LEE COUNTY, Fla. -- A man who started his football journey on the fields of Southwest Florida has helped bring Philadelphia its first Super Bowl win.
Jaylen Watkins, a Cape Coral High School graduate, was on the field Sunday as the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII.
Watkins, the half-brother of Rams wide receiver Sammy Watkins, grew up in Southwest Florida and played at Cape Coral High before heading to the University of Florida, where he appeared in 48 games as a defensive back.
He was drafted by the Eagles in the 4th round of the NFL draft in 2014.
Another former Gator made a huge contribution in the game. Tight end Trey Burton took a lateral in the 2nd quarter and threw a touchdown pass to Eagles quarterback Nick Foles. Burton played high school football in Venice, Florida before playing for the Gators.
There were also four former Florida State players on the Eagles roster: LB Nigel Bradham, CB Ronald Darby, DT Tim Jernigan, and CB Patrick Robinson.
