Subscribe
Follow Us
For the second time in four years, the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers will meet in the Super Bowl. Many may remember Super Bowl 54 in 2020 when these two teams met the first time, and the Chiefs walked away with the 31-20 victory. The Niners boast one of the most explosive offenses in league history, while the Chiefs are led by Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, two players who are already in conversations as the best of all time at their positions.
Despite the headliner names on the offensive end for both teams, the real debate boils down to their defenses. San Francisco has arguably the best defensive line in football bookended with perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate Nick Bosa and stud edge rush specialist from Ohio State, Chase Young. The strength of the Chiefs' defense, on the other hand, lies in their secondary. Cornerback Trent McDuffie made his first All-Pro team this season, and his counterpart L'Jarius Sneed played at a similar level.
There are, however, two key names on the Niners' front line and the Chiefs' back end that are vital to each unit's success. Defensive tackle Javon Hargrave and cornerback Joshua Williams have provided elite star power and quality depth to their respective defenses. On top of being major defensive backbones on Super Bowl teams, Hargrave and Williams have something else in common: HBCU roots.
Javon Hargrave, South Carolina State
Hargrave is a proud product of South Carolina State University. He joined the program under the supervision of the legendary Bulldog coach, Buddy Pough. After redshirting in 2011, Hargrave was a cornerstone piece for South Carolina State's defensive line. Even in his sophomore (redshirt freshman) year, he put up impressive numbers with 45 total tackles and 4.5 tackles for loss.
By the end of his collegiate career, Hargrave proved to be a quality draft prospect. He finished with 210 tackles, 63 tackles for loss, 37 sacks, eight forced fumbles, and eight fumble recoveries. In his junior year, he tied the FCS record for most sacks in a game with six against Bethune-Cookman.
Not only did Hargrave eventually get drafted in the third round by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2016 NFL Draft, but he also earned a spot in the 2024 MEAC Hall of Fame. At South Carolina State, he earned two First Team All-MEAC honors and two FCS All-American honors.
Hargrave spent the first four years of his career with the Steelers. Compared to his later years, he wasn't particularly productive with the Steelers, but he learned from future Hall of Fame defensive tackle Cam Heyward. Hargrave ended his opening stint in Pittsburg with 168 total tackles, 14.5 sacks, 22 tackles for loss, 22 quarterback hits, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery which returned for a touchdown.
In 2020, Hargrave left for the Philadelphia Eagles, and his career took off. He made the first Pro Bowl of his career in 2021 after posting a career-high 7.5 sacks, 63 total tackles, 18 quarterback hits, and nine tackles for loss. He went even further in 2022, establishing his current career-high of 11 sacks in a single season. Hargrave was a dominant force on the Eagles' interior, helping the defense lead the league in sacks and eventually powering Philadelphia to a Super Bowl appearance. In the offseason, he signed a four-year, $84 million deal with San Francisco. As a Niner, Hargrave made his second Pro Bowl with 44 total tackles, seven sacks, 14 quarterback hits, eight tackles for loss, and two pass deflections.
While Javon Hargrave wreaked havoc in the MEAC, Joshua Williams spent his time at Fayetteville State shutting down top receivers. Williams, a Fayetteville native, joined the Broncos in 2018. His six-foot three-inch frame helped him become one of the best corners not only in the CIAA, but in all of HBCU football. He got off to somewhat of a slow start his freshman year, recording just 16 total tackles, two pass deflections, and a tackle for loss.
Joshua Williams, Fayetteville State
However, Williams took off in his second season, doubling his tackle total to 32 along with 11 pass deflections, three tackles for loss, and two interceptions. Following the COVID year, he continued his excellence in coverage with 31 tackles, nine pass deflections, and three interceptions.
Williams' play at Fayetteville State intrigued NFL scouts, leading to the Kansas City Chiefs selecting him in the 4th round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Admittedly, though his stats aren't as eye-popping as his HBCU counterpart Javon Hargrave, Williams remains a vital cog in the Chiefs' defensive machine. Over his career, he's posted 58 tackles, 12 pass deflections, two tackles for loss, and an interception. With All-Pro level talent in front of him, Williams has only started six of his 33 career games. Still, he holds the classification of an HBCU product high.
“You kind of got to wear, like, a badge of honor,” Williams told KCUR in Kansas City. “Not a lot of guys in the NFL from HBCUs. So, the few guys that do make it, you feel special.”
Williams is just exiting his second season in the NFL. There is a chance, though, that he could jump into a starting role next season based on free agency. For now, both he and Hargrave are focused on one goal: lifting the Lombardi trophy.
