Georgia Bulldogs Keep Super Bowl Streak Alive, Though Presence Shrinks in 2026
Georgia football won’t be storming Levi’s Stadium this Super Bowl quite like it did last year, when the “Philly Dawgs” made headlines with their heavy presence on the Eagles’ roster. But make no mistake - the Bulldogs are still very much part of the big game’s DNA.
This year’s Super Bowl marks the 25th consecutive season that at least one former Georgia player will suit up on Super Bowl Sunday - a streak that now ties LSU for the longest active run in college football. And while the number of Georgia alums on the field may be smaller this time around, the Bulldogs’ footprint is still visible - from the sidelines to the trenches.
Mike Macdonald: From Athens to the Super Bowl Sideline
Seattle’s head coach Mike Macdonald has taken a fast track to the NFL’s biggest stage - and it all started between the hedges. Before becoming one of the league’s rising coaching stars, Macdonald cut his teeth at Georgia as a graduate assistant and quality control coach under Mark Richt from 2010 to 2013.
Now in his second year leading the Seahawks, Macdonald has compiled a 24-10 record and guided his team to a Super Bowl berth. At just 38 years old, he has a shot to become the third-youngest head coach to win it all, trailing only Sean McVay and Mike Tomlin, who each hoisted the Lombardi Trophy at age 36.
Macdonald’s coaching roots run even deeper in Georgia. Back in 2008, as a 21-year-old undergraduate, he was an assistant coach at Cedar Shoals High School in Athens. From local high school sidelines to the NFL’s grandest stage, his journey is a testament to both his football mind and Georgia’s coaching pipeline.
Jared Wilson: Anchoring the Patriots’ Offensive Line
On the field, one of the key Bulldog contributors is New England Patriots left guard Jared Wilson. Drafted in the third round in 2025 (No. 95 overall), Wilson has quickly carved out a starting role in New England’s offensive front.
Wilson made just one full-season start at Georgia, taking over at center in 2024 and earning second-team All-SEC honors. But he made a lasting impression at the NFL Combine, clocking a 4.84 in the 40-yard dash - the fastest time among all offensive linemen. That kind of athleticism helped boost his stock, and now he finds himself protecting the quarterback on football’s biggest stage.
Kenny McIntosh: A Championship Dawg on the Sideline
While Kenny McIntosh won’t be suiting up for the Seahawks this Sunday due to injury, his role in getting here shouldn’t be overlooked. A seventh-round pick in 2023, McIntosh was the leading rusher on Georgia’s 2022 national championship team, racking up 829 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Injuries have limited his early NFL career. After appearing in just three games as a rookie, McIntosh landed on injured reserve again this season with a knee injury suffered during a July practice. Still, his presence on the roster keeps Georgia’s Super Bowl streak alive and underscores the pipeline from Athens to the pros.
Thomas Brown: From Bulldog Backfield to Patriots Playbook
On the New England sideline, another familiar face to Georgia fans is tight ends coach and passing game coordinator Thomas Brown. A standout running back for the Bulldogs in the mid-2000s, Brown led the team in rushing in both 2004 and 2005. His 2,646 career rushing yards still rank him 10th all-time in school history.
Brown’s coaching journey also includes a return to Athens, where he served as Georgia’s running backs coach in 2015 and worked on the strength and conditioning staff in 2011. Since then, he’s climbed the NFL ranks with stops in Los Angeles, Carolina, and Chicago, where he took over as interim head coach in 2024.
Georgia's Super Bowl Legacy Continues
While this year’s Super Bowl won’t feature a full Dawg pack like last season, Georgia’s presence remains strong - both in the game and in the record books. The Bulldogs have now matched LSU with a quarter-century streak of putting at least one player on a Super Bowl roster. And with former Dawgs like Jake Scott, Terrell Davis, and Hines Ward having earned Super Bowl MVP honors in the past, the program’s championship pedigree is well established.
So even if the red and black isn’t flying quite as high this time around, Georgia’s legacy in the Super Bowl era is as solid as ever - and still very much in motion.