Although the New York Jets and Giants fell short of the NFL Playoffs yet again, both squads are well represented in Super Bowl 54.
The New York City area is once again shut out from the Super Bowl conversation, and neither the Giants nor Jets are exactly inspiring hope for that trend to end any time soon. Instead, the Kansas City Chiefs will do battle with the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday night in Miami (6:30 p.m. ET, FOX).
However, the metropolitan area is not without representation, as many New Yorkers and Jerseyites alike will be on the field and sidelines…
Kansas City Chiefs
CB Morris Claiborne (Jets 2017-18)
Claiborne was able to get his career somewhat back on track in New York after a few injury-riddled seasons with the Cowboys. He set career-highs in tackles and interceptions last season before signing with the Chiefs in August. The defender was injured once again, forcing him to miss a good portion of the season. He was cleared for action for the AFC title game, but did not partake.
LB Darron Lee (Jets 2016-18)
The former Jets first-round pick was traded to Kansas City for a sixth-rounder last May. In 16 regular-season games, he earned 31 tackles. Lee is looking to add a Super Bowl ring to a resume that already includes a college football national championship with Ohio State in 2015.
FB John Lovett (IR) (Princeton 2015-18)
Lovett partook in a single preseason game for the Chiefs, earning 23 yards on a pair of receptions in a win over Cincinnati. A separated shoulder has singe relegated him to injured reserve. Prior to that, the Ivy Leaguer was making a roster as a fullback/tight end hybrid after spending his time at Princeton as a quarterback.
CB Jordan Lucas (White Plains, NY)
An alum of New Rochelle High School, Lucas was a sixth-round pick of Miami in 2016 before joining up with the Chiefs last season. He partook in 16 games this season, including both Kansas City playoff games.
RB Elijah McGuire (PS) (Jets 2017-18)
McGuire ran for 591 yards over two seasons as a Jet, joining the team as a sixth-round pick in 2017. After the Jets released him at the end of the summer, McGuire briefly spent time on Cleveland’s active roster before joining Kansas City’s practice squad in November.
Secondary Coach Dave Merritt (Jets 2001-03, Giants 2004-17)
Merritt joined the Kansas City staff after a one-year stint with the Arizona Cardinals. The Chiefs earned 16 interceptions under his watch, a haul good for a fourth-place tie during the regular season. Merritt will go for his third Super Bowl ring on Sunday, having earned two with the Giants.
DT Mike Pennel (Jets 2017-18)
Pennel earned 62 tackles over two seasons as a Jet. He signed a three-year deal after his first season, but the Jets declined his $2.5 million option, making him a free agent. After a failed stop in New England, Pennel joined the Chiefs for eight games and earned six tackles over their two postseason triumphs.
T Greg Senat (IR) (Wagner 2016-17)
Senat made a name for himself on both the gridiron and the hardwood as a Seahawk. He was able to play a strong fifth-year senior season into a slot at the 2018 NFL Draft. Senat was waived by his Baltimore drafters in September but signed with the Chiefs two days later. He was placed on injured reserve in November.
DC Steve Spagnuolo (Giants 2007-08, 2015-17)
It was the pressure of Spagnulolo’s defense that rattled Tom Brady and the Patriots back in Super Bowl XLII. After a sojourn that included a stint as the Rams’ head coach, Spagnuolo spent three more yearsSpagnuolo is back in the Big Game under compatriot Andy Reid. It’s their second Super Bowl together, having previously battled the Patriots in Philadelphia in the 38th edition.
San Francisco 49ers
Offensive Quality Control Coach Miles Austin (Monmouth)
The former receiver is best known for his years with the Dallas Cowboys, but he got his start in Long Branch. Some of his records as a Hawk have been broken, but he continues to hold the Dallas single-game record for yardage. Austin led the NFC in receiving during the 2009 season and reached two Pro Bowls. This marks his first season in San Francisco after spending two years as a scout in Dallas.
K Robbie Gould (Giants 2016)
Gould took over as the Giants’ kicker after Josh Brown was suspended for domestic violence. He converted all of his field-goal attempts in a Giants uniform, going a perfect 10-for-10.
S Dontae Johnson (Pennington, NJ)
A two-sport athlete at The Pennington School, Johnson is in the midst of his third stint with San Francisco. He partook in three games with the 49ers this season, in addition to two others with the Los Angeles Chargers.
DE Damontre Moore (IR) (Giants 2013-15)
Moore’s Giants tenure is perhaps best-known for a 2015 dispute with Cullen Jenkins over free headphones. He has since been affiliated with seven different teams, including the extinct San Diego Fleet of the Alliance of American Football (he wound up finishing second in the league in sacks). Moore came up big for San Francisco in a November win over Arizona, forcing a fumble that helped them seal the deal. He was lost to a broken forearm one week later.
RB Raheem Mostert (Jets 2016)
The breakout star of the NFL playoffs (220 yards and four touchdowns in the NFC title game win over the Packers) was a Jet, or at least a Jets practice squader, for all of six days during the 2016 season. If it’s any consolation to a beleaguered fanbase, the Jets were hardly the first team to miss out on his potential. Chicago, for example, picked him up less than 24 hours after the Jets bid him farewell. He was in San Francisco by November of that season.
C Weston Richburg (IR) (Giants 2014-17)
Richburg was the Giants’ second-round pick in 2014, emerging out of Colorado State. He signed with the 49ers in 2018 via a five-year, $47.5 million contract. Alas, Richburg was lost for the season during San Francisco’s crucial Week 14 win in New Orleans, tearing his patellar tendon.
DB K’Wuan Williams (Paterson, NJ)
In his third season in red and gold, Williams tallied 51 tackles, four forced fumbles, and two interceptions. Prior to his arrival in San Francisco, he played at St. Joseph Regional in Montvale, NJ, where he also served as a receiver. Williams had seven tackles, including a sack of Aaron Rodgers in the 37-20 win over Green Bay in the NFC Championship Game.
DB Coach & Passing Game Coordinator Joe Woods (Hofstra 1998-2000)
Some of Woods’ first experiences in playoff football came with the Pride’s defunct program. He helped guide the team to back-to-back quarterfinal appearances in the Division I-AA (now Football Championship Subdivision) playoffs. Woods would later win a Super Bowl with the Denver Broncos in 2016.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffMags5490.
