Valdes-Scantling becomes first USF alumnus to score a touchdown in the Super Bowl
As red and yellow confetti filled Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Sunday, Chiefs receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling took the Kansas flag and triumphantly planted it midfield.
This was a historic moment for the former USF football player. He became the first Bull to score a touchdown in a Super Bowl game.
For the second consecutive year, the Kansas City Chiefs won the Super Bowl in a 25-22 overtime win over the San Francisco 49ers.
Two of the players on the Chiefs (15-6) were Valdes-Scantling and fellow USF football alumnus Austin Reiter.
Reiter and Valdes-Scantling were on the Chiefs’ roster last year during the 38-35 victory against the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl 57.
Playing in Las Vegas, Valdes-Scantling finished the match with three catches for 20 yards.
His highlight moment was receiving a 16-yard touchdown in the third quarter which put the Chiefs in the lead 13-10.
The St. Pete native said his time at USF was impactful before entering the NFL in 2018. He has a tattoo on his back of Raymond James Stadium and the ‘U’ logo from USF.
Valdes-Scantling was the previous record holder at USF for receiving yards in a single season with 879. Bulls wide receiver Sean Atkins broke the record last season with 1,386 yards.
Related: How USF alumni have impacted previous Super Bowls – The Oracle
Reiter is a current reserve for the Chiefs. He’s won three NFL Super Bowl championships with the team in four appearances.
Both of those records are a program-high for the USF football program.
He was the starting center in Super Bowl 54 in 2020, where the Chiefs first played the 49ers, as well as Super Bowl 55.
So far, 15 former Bulls have participated in the Super Bowl with 11 of them taking it all the way home.
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