Here are the players and coaches in Super Bowl LIX with Illinois connections

The Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs will square off for the second time in three years when Super Bowl LIX kicks off Feb. 9.

At least one player born in Illinois figures to see playing time, and several other coaches and players with Illinois ties will be participating in various ways.

Here’s a list of players and coaches participating in the Super Bowl who either grew up in Illinois, were born here and moved away, played or coached in Illinois or played or coached for the Bears.

The Players

Jake Elliott, Eagles, kicker, No. 4

Chicago-area native Jake Elliott was born in Western Springs and went to high school at Lyons in La Grange, where he first was a tennis player. He never kicked a football until winning a student kicking contest as a high school freshman. Two years later, coach Kurt Weinberg had trouble finding a suitable kicker and he asked Elliott to give it a shot. Elliott turned that opportunity into a scholarship offer to kick at Memphis.

In 2017, the Bengals drafted Elliott with a fifth-round pick but cut him after training camp. He ended up landing with the Eagles after their kicker suffered an injury.

Elliott went to the Pro Bowl in 2021 and was a second-team All-Pro selection in 2023. He’s second in the Eagles' record books with 196 made field goals, behind only longtime Eagles kicker David Akers. Elliott was a member of the Eagles team that won Super Bowl LII.

Trevor Keegan, Eagles, offensive lineman, No. 79

Trevor Keegan started for the Crystal Lake South varsity offensive line as a freshman. He was a two-time All-State performer, and he was considered the No. 1 recruit in Illinois from the class of 2019. Keegan committed to Michigan and became an integral member of the Wolverines' three consecutive College Football Playoff appearances, which culminated in a national championship a year ago. He started all 15 games at left guard during the national championship season.

The Eagles selected Keegan with a fifth-round draft pick in April. Keegan is on the 53-man roster but he has appeared in only one game this season.

Other Eagles players

Safety Sydney Brown is from Canada but played college ball at Illinois. Long snapper Rick Lovato originally signed with the Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2015 but didn’t make it past training camp. Safety Tristin McCollum’s dad, Cory Carr, played in 42 games for the Chicago Bulls during the 1998-99 season. Practice squad fullback Khari Blasingame played for the Bears from 2022 until the team cut him in October 2024. Practice squad linebacker Nicholas Morrow played 17 games for the Bears in 2022.

Chiefs players

The Chiefs' roster doesn’t have any players with particularly strong ties to Illinois. Former Chiefs lineman Nick Allegretti, a Frankfort native who won three Super Bowls in Kansas City, signed a free agent contract with the Washington Commanders in 2024.

Chiefs defensive tackle Mike Pennel played in 17 games for the Bears in 2022. Chiefs rookie offensive lineman Kingsley Suamataia is a cousin of Bears linebacker Noah Sewell (and Lions offensive tackle Penei Sewell). From the Chiefs' practice squad, safety Deon Bush played six seasons for the Bears from 2016-21, while cornerback Eric Scott Jr. played two seasons at Illinois State in 2017-18.

The coaches

Brendan Daly, Chiefs linebackers coach

Here’s a crazy stat: Springfield native Brendan Daly is coaching in his ninth Super Bowl in 11 years. Daly has worked for the Chiefs since 2019, first as defensive line coach and since 2022 as linebackers coach. Prior to that, he spent 2014-18 as a coach with the New England Patriots. Between New England and Kansas City, Daly has won six Super Bowl rings and is going for his seventh next week.

Daly grew up in Springfield and went to Sacred Heart-Griffin. He attended Drake University in Iowa and began his career coaching high school football in Florida in 1997. He coached at the college level for eight years (including a stint as tight ends coach at Illinois State in 2004) before taking a job with the Minnesota Vikings in 2006. He coached with the Vikings (2006-08 and also 2012-13) and the St. Louis Rams (2009-11) before heading to New England in 2014.

Vic Fangio, Eagles defensive coordinator

Vic Fangio served as Bears defensive coordinator from 2015-18. When the Bears fired John Fox and hired Matt Nagy, Nagy elected to keep Fangio in place. Keeping Fangio and adding star pass rusher Khalil Mack led to one of the Bears' best defensive seasons in recent memory in 2018. Following the 2018 season, Fangio left to become the head coach of the Denver Broncos. He was a consultant for the Eagles in 2022 and then returned this season as the DC.

Aaron Moorehead, Eagles wide receivers coach

Aaron Moorehead went to Deerfield High School and was a standout athlete in football and track. He played at Illinois from 1999-2002, including the Illini’s last Big Ten championship in 2001. He went undrafted in 2003 but signed with the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent. He played for the Colts from 2003-07, winning Super Bowl XLI against the Bears. He then embarked on a coaching career that led him to Philadelphia in 2020. Moorehead’s father, Emery Moorehead, was a tight end for the 1985 Bears.

Matt Nagy, Chiefs offensive coordinator

The post-Bears era has worked out well for former head coach Matt Nagy, who has a chance to win his third Super Bowl in Kansas City. The Bears fired Nagy after the 2021 season, and he returned to the Chiefs as the quarterbacks coach in 2022. After one season, offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy left, and head coach Andy Reid promoted Nagy to OC, a role he also held from 2016-17.

Nagy had a 34-31 regular-season record as the head coach of the Bears with two playoff appearances. Just a few weeks ago, Nagy interviewed for the head coaching position with the New York Jets, but the Jets elected to hire former Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn.

Dave Toub, Chiefs assistant head coach and special teams coordinator

Dave Toub served as the Bears’ special teams coordinator under Lovie Smith from 2004-12. Under his guidance, Robbie Gould became a Pro Bowl kicker and Devin Hester emerged as arguably the best return specialist ever. Toub has been in Kansas City since 2013.

Other Chiefs coaches

Quarterbacks coach David Girardi was an assistant at Northwestern from 2014-17. Defensive line coach Joe Cullen spent one season as a defensive assistant at Illinois in 2005. Chiefs statistical analysis coordinator Mike Frazier was born in Evanston. Offensive line coach Andy Heck played for the Bears from 1994-98. Outside linebackers coach Rod Wilson played for the Bears from 2005-08 and again in 2010.

Other Eagles coaches

Senior defensive assistant and defensive line coach Clint Hurtt was an assistant coach with the Bears from 2014-16. Cornerbacks coach Roy Anderson was an assistant defensive backs coach with the Bears from 2017-18. Offensive line coach Jeremiah Washburn was the Bears' O-line coach in 2017. Assistant linebackers coach and defensive quality control coach Ronell Williams was a defensive quality control coach for the Bears from 2019-22. Head quality control coach Tyler Yelk coached safeties at Northern Illinois in 2018.