For the first time in the 54 season history of football's biggest game, the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers will meet - and at the same time, they will not be bringing many ties to South Florida with them when they travel south for the February 2nd showdown.
Neither team has a player on their rosters who played college football for either the Miami Hurricanes or FIU Panthers while the closest tie that either team has to Hard Rock Stadium come on the coaching staff – with Chiefs secondary coach Sam Madison and 49ers wide receivers coach Wes Welker both having played there as former members of the Miami Dolphins.
Both teams bring several ties to colleges in the Sunshine State as Kansas City’s roster includes three players who played at the state’s biggest programs in former Florida Gators wide receiver Demarcus Robinson and two former FSU Seminoles in offensive tackle Cam Erving and defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi.
The 49ers have a duo of former college players from the state of Florida in former FAU Owls linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair along with a former Florida Gator in safety Marcell Harris.
Kansas City will be making a return to Hard Rock Stadium, where they have had little success during their games against the Dolphins since its opening in 1987. Over its history, the Chiefs have a 3-8 record that includes two previous playoff losses.
The 49ers have also had their struggles during the regular season inside the stadium – going 1-2 against the Dolphins inside, including an upset win by the Fins during the 2016 season – but San Francisco has had plenty of playoff success in winning two of their Super Bowls inside Hard Rock Stadium in both 1989 and 1995.
