SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Super Bowl LVI will have a lot of eyes on the Bengals and Rams on Sunday, but a handful of athletes may give fans watching from Northern California something to be on the look out for.
Five athletes with ties to Northern California have been able to take part in a lot of the festivities surrounding the big game, but only two will be able to actually play.
Joe Mixon – Bengals Running Back #28 (Oakley)
Bengals starting halfback Joe Mixon is one of Cincinnati’s most potent offensive weapons. He’s rebounded well form last season’s foot injury with his finest season in his five NFL seasons. He earned a Pro Bowl nod after the 25-year-old ran for the third most yardage in the league – with 1,205 yards and 13 rushing touchdowns.
An Oakley native, Mixon was a standout at Freedom High School before playing college football at Oklahoma. He famously ran into trouble in college when a video surfaced of him punching a woman during a fight in a restaurant in 2014.
Mixon overcame the behavioral issues and served 100 hours of community service after apologizing and accepting a plea agreement which included probation. He was drafted by Cincinnati in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft and has been a model citizen ever since.
Jonah Williams – Bengals offensive tackle #73 (Folsom)
Jonah Williams (6-4, 305) was destined for stardom as the anchor of the Folsom Bulldogs offensive line, under the tutelage of coach Kris Richardson. Williams helped lead the Bulldogs to a NorCal championship in 2013 and a CIF state title in 2014.
After a successful career at Alabama, which included a 2017 College Football Championship, Williams would be selected by the Bengals with the 11th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. As a offensive tackle, the 24-year-old has helped protect quarterback Joe Burrow during his first full season as QB1, and help Mixon have a career season as Cincinnati’s running back.
Williams will rely on his high school and collegiate championship experiences as he prepares to play in his first Super Bowl.
Trayvon Henderson – Bengals Safety #41 (Sacramento)
Trayvon Henderson plays on the Bengals practice squad and has appeared in just 10 games in his three seasons in Cincinnati. The 26-year-old is one of four active NFL players to hail from Sacramento’s (Del Paso Heights) Grant Union High School.
Henderson was a standout with Mike Alberghini’s Grant Pacers as a safety and a wide receiver, where he followed in the footsteps of other family members to play at Grant. He would go on to play collegiately at Hawaii before going undrafted in 2018. He appeared in two games this season and scored his first career touchdown on Jan. 9, during a week 18 loss in Cleveland.
Jake Browning – Bengals Quarterback #6 (Folsom)
Teammates with Williams during the 2014 undefeated state championship run with Folsom, Browning shattered state records as Bulldogs quarterback, under Richardson and co-head coach Troy Taylor. Browning’s 229 touchdowns not only set a new California record, but broke the national record, which was previously 219.
After graduating in 2015, Browning attended the University of Washington and went undrafted in 2019. He would sign as an undrafted free agent later that year with the Minnesota Vikings and would compete on the practice squad.
After two seasons with the Vikings practice squad, Browning was cut before the start of this season. Days later, he signed with the Bengals' practice squad and helps prepare alongside starting quarterback Joe Burrow.
As a practice squad member with the Bengals, he will not be eligible to play in Super Bowl LVI.
Johnny Mundt – Rams Tight End #82 (Hughson)
Hughson native Johnny Mundt will not play in Super Bowl LVI after suffering a season-ending torn ACL in Week 6. The unfortunate injury cost Mundt, 27, a Super Bowl appearance, especially given the injury to starting tight end Tyler Higbee.
Mundt was a star at Modesto’s Central Catholic High School, leading the Raiders to a Div. IV CIF State Championship in his senior season, before playing with the Oregon Ducks for four seasons. He went undrafted in 2017 and signed to the Rams practice squad. He appeared in two games that season and was elevated to the 53 man roster the next season.
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