CALIFORNIA, USA — The San Francisco 49ers will face off against the Kansas City Chiefs Sunday in Las Vegas for Super Bowl LVIII.
As Patrick Mahomes tries to cement back-to-back Super Bowl victories, Brock Purdy will try to silence the haters once and for all as he tries to shake off the Mr. Irrelevant title for MVP.
The rematch of Super Bowl LIV pits the 49ers and Chiefs against each other once again, but there are some players fans might want to keep an extra eye on as the game plays out. California natives on the 49ers and Chiefs are looking to make their hometowns proud and return with some hardware.
Here is a list of the California natives on the 49ers and Chiefs.
San Francisco 49ers
Brandon Aiyuk — Wide Receiver
Brandon Aiyuk was born in Rocklin though he attended McQueen High School in Reno, NV and went on to attend Sierra College and Arizona State University.
The 49ers selected Aiyuk #25 during the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He signed a four-year contract. During the 2023 regular season, Aiyuk had 75 receptions for 1,341 yards and seven touchdowns. In the 2023 postseason, he's had three receptions for 32 yards so far.
Arik Armstead — Defensive End
Arik Armstead is from Elk Grove, near Sacramento, and played football and basketball at Pleasant Grove High School in Elk Grove. He attended Oregon, was selected 17th for the 2015 draft and was the first pick for the San Francisco 49ers.
For the 2023 season, Armstead has 27 tackles and five sacks. In the postseason so far, he's had three tackles. Looking at his nine-season-long career in the NFL, Armstead has had 302 total tackles and 33.5 sacks.
Aaron Banks — Offensive Lineman
Aaron Banks is an offensive lineman born in Alameda. He attended El Cerrito High School and went to college at the University of Notre Dame. Banks was drafted in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft and was 48th overall.
Sam Darnold — Backup Quarterback
Sam Darnold is a backup quarterback for Brock Purdy. He was born in Capistrano Beach and went to San Clemente High School. He attended the University of Southern California before being drafted by the New York Jets in the 2018 NFL Draft in the first round and the third pick overall.
Darnold was traded to the Carolina Panthers in 2021 and became a free agent after the 2022 season. He signed a one-year contract with the 49ers and later won the backup quarterback position. It's unlikely to see Darnold in play in the Super Bowl as long as Purdy remains healthy.
Ross Dwelley — Tight End
Though he won't actually play in the Super Bowl due to an ankle injury, Ross Dwelley is from El Dorado Hills. He attended Oak Ridge High School and went to the University of San Diego.
Dwelley has had one reception for 12 yards this season in 12 games played. In his career, he's had 44 total receptions for 518 yards over 84 games played. He's been on Injury Reserve since spraining his ankle in week 13 against the Philadelphia Eagles. Dwelley signed with the San Francisco 49ers in 2018 as an undrafted free agent. He was re-signed to a one-year deal in March 2023.
Deommodore Lenoir — Defensive Back
Deommodore Lenoir is a defensive back born in Los Angeles. He attended Salesian High School and went on to attend the University of Oregon. He was drafted by the 49ers in the 5th round of the 2021 NFL Draft as the 172th pick overall. He became a free agent in March 2023 and signed with the San Francisco 49ers where he was moved to the active roster in December 2023.
Matt Pryor — Offensive Lineman
Matt Pryor is an Offensive Lineman on the 49ers and was born in Long Beach. He went to Lakewood High School and Texas Christian University. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 6th round and 206th overall in the 2018 NFL Draft.
Curtis Robinson — Linebacker
Curtis Robinson was born in Irvine where he attended Mater Dei High School. He went on to play football at Stanford University. He joined the Denver Broncos practice squad in September 2021. He was elevated to the active roster, then was resigned to the practice squad and later released. The 49ers signed him to the practice squad in December 2021 moving from injured reserve to active squad and back to the practice squad. He was elevated from the practice squad at the end of January 2024.
Fred Warner — Linebacker
Fred Warner is a linebacker for the 49ers. He was born in San Marcos and attended Mission Hills High School. He went to Brigham Young University. Warner was picked in the 3rd round, 70th overall in the 2018 NFL Draft. He's now in his fourth season as a team captain. During the 2023 regular season, he's had 2.5 sacks and four interceptions as well as 70 solo tackles.
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Kansas City Chiefs
Trent McDuffie — Cornerback
Trent McDuffie is a cornerback for the Chiefs. He was born in Westminster and attended three high schools in the area, including Mater Dei High School. He went on to attend the Univeristy of Washington before entering the 2022 NFL Draft. He was chosen in the first round as the 21st overall pick. During the 2023 regular season, he had three sacks and 60 solo tackles.
Nikko Remigio — Wide Receiver
Nikko Remigio won't be playing the the Super Bowl because he's on the Injury Reserve list due to a wrist injury about five months ago. However, the wide receiver was born in Orange and attended Mater Dei High School. He went on to attend Fresno State University. The Kansas City Chiefs signed him in May 2023 as an undrafted free agent.
Matt Dickerson — Defensive Tackle
Matt Dickerson is a defensive tackle on the Chiefs and was born in San Francisco. He went to Junipero Serra High School and later went on to attend the Univeristy of California, Los Angeles. He signed with the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent in 2018. He briefly signed with the Las Vegas Raiders as a defensive end in 2021 and the Kansas City Chiefs in 2022. The Atlanta Falcons claimed Dickerson later in 2022 before he declared free agency in 2023. The Kansas City Chiefs signed him later in 2023 and moved up to the active roster at the end of January 2024.
Keith Taylor — Cornerback
Chiefs cornerback Keith Taylor was born in Long Beach and attended Servite High School before going to the University of Washington. He was chosen 166th overall in the 5th round of the 2021 NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers. He was released by the Panthers in 2023 and was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs a few days later. He was moved to the active roster at the end of January 2024.
Other players who played college in California include 49ers offensive lineman Jake Brendel who played at UCLA, 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey who played at Stanford and Chiefs safety Justin Reid who played at Stanford.
Watch more on ABC10 | Arik Armstead | SF 49ers defeat Detroit Lions - Post Game Interview, Jan. 28, 2024
