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Former Eastern Illinois quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo will try to win his third Super Bowl ring and first as a starter when the San Francisco 49ers face the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV this Sunday in Miami. 
 
Garoppolo is in his third season with the 49ers and sixth NFL season.  Last season he suffered a season ending injury before rebounding this year to lead San Francisco to the number one seed in the NFC playoffs with a 15-3 record heading into the Super Bowl.  San Francisco has five previous Lombardi Trophy's with this being the franchises seventh Super Bowl appearance.
 
Garoppolo was the 2013 Walter Payton Award Winner as the top player in FCS football before being selected by the New England Patriots in the 2014 draft.  Garoppolo set the EIU and Ohio Valley Conference single season and career records for passing yards and touchdowns during his senior season leading the Panthers to a No. 2 national ranking and quarterfinal appearance in the FCS playoffs.  
 
Two years ago Kamu Grugier-Hill became the fifth different EIU player to win a Super Bowl ring as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles.  Garoppolo has a pair Super Bowl rings with the New England Patriots as the back-up quarterback.  Former offensive lineman Ted Petersen won a pair of Super Bowl rings with the Pittsburgh Steelers back in the late 1970's.  EIU has had two former Panthers win Super Bowls as head coaches.   Sean Payton led the New Orleans Saints to a Super Bowl victory and Mike Shanahan has a pair of Super Bowl Championship rings as the head coach of the Denver Broncos
 
Entering this weekend former EIU players are 8-0 in Super Bowl games as either head coaches or players.
 
In addition to Garoppolo playing for the 49ers in the Super Bowl, former Panthers defensive tackle Nick Kray is currently the administrative assistant to the head coach for the 49ers.



EIU Super Bowl Appearances (Player/Head Coach)
Super Bowl LIV - Jimmy Garoppolo, QB (San Francisco 49ers)
Super Bowl LII – Kamu Grugier-Hill, LB (Philadelphia Eagles)
Super Bowl LI – Jimmy Garoppolo, QB (New England Patriots)
Super Bowl XLIX – Jimmy Garoppolo, QB (New England Patriots)
Super Bowl XLIV – Sean Payton, Head Coach (New Orleans Saints)
Super Bowl XXXIII – Mike Shanahan, Head Coach (Denver Broncos)
Super Bowl XXXII – Mike Shanahan, Head Coach (Denver Broncos)
Super Bowl XIV – Ted Petersen, OL (Pittsburgh Steelers)
Super Bowl XIII – Ted Petersen, OL (Pittsburgh Steelers)