Pound for Pound: Philly Dawgs

Published 10:30 am Wednesday, February 5, 2025

Would you look at that?

The NFL franchise that stacked its defense with generational University of Georgia players is competing in the Super Bowl. Sometimes the job really can be that simple. See a strong college defense, pick the players off that defense, and success will likely come. The Atlanta Falcons would never know.

The Philly Dawgs – Nolan Smith, Jalen Carter, Nakobe Dean, Jordan Davis, Kelee Ringo and Lewis Cine – have the opportunity to add Super Bowl champion to their already-cemented national champion status. Every achievement they garner is another feather in the cap of the Georgia teams from 2021 and ‘22.

Everyone already knows those teams were great, but the lore surrounding them can keep growing. And any recruits asking Kirby Smart about what his program can do for players after college, he need only point to the TV screen Sunday, the day that produces the most-watched block of television annually.

Those Philadelphia Bulldogs are getting ready to face the favored Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX, which is a most unfortunate Roman numeral designation. New Orleans plays host to the big game rematch from a couple of years ago. The world will be watching as KC tries to become the first team in the Super Bowl era to three-peat as champs.

The Green Bay Packers won three titles in a row from 1965 to ‘67, but the first in that run was an NFL championship before the Super Bowl was established. Semantics, I know.

Me? I’ll be cheering for the Eagles to put a stop to history. With all due respect to Bulldogs-turned-Chiefs Mecole Hardman and Malik Herring, they’re outnumbered and they already have some Super Bowl bling.

So fly, Philly Dawgs, fly, and please end Kansas City’s reign filled with favorable calls. I’ve seen at least one person say in the lead-up to this game that fans of neither team should simply enjoy the Chiefs’ run of greatness for what it is. No, I don’t think I will.

Patrick Mahomes and company have worn me down. It’s sort of like that stretch in the College Football Playoffs when the question every year became whether Alabama and Clemson were going to face one another in the semifinals or the championship. I’m pretty sure most of America wanted the Buffalo Bills to finally break through and rid us of another KC SB berth, but it was not to be.

On a bunch of former Bulldog greats we must lean, which to me isn’t a bad place to be.