Three South Carolina Football Graduates Competing for Super Bowl Rings

Super Bowl Sunday has arrived, with the Philadelphia Eagles set to compete against the Kansas City Chiefs in the New Orleans Superdome. The Chiefs are aiming for their third consecutive Lombardi Trophy. While no former Gamecocks are currently on the active rosters for either team, three South Carolina football alumni still have the chance to earn rings during the Big Game.

Tight end Nick Muse finished the season on the Philadelphia Eagles’ practice squad after spending much of the year with the Minnesota Vikings. Cornerback Darius Rush also wrapped up the 2024 season on a practice squad, transitioning from the Pittsburgh Steelers to the Chiefs.

On the coaching side, former Gamecock defender Rod Wilson is aiming for his fourth Super Bowl ring with the Chiefs. Wilson has spent six of the last eight seasons with Kansas City, and in one of the years he wasn’t with the team (2020), he served as the linebackers coach at South Carolina. Over the years, Wilson has taken on various coaching roles in Kansas City, and in 2024, he’s been the outside linebackers coach.

Super Bowl LIX will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, with Fox providing the broadcast. The game will also be available for streaming on both the FoxSports app and the NFL app.

During their time at South Carolina, Rush, Muse, and Wilson all made significant contributions to the program. Both Wilson and Muse earned All-SEC honors (Wilson as a hybrid linebacker/safety, Muse as a tight end), and Rush was also deserving of that recognition. All three players were selected in the NFL Draft: Wilson was chosen in the 7th round by the Chicago Bears in 2005, Muse was picked in the 7th round by the Minnesota Vikings in 2022, and Rush was drafted in the 5th round by the Indianapolis Colts in 2023.