties to look out for at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California:
Rams working again Jake Funk
Funk, a seventh-round choose within the 2021 draft, is in his first yr with the Rams after dashing for 968 yards and 10 touchdowns in 5 seasons at Maryland. In 2020, Funk was named third-team All-Large Ten after main the league in yards per carry (8.60). The now-24-year-old was a star at Damascus Excessive College, the place he ran for two,866 yards and 57 touchdowns as a senior whereas main the Hornets to the Class 3A state title.
Rams security Eric Weddle
The six-time Professional Bowl security performed three seasons for the Ravens, totaling 220 tackles and 10 interceptionsfrom 2016 to 2019. The 37-year-old Weddle’s journey to the Tremendous Bowl is exclusive. The 12-year veteran, who additionally performed 9 seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers, was retired for almost two full seasons when the Rams signed him forward of their wild-card-round victory over the Arizona Cardinals final month.
Throughout Weddle’s embellished profession, he has recorded 1,179 tackles, 29 interceptions and 38 tackles for loss.
Rams cornerback Darious Williams
The Jacksonville, Florida, native began his profession as a walk-on on the College of Alabama at Birmingham earlier than incomes first-team All-America honors by Professional Soccer Focus as a senior in 2017. After going undrafted in 2018, Williams, 29, signed with the Ravens and performed three video games in Baltimore earlier than being launched. He signed with the Rams in October 2018 and finally grew right into a dependable defender for Los Angeles, beginning 26 video games over the previous three seasons. He’s set to develop into an unrestricted free agent this offseason.
Bengals linebacker Keandre Jones
Jones, a second-year linebacker, performed for the Terps in 2019 after showing in 34 video games in three seasons at Ohio State. Throughout his lone season at Maryland, he led the staff in tackles for loss (15), sacks (seven) and compelled fumbles (three) to earn All-Large Ten honorable point out.
Jones, 24, signed with the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent however was waived earlier than the beginning of the 2020 season. He was on the Bengals’ apply squad for almost all of final season and performed in two video games late within the yr earlier than being added to the 53-man roster.
Popping out of Good Counsel in Olney, Jones was a four-star recruit and performed within the Beneath Armour All-American sport as a senior.
Rams cornerback Blake Countess
The Owings Mills native starred at Good Counsel and was chosen to play within the 2010 U.S. Military All-American Bowl. He performed three seasons at Michigan earlier than transferring to Auburn for his senior yr.
Countess, 28, was picked by the Philadelphia Eagles within the sixth spherical of the 2016 draft and had stints with the Rams, New York Jets and Ravens earlier than becoming a member of Los Angeles once more earlier than its Tremendous Bowl run.
Bengals nostril deal with Zach Kerr
Kerr helped Quince Orchard win a state championship in 2007 earlier than enjoying at Maryland underneath former coach Ralph Friedgen. Kerr performed two seasons with the Terps earlier than transferring to Delaware and later signed with the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2014.
The 31-year-old Kerr additionally performed for the Denver Broncos, Carolina Panthers, Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers earlier than being signed by the Bengals off the Cardinals’ apply squad final month.
Rams proper deal with Rob Havenstein
Havenstein, 29, has made 99 begins in seven seasons for the Rams after being picked within the second spherical within the 2015 draft. The previous Wisconsin star was named consensus first-team All-Large Ten in his closing school season and was invited to the 2015 Senior Bowl. He made a direct impression with the Rams, incomes All-Rookie honors from the Professional Soccer Writers of America.
The Mount Ethereal native performed for Linganore Excessive College and was thought-about the highest offensive deal with in Maryland and No. 33 deal with within the nation within the Class of 2010.
Bengals proper deal with Isaiah Prince
A local of Greenbelt in Prince George’s County, Prince was a four-star prospect and the No. 1 participant within the state of Maryland popping out of Eleanor Roosevelt Excessive College in 2015. He was a three-year starter at proper deal with for Ohio State, incomes first-team All-Large Ten honors as a senior earlier than being picked by the Miami Dolphins within the sixth spherical of the 2019 NFL draft.
Prince, 24, performed 4 video games in Miami earlier than being launched and joined the Bengals in December 2019. After opting out of the 2020 season due to coronavirus considerations, Prince took over at proper deal with when Riley Reiff suffered a season-ending ankle damage and helped the Bengals attain the Tremendous Bowl for the primary time in 33 years.
Bengals senior defensive assistant Mark Duffner
Duffner spent 5 years as head coach at Maryland and led the Terps to a 20-35 document from 1992 to 1996. His solely successful season in School Park was in 1995, after they went 6-5.
The 68-year-old Duffner, who has coached within the NFL for 25 years, was the Bengals’ linebackers coach and defensive coordinator from 1997 to 2002. He coached for the Inexperienced Bay Packers, Dolphins, Jacksonville Jaguars and Tampa Bay Buccaneers earlier than rejoining the Bengals’ employees as a senior defensive assistant in 2019.
Bengals particular groups coordinator/assistant head coach Darrin Simmons
Simmons entered the NFL in 1998 with the Ravens, serving as assistant particular groups coach and assistant power and conditioning coach. Now in his nineteenth season with the Bengals, he stands because the longest-tenured coach on employees, spending the whole lot of his time in Cincinnati main the particular groups items. Simmons, 48, additionally coached with the Panthers from 1999 to 2002 earlier than becoming a member of the Bengals in 2003.