Washington Huskies: Dawg Fight at Super Bowl LVI

  |  
Jan 31, 2022
Washington Huskies
Taylor Rapp, Washington Huskies.

It will be the Cincinnati Bengals and Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl XLI. That matchup puts five Washington Huskies alums into the big game.

This year’s Super Bowl is set, and it has a Washington Huskies flavor to it. After Sunday’s Championship Weekend, we know the two teams ticketed for the biggest sporting event in the world. In Sunday’s first game, Cincinnati beat Kansas City 27-24 in overtime for the AFC title. That was followed later by Los Angeles defeating San Francisco 17-14 for the NFC crown.

On February 13, it will be The Bengals and Rams squaring off at SoFi Stadium for the Lombardi Trophy. That also means five former Huskies will be on the field in front of a global audience.

Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals have two players that formerly donned the UW purple and gold.

Drew Sample, TE, 2015-18

As a pass-catcher, Drew Sample‘s numbers at Washington are nothing spectacular. He caught 46 passes for 487 yards and five touchdowns in four seasons. It was his ability as a blocker that set Sample apart and led Cincinnati to select him in the second round (52nd overall) of the 2019 draft.

An absolute monster of a tight end at 6-5, and nearly 260-pounds, Sample can more than handle himself against NFL defensive ends and linebackers. Whether it’s sealing the edge for running back Joe Mixon or protecting QB Joe Burrow, the Bengals can count on Sample to do the job.

Used primarily as a blocker, he played every game this season, making ten starts with 11 receptions for 81 yards.

Jake Browning, QB, 2015-18

It wasn’t too long ago that Jake Browning led the Washington Huskies offense. A four-year starter for coach Chris Petersen, Browning compiled a 39-15 record (26-10 in the Pac-12), which included a trip to the 2016 College Football Playoff. A season in which he threw for 3,430 yards and 43 touchdowns.

Browning left UW as the Huskies’ all-time leader in passing yards (12,296), TD passes (96), and quarterback rating (150.5), among others.

Despite his success at Washington, Browning went undrafted. He signed as a UDFA with Minnesota following the 2019 draft. After two seasons on the Vikings practice squad, he was one of the final roster cuts in 2021.

One week later, Cincinnati picked him up for their practice squad. A place where he’s been almost all season. The Bengals promoted Browning to the main roster for Game 17.

Los Angeles Rams

The NFC Champions have three Huskies alumni on their team.

Taylor Rapp, S, 2016-18

Safety Taylor Rapp was a mainstay of the Washington Huskies secondary for three seasons missing only two games. Rapp was a good run stopper who also had the skills to cover the opponent’s third receiver or tight end in UW’s five defensive back alignment.

He finished his UW career with 186 tackles (8.5 for loss) and 6 interceptions. His outstanding performance for the Huskies led Los Angeles to select Rapp in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft (61st overall).

As a rookie, he started 10 of 15 games and made 100 tackles. Rapp struggled in 2020 before a knee injury ended his season after 9 games. This year he was back at full strength, starting all 17 regular-season games and making 94 stops.

A concussion suffered in Week 17 against San Francisco kept him out for all three of the Rams playoffs games so far, but he could return for the Super Bowl.

Coleman Shelton, OL, 2013-16

A highly regarded recruit from Southern California, Coleman Shelton excelled on the Washington Huskies offensive line. He played right tackle as a freshman and left tackle as a sophomore before settling at center for his final two seasons.

Over four years at UW, Shelton played in 53 games with 47 starts. As a junior, he was an All Pac-12 second-team selection, which he followed up with a first-team selection his senior season of 2016.

After going undrafted, Shelton signed as a free agent with San Francisco in 2018. Picked up by Arizona, shortly after, he spent his first pro season on the Cardinals’ practice squad.

Arizona released him at the end of camp in 2019, and Los Angeles swooped in to sign him. Since then, Coleman has played in 43 games with the Rams, mainly on special teams. He made his first two NFL starts in 2021.

Greg Gaines, DL, 2015-18

Another member of Washington’s 2018 draft class, Greg Gaines, was a four-year standout on the Huskies defensive line. He played 13 games and started 6 as a redshirt freshman. Beginning his sophomore year, Gaines played in and started 41 games.

His UW career ended with a Rose Bowl appearance on January 1, 2019. Gaines made 148 career tackles, including 20.5 for loss, and picked up some important honors along the way.

  • 2018 Morris Trophy Winner (Pac-12 outstanding defensive lineman)
  • 2018 All-Pac-12 First Team, and Academic All-Pac-12 Second Team
  • 2017 All-Pac-12 Second Team, and Academic All-Pac-12 Second Team
  • 2016 Honorable Mention All-Pac-12, and Academic All-Pac-12 Second Team

Los Angeles drafted him with the fourth-round pick in 2019 (134th overall). He’s played in 43 NFL games, but 2021 is by far his best season. Playing the Rams’ “other defensive tackle spot,” next to Arron Donald, Gaines made 55 tackles with 4.5 sacks and 13 quarterback hits.

Related Story: Early rankings for UW players in the 2022 Draft

Good luck to these five former Washington Huskies in the upcoming Super Bowl.

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