Will another Southwest Florida football product replace South grad Sammy Watkins in the Super Bowl?
South Fort Myers High School graduate Sammy Watkins will not have the chance to three-peat as a Super Bowl participant this season. His Baltimore Ravens were not able to make the NFL postseason.
Watkins made the Big Game as a Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver the past two seasons, including winning a ring in 2020 in Miami against the San Francisco 49ers before his team fell short against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last February 31-9 in Super Bowl LV.
More: Fort Myers' Sammy Watkins wants 'to be a part of something special' with the Ravens
That does not mean Southwest Florida does not have a shot at adding to the list of 14 athletes that call the area home who have played for the NFL championship, following in the footsteps of players like Watkins, North Fort Myers’ Deion Sanders, Jevon Kearse and Tre Boston, Immokalee’s Edgerrin James and J.C. Jackson, and Cypress Lake’s De’Vondre Campbell among others.
Consider, a Southwest Florida product has appeared in six consecutive Super Bowls: Watkins (2020-21), Jackson (2019) with the New England Patriots, Jaylen Watkins (2018) with the Philadelphia Eagles, De’Vondre Campbell (2017) with the Atlanta Falcons and Tre Boston (2016) with the Carolina Panthers.
With Super Wildcard Weekend set to kick off Saturday, five local players will seek to add themselves to the list.
Here are the Southwest Florida players, including some possible repeat contenders, vying for a spot in Super Bowl LVI on Feb. 13 in SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif.:
J.C. Jackson
New England defensive back
Wild Card game: 8:15 p.m. Saturday at Buffalo Bills on CBS
The skinny: The Pro Bowl corner cemented himself as one of the league's best at his position in 2021. The Immokalee High graduate has recorded 25 interceptions in four seasons, including eight this year, second-most in the NFL. The 26-year-old, who will be an unrestricted free agent, added 23 passes defended and 58 total tackles this season and was named the AFC Defensive Player of the Month for November.
More: New England Patriots cornerback, Immokalee High graduate J.C. Jackson named to first Pro Bowl
“J.C. is — that guy’s got a knack for the ball," defensive play-caller Steve Belichick said. "He’s got incredible ball skills. I’ve been watching him here since we got him as an undrafted rookie.
"It’s pretty fun to watch. … It’s a great benefit to have him on our defense. He does a lot of things really well. He’s a tough kid. He loves to compete, and so I’ve got confidence in everything that I call that J.C. will get the job done out there.”
Jackson, one of five Patriots to start every game this season, is seeking his second trip to the Big Game, having won Super Bowl LIII with New England in 2019.
Jayron Kearse
Dalla Cowboys safety
Wild Card game: 4:30 p.m. Sunday vs. San Francisco 49ers on CBS
The skinny: Kearse had a stellar first season with the Cowboys, recording career highs in total tackles with 101, interceptions (2) and games started (15). The South Fort Myers grad who played before that at Cypress Lake, sat out his team's final game with a hamstring injury. He signed with Dallas on a one-year, $1.1 million contract in March as a free agent after one season with the Detroit Lions and four with the Minnesota Vikings.
Kearse was placed on the COVID protocol list Saturday and as of Thursday and his availability for the game is uncertain.
“You don’t know if it’s a championship defense until you win a championship, so we will just see … I think we have the players in the locker room to do it,” Kearse said to CowboysWire.
Matt Prater
Arizona Cardinals kicker
Wild Card game: 8:15 p.m. Monday at Los Angeles Rams on ESPN/ABC
The skinny: In his 16th NFL season, Prater made 30 of 37 field goals (81.1%) and 47 of 49 PATs (95.9%) after signing a two-year contract with Arizona in March worth a $7 million base with incentives.
More: Winning, reunions and familiarity led kicker Matt Prater to sign with Arizona Cardinals
The Estero High grad won the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week Award twice this season, first in Week 6 after a 13-point game in Cleveland and then for his effort Jan. 2 in the Cardinals' 25-22 win over the Cowboys in Dallas where he scored 13 points and converted all five of his kicks — four field goals and an extra point. One of his field goals came from 53 yards out, setting a season franchise record with his seventh field goal from at least 50 yards this season. The Estero High grad has 66 field goals of at least 50 yards in his career, an NFL record.
This will be Prater's sixth playoff appearance and first since 2016 with the Detroit Lions and he'll be looking for his second Super Bowl appearance after reaching the game with the Denver Broncos in 2014, where they lost to the Seattle Seahawks.
De’Vondre Campbell
Green Bay Packers linebacker
Divisional Playoffs: in Green Bay Sat. or Sun., Jan. 22-23, vs. winner of Los Angeles Rams-Arizona game
The skinny: Campbell signed with the Packers in June on a one-year, $2 million contract after spending 2020 with the Arizona Cardinals. Green Bay ended up getting a steal. The six-year veteran started 16 games and set a career high with 102 solo and 146 total tackles. He added two sacks, two forced fumbles and two interceptions.
The Cypress Lake graduate was the NFC Defensive Player of the Month for October.
More: 'A great inspiration': De'Vondre Campbell returns to Cypress Lake to host youth camp
"I think it just has a lot to do with being what I'm asked to do," Campbell told the St. Paul Pioneer Press. "My job responsibilities here are different than anything I've been asked to do before and I think I'm just being put in the right position to thrive and make plays."
This will mark Campbell's third time in the playoffs and he will try to reach the Super Bowl for the second time, having played for Atlanta in 2017 when the Falcons lost a 28-3 lead and the game to the Patriots.
Kurt Benkert
Green Bay Packers quarterback
Divisional Playoffs: in Green Bay Sat. or Sun., Jan. 22-23, vs. winner of Los Angeles Rams-Arizona game
The skinny: After a long wait, Benkert finally got to suit up for an NFL game despite being in the league since 2018 when he was elevated to the active roster for the Packers' game against the Chicago Bears at Lambeau Field.
The Island Coast graduate was elevated from the practice squad to the 53-man roster to serve as the primary backup to Aaron Rodgers while Jordan Love was on the COVID-19 reserve list. He handled the last two snaps and kneel downs, officially two rushes for minus-1 yard, in Green Bay's 45-30 win on Dec. 13.
W. #GoPackGo pic.twitter.com/M91y5v32GD
— Kurt Benkert (@KurtBenkert) December 13, 2021
Benkert, 26, spent his first three seasons with the Atlanta Falcons, mostly on the team’s practice squad. The Packers signed him in May, and he stuck around as the team’s No. 3 quarterback on the practice squad.
Benkert did play in all three preseason games for the Packers. He completed 33 of 48 passes for 300 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.
Southwest Florida athletes to appear in the Super Bowl
2020-21: Sammy Watkins (South Fort Myers), Kansas City Chiefs
2019: J.C. Jackson (Immokalee), New England Patriots
2018: Jaylen Watkins (Cape Coral), Philadelphia Eagles
2017: De’Vondre Campbell (Cypress Lake), Atlanta Falcons
2016: Tre Boston (North Fort Myers), Carolina Panthers.
2014: Matt Prater (Estero), Denver Broncos
2013: Terrance Cody (Riverdale), Baltimore Ravens
2009: Anthony Hargrove (Port Charlotte), New Orleans Saints
2008: Edgerrin James (Immokalee), Arizona Cardinals
2005: Jevon Kearse (North Fort Myers), Philadelphia Eagles
2003: Martin Gramatica (LaBelle), Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2003: Greg Spires (Mariner), Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2000: Jevon Kearse (North Fort Myers), Tennessee Titans
1996: Deion Sanders (North Fort Myers), Dallas Cowboys
1995: Deion Sanders (North Fort Myers), San Francisco 49ers
1976, '78-'79: Burton Lawless (Charlotte), Dallas Cowboys
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Five Southwest Florida football standouts start journey toward Super Bowl LVI
