LOS ANGELES — USC and UCLA fans both have reasons to root for the Kansas City Chiefs against the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX Sunday in New Orleans.
Rookie Carson Steele, who completed his college career at UCLA after playing at Ball State in 2021 and 2022, is the Chiefs' No. 1 fullback after signing with the team as an undrafted free agent. He was second among AFC fullbacks in Pro Bowl voting behind Baltimore's Patrick Ricard.
Steele rushed for 183 yards on 56 carries in the regular season. He does not have any postseason carries.
"Carson has done a nice job," Kansas City coach Andy Reid said. "We've asked him to play fullback and special teams, two of the things that he didn't do, and he's really developed into a pretty good fullback in there. At the same time, he can carry the ball, we know that.
"He started the season off as our running back and toting the load there in a couple of those games, so, that's a plus to have."
Former USC standout receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster rejoined the Chiefs on Aug. 26, 17 days after being cut by the New England Patriots. Smith-Schuster made 18 catches for 231 yards and two touchdowns in the regular season and two catches for 60 yards in the postseason.
Smith-Schuster was Kansas City's second-leading receiver in their Super Bowl LVII-winning 2022 season with 78 receptions for 933 yards and three touchdowns, then signed with the Patriots for the 2023 season.
Rookie cornerback Chris Roland-Wallace was signed by the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent after completing his college career at USC in 2023 after playing for Arizona from 2019-22. He made 29 tackles and two interceptions in 17 regular-season games, starting two. He has not made any tackles in two postseason games.
Former USC running back Keaontay Ingram is on Kansas City's practice squad while former Trojans defensive tackle Marlon Tuipulotu is on their injured reserve list.
This will be the 51st Super Bowl to include a USC alumnus and 44th to include a UCLA alumnus.
Smith-Schuster (Long Beach Poly) and Roland-Wallace (Knight) are among five Chiefs to have played high school football in Los Angeles or Orange counties, along with cornerbacks Trent McDuffie (St. John Bosco) and Keith Taylor (Servite) and receiver Nikko Remigio (Mater Dei).
Chiefs receiver Marquise "Hollywood" Brown was the leading receiver for College of the Canyons in Santa Clarita in 2016 following a high school career at Chaminade-Madonna High School in Hollywood, Florida, his hometown.
Brown said he was recruited to attend College of the Canyons by its receivers coach, David Banks, through a friend, Jeremy Lubin, a Cougars receiver who also came from Broward County in Florida, to come to the school.
"I was skeptical about coming at first, but he talked me into it," Brown said in a 2017 interview before Oklahoma's 54-48 loss to Georgia in the 2018 Rose Bowl, a College Football Playoff semifinal. Florida community colleges do not have football programs.
Brown said at College of the Canyons "they taught me about hard work."
"I'd always been a hard worker growing up, but they taught me to never take no reps off, always go hard," Brown said.
Living on his own for the first time and having a job for the first time were tough, "but it helped me grow up," Brown said.
Brown worked as a ride operator on X2, a 215-foot-tall roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain when he attended College of the Canyons, a job he described as "pretty fun."
Brown got his "Hollywood" nickname from Fox broadcaster Gus Johnson during a 2017 Oklahoma game. Johnson gave Brown the nickname because he didn't know how to pronounce Brown's first name and Brown is from Hollywood, Florida.
Reid was an offensive lineman at John Marshall High School and Glendale Community College before completing his college playing career at Brigham Young.
Philadelphia does not have any players from USC or UCLA on its active roster. Former Bruins receiver Kyle Phillips is on the Eagles' practice squad.
Sunday's kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. Pacific Standard Time.
President Donald Trump is set to be the first sitting president to attend a Super Bowl, but was expected to leave the game before its conclusion.
In his presidential message on Super Bowl LIX, Trump said. "The coaches, players, and team staff on the field tonight represent the best of the best in professional football, but they also embody the best of the American Dream. Their hard work, dedication, and tenacity is admirable, and their individual journeys are as inspiring as the drive and determination that has led them to this extraordinary moment. They also represent the hopes and dreams of our nation's young athletes as we restore safety and fairness in sports and equal opportunities among their teams.
"Football is America's most popular sport for good reason -- it fosters a sense of national unity, bringing families, friends, and fans together and strengthening communities. This annual tradition transcends our differences and personifies our shared patriotic values of family, faith and freedom heroically defended by our military service members, law enforcement officers, and first responders. We value their devotion to protecting our great Nation and salute their selfless service."