Eastern Michigan Athletics
Football Alumnus Andrew Wylie, Kansas City Chiefs Win Super Bowl LVII
2/12/2023 10:10:00 PM | Football
Wylie is the fifth former EMU player to win multiple Super Bowl titles
GLENDALE, Ariz. (EMUEagles.com) - For the 14th time, an Eastern Michigan University football alumnus is a Super Bowl Champion! Tonight, Andrew Wylie and the Kansas City Chiefs took center stage across the country, defeating the Philadelphia Eagles, 38-35, inside State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. The game marked the third Super Bowl appearance in the last four years for Wylie as a member of the Chiefs.
Wylie is one of 11 former Eastern Michigan University football players to take part in a Super Bowl and with his win, he joins the company of just four other former Eastern student-athletes that have captured multiple Super Bowl rings (Reggie Garrett - Steelers, John Banaszak - Steelers, Ron Johnson - Steelers, Charlie Batch - Steelers). Wylie is already one of only six former Eastern Michigan players to capture a Super Bowl crown (won Super LIV – 2020- with Chiefs).
"What an incredible game," said EMU Head Coach Chris Creighton. Congrats to Andrew Wylie on another Super Bowl Championship. All of Eastern Michigan football is excited and proud!"
For Wylie, the journey to the top of the NFL has been a long, Hollywood-esque tale of hard work, dedication, and commitment.
Wylie was undrafted out of Eastern Michigan and bounced around four different teams before he finally found his home with the Chiefs. Wylie also had stints with the Indianapolis Colts and Cleveland Browns' practice squads to go along with his time with the Los Angeles Chargers and Chiefs.
The former EMU lineman signed with the Chiefs in December 2017 after being released by the Chargers practice squad. He was then signed to the Chiefs' active roster in January of 2018 and made his NFL debut in the following season.
Wylie made his first career start with KC against the Cincinnati Bengals and has started 62 of his 73 career NFL games. Tonight, he started at right tackle to record his second Super Bowl start.
At Eastern Michigan, Wylie was one of the anchors on the stellar EMU frontline as he earned 2016 Third Team All-MAC honors. He started all 13 games at right tackle, as the Eagles played in a postseason bowl for the first time in 29 years. He finished his career with 46 starts, which ranked fourth all-time at EMU, while his 47 appearances were tied for 12th all-time.
Wylie's 34-inch vertical at EMU's Pro Day would have ranked first for offensive linemen at the NFL Combine by two full inches. His 9-foot-7-inch broad jump would have tied for first, while his 4.5-second 20-yard shuttle would have ranked second.
Wylie's appearance in Super Bowl LVII marked the 19th time that a former EMU player will compete in the NFL's biggest game.
Story written by freelance writer Art Brooks
Philadelphia had 70 sacks in the regular season and 8.5 in playoff games going into Sunday's 38-35 loss to Kansas City in the Super Bowl at Glendale, Ariz. The Chiefs, including former EMU and Midland High product Andrew Wylie, didn't allow the Eagles a sack. What happened? Get the details, plus commentary on Wylie's effort:
Game recap
* Herbie Teope, Kansas City Star beat writer: So how did (A.J.) Brown, left guard Joe Thuney, center Creed Humphrey, right guard Trey Smith and right tackle Andrew Wylie slow down Philadelphia's pass rush? Turns out they took extra motivation from being peppered with a week's worth of questions about (Haason) Reddick and Co.
"I was so sick and tired of hearing how historic that front seven is," Wylie said. "I'm so sick of that stuff. I think us five up front took it very personal. We were sick and tired of it, man, and we came out there with a purpose and that was to keep 15 (Patrick Mahomes) upright and create holes in the run game.
"It was a fantastic game plan, especially the way Coach (Andy) Reid and EB (offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy) were dialing it up in the second half. Us five up front had a lot of pride in how we took care of business."
"We take a lot of pride up front of being a source of energy," Brown said. "We knew coming in this game, circumstances, everything was going to be hard. It's the Super Bowl. Pat's been dealing with an ankle injury.
"We knew we were going to have to pass in certain situations. And it wasn't pretty or perfect, but it was enough to win the game, and that's what matters."
The Chiefs' offensive line didn't produce an entirely clean game, as the Eagles managed to get five quarterback hits on Mahomes (Reddick had two). But the protection allowed Mahomes to come through with three touchdown passes, two in the deciding fourth quarter. Whenever the protection broke down, Mahomes was able to escape pressure. He rushed six times for 44 yards, including a 26-yard scamper on the game-winning drive.
The Chiefs' front five also stood out in the ground game, paving the way for 158 rushing yards and a touchdown on 26 carries (6.1 yards per attempt). After the game, Mahomes, who was selected as Super Bowl LVII MVP — the second Super Bowl MVP in his three big-game appearances — acknowledged the performance of his primary protectors. In a game of inches, the Chiefs' victory truly started and ended in the trenches.
"The biggest thing was the offensive line ... that's the reason we won this game," Mahomes said.
Strong reviews
From ChiefsWire:
The Kansas City Chiefs offensive line seemed to take offense to the fact that the Philadelphia Eagles defensive line was getting such praise ahead of Super Bowl LVII. They were given no chance against the league-leading unit in sacks. Well, they allowed 0 sacks all night as a unit, but one player, in particular, stood out. Andrew Wylie was matched up against Haason Reddick, whose 16 regular-season sacks tied for the second-most in the NFL in 2022. Reddick was held to one tackle and no sacks.
From SBNation:
We need to show Kansas City Chiefs right tackle Andrew Wylie some love. In the buildup to Super Bowl LVII, supposedly smart people ... argued that the Philadelphia Eagles defensive front would be a huge different in the game. Notably, the matchup between Eagles pass rusher Haason Reddick, and Wylie, the Chiefs right tackle. With 13 of Reddick's 16 sacks this season coming over the right tackle, this was a matchup that could tilt the course of Super Bowl LVII. It certainly did. Just not as we expected. Reddick, and the rest of the Philadelphia offensive line, struggled to get any consistent pressure on Patrick Mahomes all night. The Eagles defense did not get a single sack during Super Bowl LVII, and Wylie silenced both Reddick, and his doubters.
Art Brooks is a retired Detroit News sports copy editor and longtime volunteer at EMU's student newspaper, the Eastern Echo.
EMU's Super Bowl Champions (14)
Reggie Garrett - Steelers - 1974 (Super Bowl IX)
Reggie Garrett - Steelers - 1974 (Super Bowl X)
John Banaszak - Steelers - 1975 (Super Bowl X)
John Banaszak - Steelers - 1978 (Super Bowl XIII)
Ron Johnson - Steelers - 1978 (Super Bowl XIII)
John Banaszak - Steelers - 1979 (Super Bowl XIV)
Ron Johnson - Steelers - 1979 (Super Bowl XIV)
Lional Dalton - Ravens - 2001 (Super Bowl XXXV)
Charlie Batch - Steelers - 2005 (Super Bowl XL)
Charlie Batch - Steelers - 2008 (Super Bowl XLIII)
TJ Lang - Packers - 2010 (Super Bowl XLV)
Andrew Wylie - Chiefs - 2020 (Super Bowl LIV)
Patrick O'Connor – Buccaneers – 2021 (Super Bowl LV)
Andrew Wylie - Chiefs - 2023 (Super Bowl LVII)
EMU's Super Bowl Appearances (19)
Reggie Garrett - Steelers - 1974 (Super Bowl IX)
Reggie Garrett - Steelers - 1974 (Super Bowl X)
Dave Boone - Vikings - 1974 (Super Bowl IX)
John Banaszak - Steelers - 1975 (Super Bowl X)
John Banaszak - Steelers - 1978 (Super Bowl XIII)
Ron Johnson - Steelers - 1978 (Super Bowl XIII)
John Banaszak - Steelers - 1979 (Super Bowl XIV)
Ron Johnson - Steelers - 1979 (Super Bowl XIV)
Clarence Chapman - Bengals - 1981 (Super Bowl XVI)
Lional Dalton - Ravens - 2001 (Super Bowl XXXV)
Jason Short - Eagles - 2004 (Super Bowl XXXIX)
Charlie Batch - Steelers - 2005 (Super Bowl XL)
Charlie Batch - Steelers - 2008 (Super Bowl XLIII)
TJ Lang - Packers - 2010 (Super Bowl XLV)
Charlie Batch - Steelers - 2010 (Super Bowl XLV)
Andrew Wylie - Chiefs - 2020 (Super Bowl LIV)
Andrew Wylie - Chiefs - 2021 (Super Bowl LV)
Patrick O'Connor – Buccaneers - 2021 (Super Bowl LV)
Andrew Wylie – Chiefs – 2023 (Super Bowl LVII)
Wylie is one of 11 former Eastern Michigan University football players to take part in a Super Bowl and with his win, he joins the company of just four other former Eastern student-athletes that have captured multiple Super Bowl rings (Reggie Garrett - Steelers, John Banaszak - Steelers, Ron Johnson - Steelers, Charlie Batch - Steelers). Wylie is already one of only six former Eastern Michigan players to capture a Super Bowl crown (won Super LIV – 2020- with Chiefs).
"What an incredible game," said EMU Head Coach Chris Creighton. Congrats to Andrew Wylie on another Super Bowl Championship. All of Eastern Michigan football is excited and proud!"
For Wylie, the journey to the top of the NFL has been a long, Hollywood-esque tale of hard work, dedication, and commitment.
Wylie was undrafted out of Eastern Michigan and bounced around four different teams before he finally found his home with the Chiefs. Wylie also had stints with the Indianapolis Colts and Cleveland Browns' practice squads to go along with his time with the Los Angeles Chargers and Chiefs.
The former EMU lineman signed with the Chiefs in December 2017 after being released by the Chargers practice squad. He was then signed to the Chiefs' active roster in January of 2018 and made his NFL debut in the following season.
Wylie made his first career start with KC against the Cincinnati Bengals and has started 62 of his 73 career NFL games. Tonight, he started at right tackle to record his second Super Bowl start.
At Eastern Michigan, Wylie was one of the anchors on the stellar EMU frontline as he earned 2016 Third Team All-MAC honors. He started all 13 games at right tackle, as the Eagles played in a postseason bowl for the first time in 29 years. He finished his career with 46 starts, which ranked fourth all-time at EMU, while his 47 appearances were tied for 12th all-time.
Wylie's 34-inch vertical at EMU's Pro Day would have ranked first for offensive linemen at the NFL Combine by two full inches. His 9-foot-7-inch broad jump would have tied for first, while his 4.5-second 20-yard shuttle would have ranked second.
Wylie's appearance in Super Bowl LVII marked the 19th time that a former EMU player will compete in the NFL's biggest game.
Story written by freelance writer Art Brooks
Philadelphia had 70 sacks in the regular season and 8.5 in playoff games going into Sunday's 38-35 loss to Kansas City in the Super Bowl at Glendale, Ariz. The Chiefs, including former EMU and Midland High product Andrew Wylie, didn't allow the Eagles a sack. What happened? Get the details, plus commentary on Wylie's effort:
Game recap
* Herbie Teope, Kansas City Star beat writer: So how did (A.J.) Brown, left guard Joe Thuney, center Creed Humphrey, right guard Trey Smith and right tackle Andrew Wylie slow down Philadelphia's pass rush? Turns out they took extra motivation from being peppered with a week's worth of questions about (Haason) Reddick and Co.
"I was so sick and tired of hearing how historic that front seven is," Wylie said. "I'm so sick of that stuff. I think us five up front took it very personal. We were sick and tired of it, man, and we came out there with a purpose and that was to keep 15 (Patrick Mahomes) upright and create holes in the run game.
"It was a fantastic game plan, especially the way Coach (Andy) Reid and EB (offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy) were dialing it up in the second half. Us five up front had a lot of pride in how we took care of business."
"We take a lot of pride up front of being a source of energy," Brown said. "We knew coming in this game, circumstances, everything was going to be hard. It's the Super Bowl. Pat's been dealing with an ankle injury.
"We knew we were going to have to pass in certain situations. And it wasn't pretty or perfect, but it was enough to win the game, and that's what matters."
The Chiefs' offensive line didn't produce an entirely clean game, as the Eagles managed to get five quarterback hits on Mahomes (Reddick had two). But the protection allowed Mahomes to come through with three touchdown passes, two in the deciding fourth quarter. Whenever the protection broke down, Mahomes was able to escape pressure. He rushed six times for 44 yards, including a 26-yard scamper on the game-winning drive.
The Chiefs' front five also stood out in the ground game, paving the way for 158 rushing yards and a touchdown on 26 carries (6.1 yards per attempt). After the game, Mahomes, who was selected as Super Bowl LVII MVP — the second Super Bowl MVP in his three big-game appearances — acknowledged the performance of his primary protectors. In a game of inches, the Chiefs' victory truly started and ended in the trenches.
"The biggest thing was the offensive line ... that's the reason we won this game," Mahomes said.
Strong reviews
From ChiefsWire:
The Kansas City Chiefs offensive line seemed to take offense to the fact that the Philadelphia Eagles defensive line was getting such praise ahead of Super Bowl LVII. They were given no chance against the league-leading unit in sacks. Well, they allowed 0 sacks all night as a unit, but one player, in particular, stood out. Andrew Wylie was matched up against Haason Reddick, whose 16 regular-season sacks tied for the second-most in the NFL in 2022. Reddick was held to one tackle and no sacks.
From SBNation:
We need to show Kansas City Chiefs right tackle Andrew Wylie some love. In the buildup to Super Bowl LVII, supposedly smart people ... argued that the Philadelphia Eagles defensive front would be a huge different in the game. Notably, the matchup between Eagles pass rusher Haason Reddick, and Wylie, the Chiefs right tackle. With 13 of Reddick's 16 sacks this season coming over the right tackle, this was a matchup that could tilt the course of Super Bowl LVII. It certainly did. Just not as we expected. Reddick, and the rest of the Philadelphia offensive line, struggled to get any consistent pressure on Patrick Mahomes all night. The Eagles defense did not get a single sack during Super Bowl LVII, and Wylie silenced both Reddick, and his doubters.
Art Brooks is a retired Detroit News sports copy editor and longtime volunteer at EMU's student newspaper, the Eastern Echo.
EMU's Super Bowl Champions (14)
Reggie Garrett - Steelers - 1974 (Super Bowl IX)
Reggie Garrett - Steelers - 1974 (Super Bowl X)
John Banaszak - Steelers - 1975 (Super Bowl X)
John Banaszak - Steelers - 1978 (Super Bowl XIII)
Ron Johnson - Steelers - 1978 (Super Bowl XIII)
John Banaszak - Steelers - 1979 (Super Bowl XIV)
Ron Johnson - Steelers - 1979 (Super Bowl XIV)
Lional Dalton - Ravens - 2001 (Super Bowl XXXV)
Charlie Batch - Steelers - 2005 (Super Bowl XL)
Charlie Batch - Steelers - 2008 (Super Bowl XLIII)
TJ Lang - Packers - 2010 (Super Bowl XLV)
Andrew Wylie - Chiefs - 2020 (Super Bowl LIV)
Patrick O'Connor – Buccaneers – 2021 (Super Bowl LV)
Andrew Wylie - Chiefs - 2023 (Super Bowl LVII)
EMU's Super Bowl Appearances (19)
Reggie Garrett - Steelers - 1974 (Super Bowl IX)
Reggie Garrett - Steelers - 1974 (Super Bowl X)
Dave Boone - Vikings - 1974 (Super Bowl IX)
John Banaszak - Steelers - 1975 (Super Bowl X)
John Banaszak - Steelers - 1978 (Super Bowl XIII)
Ron Johnson - Steelers - 1978 (Super Bowl XIII)
John Banaszak - Steelers - 1979 (Super Bowl XIV)
Ron Johnson - Steelers - 1979 (Super Bowl XIV)
Clarence Chapman - Bengals - 1981 (Super Bowl XVI)
Lional Dalton - Ravens - 2001 (Super Bowl XXXV)
Jason Short - Eagles - 2004 (Super Bowl XXXIX)
Charlie Batch - Steelers - 2005 (Super Bowl XL)
Charlie Batch - Steelers - 2008 (Super Bowl XLIII)
TJ Lang - Packers - 2010 (Super Bowl XLV)
Charlie Batch - Steelers - 2010 (Super Bowl XLV)
Andrew Wylie - Chiefs - 2020 (Super Bowl LIV)
Andrew Wylie - Chiefs - 2021 (Super Bowl LV)
Patrick O'Connor – Buccaneers - 2021 (Super Bowl LV)
Andrew Wylie – Chiefs – 2023 (Super Bowl LVII)
EMU Football Pregame Press Conference: Week 2 vs. LIU
Monday, September 01
EMU Football Week One Hype Video
Saturday, August 30
EMU Football Pregame Press Conference: Week 1 at Texas State
Monday, August 25
Rooks Set to Lead in Sixth Year at Eastern
Saturday, August 23