Missouri
Former Missouri State player Jacardia Wright in Super Bowl with Seahawks
For the second time in program history, Missouri State football will be represented in the Super Bowl.
After the Seattle Seahawks beat the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship to clinch their spot in Super Bowl LX, it meant that ex-Bears running back Jacardia Wright has a chance to win his first Super Bowl ring.
Wright originally committed to Kansas State out of St. Teresa High School in Illinois and played there for three years before transferring to Missouri State. With the Bears, he played from 2022-24, finishing with over 3,500 yards from scrimmage and 33 total touchdowns. He was named an all-Missouri Valley Conference performer in both 2023 and 2024.
Professionally, Wright went undrafted but signed with the Seahawks after the draft. He made his first NFL appearance in Seattle’s Week 3 win over the New Orleans Saints, rushing for 20 yards. Following that game, he was placed on season-ending injured reserve, but he will still receive a ring should the Seahawks beat the New England Patriots on Sunday.
Missouri State is still looking for its first Super Bowl champion. The program’s only other Super Bowl participant, offensive lineman Jason Whittle, played for the New York Giants in Super Bowl XXXV, but New York lost to the legendary 2000 Baltimore Ravens, 34-7.
Ex-Bears tight end Clay Harbor also warrants a mention. Harbor played for the 2016 Patriots, a team that went on to beat the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI. However, he only played sparingly in three games before getting released by New England following Week 4 of that year and spent the remainder of the season with the Detroit Lions, so he did not receive a ring.