The Super Bowl LVIII matchup is set and will see the AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs clash with the NFC champion San Francisco 49ers.
These two teams are no strangers to playing against each other on the game’s grandest stage, having played against each other in Super Bowl LIV, a Kansas City 31-20 win.
This game will see three players and three coaches represented with HBCU ties as either an alum or former coach.
Kansas City Chiefs
Players
Bryan Cook, Safety, Howard
In his second year in the NFL, Bryan Cook is already heading to his second Super Bowl. Cook spent his first two collegiate seasons playing for the Howard Bison before transferring to the University of Cincinnati.
In the 2022 NFL Draft, he was selected with the 62nd overall pick in the second round. After a solid rookie season, the former Bison was named a starter at safety to begin the 2023 season, recording his first career interception against the Los Angeles Chargers. He has been on injury reserve since suffering an ankle injury against the Green Bay Packers in week 13 of the regular season.
Joshua Williams, Defensive back, Fayetteville State
Also in his second year in the NFL, Joshua Williams is heading back to the Super Bowl alongside Cook. Williams was a star cornerback for Fayetteville State helping lead the team to three straight CIAA championship game appearances from 2018-2021.
This included a 2019 season in which he led the CIAA in passes defended. In the 2022 NFL Draft, he was selected with the 135th overall pick in the fourth round. The former Bronco got some big minutes in his rookie year, starting in four games. Williams recorded his first playoff interception in the AFC Championship game, helping his team clinch a berth in the Super Bowl.
Coaches
Terry Bradden Assistant Defensive Line, Howard/Tuskegee
In his seventh season as assistant defensive line coach with the Chiefs, Terry Bradden is making his fourth Super Bowl appearance. Bradden’s college career began at Howard, where he played quarterback for three years before transferring to Tuskegee. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from Tuskegee in 2014.
He began his coaching career at Florida Atlantic University. He spent a year there as a special teams coach before returning to his high school, Inlet Grove, serving as a head coach and athletic director. He then moved on to Bethune-Cookman as a graduate assistant before being hired by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2017. Bradden has played a pivotal role in developing All-Pro defensive end Chris Jones, one of two Chiefs defensive linemen to record over 10 sacks this season.
Kevin Saxton, Offensive Assistant, Former Benedict Offensive Coordinator
Kevin Saxton is making his first Super Bowl appearance in his first year as an Offensive Assistant with the Kansas City Chiefs. Saxton came to the Chiefs after spending a year at Benedict as the team’s offensive coordinator. Under his direction, the Tigers’ averaged 35.6 points per game, including a conference-high 52 offensive touchdowns. He helped the team record its first-ever undefeated regular season, claiming their first SIAC championship victory.
San Francisco 49ers
Players
Javon Hargrave, Defensive lineman, South Carolina State
For the second year in a row, Javon Hargrave is heading to the Super Bowl, this time as a member of the San Francisco 49ers. Hargrave played for the South Carolina State Bulldogs from 2012-2015, being named to the All-MEAC First Team in his final two seasons. In 2014, he tied an FCS single-game record with 6.0 sacks against Bethune-Cookman.
He transitioned to the NFL in 2016 as the 89th overall pick in the third round to the Pittsburgh Steelers. As a rookie, he helped the Steelers clinch a berth in the AFC championship game before being upended by the New England Patriots. After four years in Pittsburgh, he signed with the Philadelphia Eagles. In his first season with the team, he was named to his first Pro Bowl, then made his first Super Bowl appearance the following year. This year, his first with the San Francisco 49ers, Hargrave was named to his second Pro Bowl.
Coaches
Steve Wilks, Defensive Coordinator, Former Johnson C. Smith/Savannah State coach
San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks is heading to the Super Bowl in his first season as the team’s defensive coordinator. Wilks’ coaching career began at Johnson C. Smith in 1995, where he spent two seasons as the team’s defensive coordinator. He transitioned to Savannah State in 1997, spending two seasons as defensive coordinator before being promoted to head coach in 1999. He led the team to a 5-6 overall record in his one season as head coach.
After spending six years in various roles in the college ranks, Wilks moved on to the NFL, accepting the defensive backs coach job with the Chicago Bears. In his first season with the Bears, the team finished second in the league in interceptions, clinching a Super Bowl berth.
After spending time with the San Diego Chargers, he moved on to the Carolina Panthers, where he spent three years as the team’s defensive backs coach before being promoted to assistant head coach in 2015. It was in the 2015 season that he helped lead the team to a franchise-best 15-1 record, making it to the Super Bowl.
Wilks got his first opportunity as a head coach in the NFL in 2018 when the Arizona Cardinals hired him. The team went 3-13 in his lone season as head coach. His next opportunity came in 2022 when he was named interim coach of the Carolina Panthers, finishing with a 6-6 record.
