Former Mizzou LB Shines for Kansas City in Super Bowl Despite Loss

Though the Kansas City Chiefs didn’t win the game, a former Missouri Tiger shined at the helm of the Chiefs’ defense.

Despite the loss in the NFL’s biggest annual matchup of the year, former Missouri Tiger and current Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton performed well.

Bolton ended the game with nine tackles, good for the second most on the team and two for loss. Bolton and his linebacking partner Drue Tranquill commanded the Chiefs’ defense statistically, even with the final result. Kansas City lost the game 40-22 to the Philadelphia Eagles in surprising fashion.

Bolton’s participation in the game also vaulted him into Missouri football history, giving him the second-most Super Bowl appearances of any Missouri Tiger.

Bolton isn’t the only current Chief who’s a former Tiger. Most notably, head coach Andy Reid spent three seasons with Missouri as an offensive line coach. He’s been at the head of the table for the Chiefs since 2013, winning three Super Bowls during that time frame.

Special teams coordinator and assistant head coach Dave Toub spent 11 seasons in Columbia, nine of which were as a strength and conditioning coach. He spent his final three seasons with Missouri as the defensive line coach.

Andy Hill, another former Tiger, is the assistant special teams coach for Kansas City. He spent 24 seasons with the Tigers in seven different roles and also played receiver for Missouri from 1980 to 1984. He started with the Chiefs in 2019 and was a member of all the Super Bowl-winning teams.

The long-standing dominant team in the NFL, the Kansas City Chiefs, has four former Tigers in its ranks.

As a Tiger (2018-2020), Bolton recorded 217 career tackles and four sacks in three seasons. His most tackles in a season came in 2019, finishing with 100 total tackles.

His final two seasons were capped off by making the SEC All-Defensive first team at the middle linebacker spot. Bolton was also a Butkus Award Finalist in 2020.

After his impressive college career, Bolton was selected in the second round of the 2021 NFL draft by the Kansas City Chiefs. Since then he’s been a staple for a multi-Super Bowl-winning Chiefs squad. This season, he finished with 106 total tackles and three sacks.

Despite four solid seasons with the Chiefs, his future in Kansas City could face some uncertainty in this coming offseason. Bolton’s contract has now expired and he will become a free agent. Whether the Chiefs decide to bring him back is up to them, but he would be an appealing option for any high-powered defense looking for a leader in the middle of the field.

Former Tiger Charles Harris was on the winning side of the Super Bowl for the Philadelphia Eagles. Harris had a solid Missouri career, totaling 136 career tackles and 18 sacks from 2013 to 2016.