No matter who wins Super Bowl LVI, It will be another feather in the cap for both the WPIAL and the University of Pittsburgh.
Both the Cincinnati Bengals and the Los Angeles Rams have a former player of both on their roster.
Wide receiver Tyler Boyd, who played at Clairton and Pitt, was drafted in the second round of the 2016 draft by the Bengals.
The 27-year-old had 67 catches for 828 yards and five touchdowns this past season.
The other is three-time Defensive Player of the Year and one of the most dominant players in NFL history, Aaron Donald.
The Penn Hills native had 12.5 sacks, four forced fumbles and 84 total tackles in 2021.
Rams safety Eric Weddle said it was Donald that “rallied” the team when they were down 10 points in the third quarter.
A Super Bowl win would be the first World Championship for either player. Donald and the Rams lost Super Bowl LIII in 2019 to the New England Patriots 13-3.
As former Pitt star tight end and NFL player Dorin Dickerson puts it, it’s been a great year for Pitt football. An ACC Championship, Kenny Pickett finished in the top 3 in Heisman voting and now two former players are in the Super Bowl.