Only Two Illinois People Are Playing In The Super Bowl This Year

While the dream of the Bears playing in the Super Bowl faded about as quickly as the season started, there is something to be proud of if you're an Illinoisan.

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That's because there's not just one but two different players born in Illinois representing the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers.

That said, only one graduated from an Illinois college while the other was born in the town that guy went to school.

First up is Nick Allegretti. The PJ Star says "The 27-year-old 6-foot-4, 310-pound offensive lineman is a graduate of Lincoln-Way East and the University of Illinois. He played every game in his fifth season in the NFL and the Chiefs, starting one."

While Allegretti suits up for Kanas City, the other plays for San Francisco. His name is Taybor Pepper.

PJ Star:

The longsnapper is the son of former University of Illinois lineman Cam Pepper. He was born in Urbana, Illinois.

Pepper lived in Urbana while Allegretti was going to school in Champaign-Urbana at U of I.

Now both will meet in the Super Bowl. If you're wondering whether or not Allegretti and Pepper will knock heads, probably not.

Considering both play on the offensive line, something crazy needs to happen.

In case you're wondering, Pro Football Reference says there are currently 62 players in the NFL born in Illinois along with notable names like Jimmy Garoppolo and Kirk Cousins.