Four former Wolverines set to play in the Super Bowl

In a bit over a week, a former Michigan football player will be able to call themselves a Super Bowl Champion. The Kansas City Chiefs are set to face off against the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII in what is sure to be an exciting matchup.

For Michigan fans, what may be even more exciting is that yet another former Wolverine will be able to call themselves a Super Bowl Champion. Both the Chiefs and the Eagles have at least one former Michigan football player on the active roster, with Kansas City having three while Philadelphia has one.

Brandon Graham (Eagles)

Brandon Graham has been dominating the sport of football for what seems like ages at this point. He attended the University of Michigan from 2006-2009 and had one of the most successful careers in program history. Over four years, Graham recorded 29.5 sacks and a jaw-dropping 56 tackles for loss. He was an impact player on the Wolverine defense for about his entire career before the Philadelphia Eagles drafted him in 2010.

As an Eagle, Graham has had an awe-inspiring career. Through his 13 seasons in Philadelphia, he’s recorded 70 sacks and 22 forced fumbles. Not to mention, he’s already a Super Bowl champion, so he’s a veteran in that regard as well. Against the 49ers, he only recorded one tackle on the day, but do not be surprised to see him make a big play or two when he faces off against the Chiefs in a bit over a week.

Frank Clark (Chiefs)

Like Graham, Frank Clark was an impact player at Michigan for most of his career. His final two seasons with the Wolverines were by far his most successful. Over that stretch, he recorded nine sacks and 25.5 tackles for loss. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in 2015 and has been with the Kansas City Chiefs since the 2019 season.

Clark has also had an incredibly successful career so far in his time in the NFL. Not only can he also claim to be a Super Bowl Champion, but he’s a three-time Pro Bowler. In his eight seasons in the NFL, he’s recorded 58.5 sacks and 67 tackles for loss, so he is no stranger to the opponent’s backfield. In his most recent game against the Cincinnati Bengals, he recorded 1.5 sacks and was clearly fired up about having the opportunity to go to the Super Bowl again.

Mike Danna (Chiefs)

Mike Danna only played one season with the Wolverines, as he spent his first four years of college football with the Central Michigan Chippewas. Still, he showed he was more than capable of handling the jump to the Big Ten, as he recorded three sacks and 38 total tackles in his sole season as a Wolverine. He was then drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2020 and wasted no time making an impact on one of the best teams in the league.

While his career may be young, he has shown significant improvement over his three years, bumping up his sack numbers each season. After recording just 2.5 sacks in his rookie year, he’s gotten to the quarterback five times this season, and he’s not done yet. Against the Bengals, he recorded five total tackles, showing that he is more than comfortable leaving it all on the field for his team. Don’t be surprised to see him turn some heads in the Super Bowl and throughout the rest of his career going forward.

Chad Henne (Chiefs)

Chad Henne is widely viewed as one of the greatest quarterbacks to wear the maize and blue in Ann Arbor. He started for the Wolverines all four years on campus and finished his career with a whopping 9,715 passing yards and 90 total touchdowns. Following his senior season, Henne was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the 2008 NFL Draft.

The only offensive player on this list, while he doesn’t boast the crazy stats other quarterbacks may have, has had an incredibly successful career in the NFL. I mean, you don’t play 13 seasons in the NFL if you aren’t doing something right. Over his career, he’s recorded 13,290 passing yards and 64 total touchdowns. While he is backing up star quarterback Patrick Mahomes this year, if he finds a way to make his way on the field in the Super Bowl, Michigan fans will undoubtedly be rejoicing from wherever they stand.

Super Bowl LVII is set to take place Sunday, February 12, 2023, at 6:30 p.m. EST in Glendale, Arizona. Whoever you may want to win in the end, it’s always a pleasure to see some former Wolverines take the field in the NFL, especially if the Super Bowl is involved.