No matter what happens in two weeks at Super Bowl LIV in Miami, a former Trojan will win a Super Bowl ring.
Two former Trojans, the Kansas City Chiefs’ Tyreek Hill and the San Francisco 49ers’ Kentavious Street, will face off against each other in the NFL’s biggest game. Most people are familiar with Hill – the wide receiver is a four-time Pro Bowler, the second highest paid wide receiver in the league, one of the NFL’s most explosive player, and probably the fastest player in the NFL. In his career, he has played in 59 games and caught 281 passes for 4,115 yards and 32 touchdowns – two of which came in the AFC Championship game against the Tennessee Titans.
Street, however, is more of a mystery to the casual fan. While Hill graduated from Coffee High (Class of 2012), that’s not the case with Street. The son of Kendrick Street and Carol Presley Street, Kentavious moved to North Carolina with his mother following his sophomore year. The Coffee High coaching staff knew that Street was going to be a special player; he was 230 pounds and squatting 400 as a freshman, with speed and football smarts to go with his raw athletic ability.
Economics is what ended Street’s career as a Trojan. His mother found a better job in North Carolina than she could land in South Georgia. It was in North Carolina where Street came into his own as a football player. He eventually graduated from J.H. Rose High School in Greeneville and enrolled at North Carolina State University. The 49ers took the 6’2”, 287-pound defensive lineman in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL Draft (128th overall pick).
Since joining the 49ers, Street’s playing time his been limited due to injury. However, he has proven himself when he has played and the 49ers expect big things from him when he recovers. He tore an ACL before the draft and didn’t get a chance to play at all in 2018. H was activated in December of 2019 but his knee flared up again. He is currently on the injured reserve list. In the few games he has played, he has four tackles and has impressed the San Francisco coaching staff with his level of play. If he stays healthy, he is expected to play a significant role in the 49ers’ defense.
No former Trojan has ever played in – much less won – a Super Bowl.