COLUMN: Super Bowl matchup between former Chippewa offensive tackles put university on national stage
When the Kansas City Chiefs took the field for the opening snap of the 2020 Super Bowl, they were counting on a Central Michigan Chippewa to protect star quarterback Patrick Mahomes' blind side.
After the Chiefs punted the ball away on the game's opening drive, San Francisco 49ers' quarterback Jimmy Garroppolo led the offense onto the field. Garroppolo also relied on a Chippewa to protect his blind side.
Former Chippewa left tackles Eric Fisher and Joe Staley each spent the majority of Sunday battling on the biggest stage in football.
Staley, who finished his 12th season with the 49ers, left the game early in the second half with an injury to his thumb. After getting four stitches to repair the injury, Staley returned to the game.
Fischer was tasked with blocking the Defensive Rookie of the Year in San Francisco's defensive end Nick Bosa. Throughout the game, Fisher fended Bosa off from Mahomes and allowed just one sack. Bosa ranked in the top 10 this season with 11.5 sacks and had 4.0 sacks in the postseason. Second to only Kansas City's Frank Clark.
At the end of the night, Fisher ended the game on top as the Chiefs claimed a 31-20 victory over the 49ers to earn their second Super Bowl victory in franchise history. Fisher became the first Chippewa to win a ring since Cullen Jenkins and Frank Zombo won rings with Green Bay nine years ago.
Sunday was the first time since the 2011 Super Bowl that the game pitted former Chippewas against each other. That game featured former Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Antonio Brown facing off against Jenkins and Zombo for the Packers.
In the case of Sunday's game, the matchup put the university on the national stage. Throughout the week, the connection between each team's starting left tackle was a talking point within local and national media.
Both Fisher and Staley were former first-round picks, the only two first-rounders in Central Michigan's history. In Fisher's case, he's the only top overall pick in the history of the Mid-American Conference.
In a year where Central Michigan's football program completed the country's best turnaround, going from a 1-11 campaign in 2018 to winning the MAC West in 2019, it was fitting to see the highest-drafted Chippewas battle on national television for the game's greatest honor.
Central Michigan Athletic Director Michael Alford, football coach Jim McElwain and offensive tackles Derek Smith and Luke Goedeke each sent well wishes and expressed their pride in a video posted by the university's athletic department on Sunday before the game. The matchup united Chippewas past and present in support of their former stars.
Matchups like the Super Bowl serve as recruiting boosters as well, as it allows potential future Chippewas a glance at what their future could look like should they choose CMU. Having not one, but two, former offensive lineman in the Super Bowl can drive a message to recruits. After all, both Staley and Fisher were once in their shoes, high school kids looking for a potential home.
They both chose to come to Mount Pleasant, walked the same halls that students do now, took the same exams and tests and, as a result, spent Sunday night representing their university in one of the greatest spectacles in sports.
Not every student-athlete at Central Michigan will play professionally, just as not every student will earn a comfortable job in their dream careers. However, the matchup between two teams featuring Chippewas on their rosters goes to show that talent can come from anywhere.
This wasn't the first time Chippewas faced off on the national stage and likely won't be the last. However, it serves as a reminder of how success isn't judged by where you start, but where you finish. Thousands of student-athletes have played football at more prestigious universities than Central Michigan but have less success to show for it.
Before Staley and Fisher took the field in their respective NFL uniforms, they wore the maroon and gold for the Chippewas. They worked to become great at what they do and as a result, played in the Super Bowl in front of millions of fans.
Seeing two Chippewas face off on the biggest stage of their profession can be inspiring to all students. It shows that if they work hard enough, they too can get to the biggest stage. Even though there are programs and universities out there that may be considered more prestigious.
