#NFLBuffs: Three Former Buffs Gearing Up For Super Bowl LIV

Regardless of the outcome of Super Bowl LIV, there will be at least one former Colorado player earning his first NFL championship ring.

Two former Buffs are making their first-ever Super Bowl appearance this Sunday in Miami: 49ers cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon; and Jon Embree, the San Francisco 49ers assistant head coach/tight ends coach. This will also be Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy's second career Super Bowl appearance and his first as a coach, as he was a member of the San Diego Chargers Super Bowl XXIX squad, a team that also featured current CU tight ends coach Al Pupunu.

A total of 35 Buffaloes have won 52 Super Bowl rings as players, with three — OL Tom Ashworth (Patriots), LB Ted Johnson (Patriots) and WR Cliff Branch (Raiders) — with three rings. Other Buffs with two Super Bowl rings as players include WR Boyd Dowler (Packers); OL Nate Solder (Patriots); OL Matt Lepsis (Broncos); DL Alfred Williams (Broncos); P Tom Rouen (Broncos); DB Dick Anderson (Dolphins); DB Mike L. Davis (Raiders); DB Odis McKinney (Raiders); P Barry Helton (49ers); TE Christian Fauria (Patriots); and TE Daniel Graham (Patriots).

Super Bowl LIV will kickoff from Miami on Sunday, Feb. 2 at 4:30 p.m on FOX.

Ahkello Witherspoon, 49ers Cornerback

Witherspoon is in his third season with the Niners after being drafted in the third round of the 2017 NFL draft out of Colorado. Witherspoon played for the Buffs from 2014-2016 after transferring from Sacramento City College in California. During his time at CU, Witherspoon played in 37 games with 21 starts, recording 76 tackles (65 solo), 30 pass breakups, three interceptions, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. As a senior during the Buffs Pac-12 South title run in 2016, he earned second-team All-Pac-12 honors from both the Associated Press and the league's coaches. He led the nation in pass breakups with 23 on the year (including the Alamo Bowl); and his 22 in the regular season tied for the most in CU single-season history (Ben Kelly had 22 in 1998). He may be best remembered in Boulder for his interception in the end zone in Oregon in 2016 that clinched a 41-38 Colorado victory. Witherspoon has seen action in 36 NFL games with 29 starts and has logged 97 career tackles (83 solo), 20 pass breakups, one forced fumble and a touchdown.

Eric Bieniemy, Kansas City offensive coordinator

Bieniemy is in his second year as the Chiefs OC and his sixth with the club overall, as he served as the running backs coach from 2013 until his promotion in 2018. Bieniemy played four seasons for the Buffs from 1987-90 and was the starting running back on CU's 1990 national championship team his senior year. He finished the 1990 season third in the Heisman voting with 1,628 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns, also earning unanimous first-team All-American honors (along with teammates OG Joe Garten and OLB Alfred Williams) and Big Eight conference offensive player-of-the-year honors. He was also named as a first-team All-Big Eight performer in both 1988 and 1990.

After a nine-year NFL career (Chargers, Bengals, Eagles), Bieniemy returned to CU as a running backs coach from 2001-02 under head coach Gary Barnett before moving on to the same position at UCLA. After three years with the Bruins, he joined the Minnesota Vikings staff as the running backs coach from 2006-10. Bieniemy then returned to Boulder one more time, serving as the Buffs offensive coordinator from 2011 to 2012 under Embree before rejoining the Chiefs staff as the running backs coach in late 2012. In his first season as the offensive coordinator in Kansas City in 2018, the Chiefs finished first in the NFL in yardage (6,810), points scored (565), and points per game (35.3); and third in passing yards per game (309.7) and first downs (384). Additionally, Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes racked up over 5,000 passing yards and 50 touchdowns on his way to becoming one of the youngest MVPs in NFL history. Mahomes and the 2019 Chiefs didn't have much of a dropoff, as they finished the year ranked fifth in both points per game (28.2) and passing yards per game (281.1), and sixth in total yards per game (379.2). Additionally, Mahomes became the fastest player in NFL history to surpass 9,000 passing yards and 75 touchdowns, a feat which he completed in just 30 games.

Jon Embree, San Francisco assistant head coach/tight ends

Embree is in his third season as the 49ers tight ends coach after spending time coaching in both the college and pro ranks. Embree was a four-year letterman tight end at CU from 1983-86 and he finished his career with 80 receptions for 1,166 yards and five touchdowns. Embree played two years in the NFL before having his career cut short by an injury and he began his coaching career in the high school ranks. In 1993, he then joined Bill McCartney's CU staff as a tight ends coach. He served 10 years with the Buffs, coaching under McCartney, Rick Neuheisel and Gary Barnett before moving on to UCLA and eventually his first NFL jobs (Chiefs and Redskins). He returned to Colorado in late 2010, when he was named the school's 24th full-time head coach, a position he held for the 2011 and 2012 seasons. Embree then returned to the NFL, working one season in Cleveland and two in Tampa Bay before being hired by Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan in 2017. Under Embree's tutelage, Niners tight end George Kittle has become one of the best players in the league at his position.

Other Buffs connections

Both organizations also have CU alumni on staff in other areas. The Chiefs employ Cydney Ricker and Morgan Dannewitz, who both worked in the CU Sports Information office as students. Ricker is the Manager of Football Communications and Administration and Dannewitz is a Suite Services Coordinator. The 49ers also have two CU alums on staff in ticket sales: Nick Ortiz, who worked for the athletic department in facilities and serves as a senior sales consultant; and Chelsea Marroquin, who is a ticket operations specialist.

52 Rings
A total of 35 Buffs have won 52 Super Bowl rings. The list:

Year	Team	Players
1966	Green Bay	Boyd Dowler, E
1967	Green Bay	Boyd Dowler, E
1972	Miami	Dick Anderson, QB
1973	Miami	Dick Anderson, QB
1976	Oakland	Cliff Branch, WR Terry Kunz, RB
1980	Oakland	Cliff Branch, WR Mike L. Davis, DB Odis McKinney, DB Greg Westbrooks, LB
1982	San Francisco	George Visger, DT
1983	L.A. Raiders	Cliff Branch, WR Mike L. Davis, DB Don Hasselbeck, TE Odis McKinney, DB
1985	Chicago	Brian Cabral, LB Emery Moorehead, WR
1986	N.Y. Giants	Lee Rouson, RB
1987	Washington	Eric Coyle, C Richard Johnson, WR
1988	San Francisco	Barry Helton, P
1989	San Francisco	Barry Helton, P
1992	Dallas	Mickey Pruitt, LB
1996	Green Bay	Shannon Clavelle, DT Darius Holland, DT
1997	Denver	Matt Lepsis, OT Tom Rouen, P Alfred Williams, DE
1998	Denver	Matt Lepsis, OT Viliami Maumau, DT Tom Rouen, P Alfred Williams, DE
2001	New England	Tom Ashworth, OT Charles E. Johnson,WR Ted Johnson, ILB Ben Kelly, CB/KR
2003	New England	Tom Ashworth, OT Christian Fauria, TE Daniel Graham, TE Ted Johnson, ILB
2004	New England	Tom Ashworth, OT Christian Fauria, TE Daniel Graham, TE Ted Johnson, ILB
2008	Pittsburgh	Mitch Berger, P
2010	Green Bay	Mason Crosby, PK Brad Jones, OLB
2012	Baltimore	Jimmy Smith, CB
2014	New England	Nate Solder, OT
2015	Denver	Nick Kasa, TE Tyler Polumbus, OT
2016	New England	Nate Solder, OT

Colorado University Athletics

#NFLBuffs: Three Former Buffs Gearing Up For Super Bowl LIV

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