97.1 The Ticket -- After what has been a wild three weeks of NFL playoff games, we are down to just two teams remaining. Super Bowl LIV will feature Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs against Jimmy Garoppolo and the San Francisco 49ers.
It'll also feature a handful of local ties, including one man who could be pretty important in determining the game's outcome.
San Francisco defensive coordinator Robert Saleh will be tasked with finding a way to slow down Mahomes and the Chiefs' high-caliber offensive attack. Saleh is a Dearborn native and Fordson High School alum, who went on to play at Northern Michigan University.
Though his current home base is on the West Coast, the 40-year-old says he still keeps an eye on Dearborn.
"My family's still there, my entire family's still there -- my mom's side, my dad's side, everyone's still there, all my friends. I still keep track of Fordson High School during the playoffs. I know how excited everybody is and I appreciate it and all that stuff, and I know there's a lot of 49ers fans in the city of Dearborn, so that's pretty cool," Saleh said during an interview with 97.1 The Ticket.
After a short stint on the Central Michigan coaching staff in 2004, Saleh broke into the league back in 2005 as a defensive intern with the Houston Texans and slowly moved up the ranks, with a stint as the Jacksonville Jaguars' linebackers coach being the springboard that landed him the gig in San Francisco.
He's just one of several 49ers with ties to Michigan, including a few former Lions. Detroit's 2015 first-round draft pick Laken Tomlinson is starting on San Francisco's offensive line, while tight end Levine Toilolo and defensive lineman and Michigan native Anthony Zettel are also on the active roster.
Former Lions GM Martin Mayhew is San Francisco's vice president of player personnel.
The Chiefs have a few Michigan ties as well -- including former No. 1 overall draft pick and Central Michigan Chippewa Eric Fisher. The Rochester native and Stoney Creek High School alum was a Pro Bowler in 2018 and has worked his way back into form after missing several weeks with an injury earlier this year. He was also subject to a fine from the NFL for his epic beer celebration in the Chiefs' playoff win over the Texans.
Other Chiefs who played their college ball in the state include defensive end Frank Clark (Michigan), backup QB Chad Henne (Michigan), offensive lineman Andrew Wylie (Eastern Michigan) and wide receiver Felton Davis (Michigan State), who is on injured reserve.
Also of note, the Tigers drafted the Mahomes in the 37th round of the 2014 MLB Draft. Mahomes, however, decided to go to Texas Tech to play football instead.
"They knew I was going to play football, but it was still a cool opportunity to get that accomplishment of having that and I appreciate them for giving me that chance," Mahomes said back in September when the Chiefs visited Detroit.
