MAC Alum Edelman, McVay and Natson To Play in Super Bowl LIII
ATLANTA, Ga. -- Three noteable MAC alum highlight participants in this Sunday's Super Bowl LIII between the New England Patriots against the Los Angeles Rams. New England wide receiver Julian Edelman (Kent State), Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay (Miami) and Rams wide receiver and punt returner JoJo Natson (Akron) will all play a role in determining this year's NFL Champion.
Edelman was quarterback of the Kent State teams' that faced Miami in 2006 and 2007, whose offense included wide receiver Sean McVay, current head coach of the Rams. Edelman has made major contributions in each of New England's last two Super Bowl wins, including one of the greatest catches in the game's history in February of 2017. Ready to make his fifth Super Bowl appearance at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Edelman recently moved into second place for career NFL playoff receptions with 105.
Kent State's list of former football player appearances at the Super Bowl will increase to a MAC-leading 25 on Sunday when Edelman steps onto the field for the New England Patriots in Atlanta. Other noteable Kent State alum include James Harrison, who also made one of the greatest plays in Super Bowl history with a 100-yard interception for a touchdown in the Steelers' Super Bowl XLIII win over the Arizona Cardinals. The Flashes will also be represented for the fifth time by Josh Boyer, New England's cornerbacks coach. Boyer's coaching beginnings go back to Kent State, where he served as a graduate assistant in 2002 and 2003 under Dean Pees.
Former Kent State coaches will be represented on a Super Bowl staff for the 14th time, dating back to Don McCafferty as offensive coordinator of the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III and the winning head coach in Super Bowl V. Last season, former Golden Flash Gene Steratore served as referee at Super Bowl LII. Don Nottingham was the first former player to make an appearance in Super Bowl VIII. Nineteen of the Flashes' 25 player appearances have come in the last 21 years.
McVay, who just turned 33, is the current head coach of the Los Angeles Rams and played wide receiver for the Miami RedHawks from 2004-07, earning the team's Scholar Athlete Award in 2007. Prior to joining the Rams, McVay was the offensive coordinator for the Washington Redskins from 2014-16.
Three of McVay's assistant coaches on his Rams' staff also have ties to Oxford, Ohio -- Aaron Kromer, Chris Shula and Dustin Woods -- as all three graduated from Miami University and played for the Red and White. Kromer joined McVay with the Rams prior to the 2017 season as the team's run game coordinator, helping Todd Gurley to back-to-back Pro Bowl seasons. Kromer played at Miami from 1986-89. Shula is the assistant linebacker coach for the Rams and played at Miami from 2005-08. Woods played for Miami from 2006-09, and is currently the Rams assistant strength and conditioning coach.
Natson played his senior season at Akron after transferring from Utah State. Natson earned a bachelor's degree in organizational supervision from Akton in the Fall of 2016. At 5-7, Natson is the shortest player on either roster for Super Bowl LIII. This season he has played in 13 games, returning 26 punts for 280 yards and six kickoffs for 108 yards after joining the Rams in August as a free agent.
A first-team All-MAC selection at punt returner and a second-team All-MAC pick at wide receiver, Natson was named Akron's outstanding offensive performer in 2016. He appeared in all 12 games with 11 starts. The Zips' leading scorer with 12 touchdowns for 72 points, he finished second in receiving with 59 receptions for 837 yards and a team-best 10 touchdowns. On special teams, Natson had 16 punt returns for 261 yards and two touchdowns.
Natson is the fourth Zip to play in the Super Bowl. He joins linebacker Chase Blackburn (2001-04) and wide receiver Domenik Hixon (2002-05), who won two championships with the New York Giants in 2008 and 2012; and defensive back Dwight Smith (1997-00), who won a championship with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2003. No Zip has ever lost in the Super Bowl. Blackburn's fourth-quarter interception of New England Patriots' Tom Brady in Super Bowl XLVI kept the game 17-15. The Giants went on to win the game, 21-17, giving Blackburn his second Super Bowl ring. Smith became the first player in NFL history to return two interceptions for touchdowns in Super Bowl history, doing so in Tampa Bay's 48-21 win over Oakland in Super Bowl XXXVII.
