2 players with Delaware ties have a chance to reach the Super Bowl

There are still two players with Delaware ties with a chance to advance to the Super Bowl.

Linebacker Troy Reeder of the Los Angeles Rams helped his team get to the NFC Championship game after the Rams’ 30-27 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. Reeder, who played at Salesianum and the University of Delaware, had three tackles in the victory.

The Rams will play host to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship game next Sunday.

The other player, defensive lineman Zach Kerr, only signed with the Cincinnati Bengals last Wednesday. Yet the University of Delaware star was on the field for 12 plays in the Bengals’ 19-16 win over the Tennessee Titans on Saturday.

In all, there are 19 players with Delaware ties who are currently on NFL rosters. Here is the list:

In the playoffs

Troy Reeder, LB, Rams, Salesianum/UD

Reeder was originally signed as an undrafted free agent in the spring of 2019, but has worked his way into the starting lineup in each season. In 2021, Reeder started 10 games, had a career-high 91 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 INTs, 6 passes defensed. In the wildcard round, Reeder forced Cardinals QB Kyler Murry to throw a pick-6 in the Rams’ 34-11 win.

Darnell Savage, S, Packers, Caravel 

Savage is in his third season after Green Bay picked him in the first round in 2019. He has started every game that he has played in, including all 17 games this season. Savage finished the regular season with 58 tackles, 2 INTs, 9 passes defensed. But the top-seeded Packers were upset in the divisional round, losing 13-10 to the 49ers on Saturday.

Chris Godwin, WR, Bucs, Middletown

Godwin once again established himself as one of the NFL’s top receivers. He had a career-high 98 receptions, good for 1,103 yards and 5 TDs. He led the Bucs in both receptions and yards, despite suffering a season-ending knee injury in Week 14. Godwin could become a free agent this spring, and will be in high demand as he recovers from his knee injury. He could only watch as the Bucs’ season ended in a 30-27 loss to the Rams on Sunday.

Zach Kerr, DL, Bengals, Delaware

Kerr got his playoff berth when he signed with the Bengals on Jan. 19, one week after the Cardinals waived him. Kerr was an undrafted free agent out of UD in 2014, but has managed to last in the NFL for eight seasons. He spent the regular season with the 49ers and Cardinals, playing in a total of 7 games with 6 tackles.

Briean Boddy-Calhoun, CB, Titans, Delcastle

Boddy-Calhoun began his career as an undrafted free agent in 2016. He spent this season on the Titans’ practice squad and did not get into any games. That included the 19-16 playoff loss to the Bengals on Saturday. In all, Boddy-Calhoun has played in 47 games with 141 tackles, 3 INTs, 3 sacks.

Alex Ellis, TE, Cardinals, Delmar

Ellis, the former Eagle and Kansas City Chief, began this season on Raiders’ injured reserve list. He was then released and signed to the Cardinals’ practice squad in November. He didn’t play in any games.

Eli Ankou, DL, Bills, Red Lion

Ankou spent time this season with both the Tennessee Titans and the Buffalo Bills. He got into one game with the Titans and five more with the Bills. He finished the season on the Bills’ practice squad, so he didn’t play in the Bills’ season-ending 42-36 overtime loss to Kansas City on Sunday night. 

The rest

Duron Harmon, S, Falcons, Caesar Rodney

Harmon played his first seven seasons with New England, making the playoffs in each season, including 3 Super Bowl championships. But he hasn’t been back to the postseason since, both with the Lions in 2020 and Falcons this season. 

But Harmon has started every game the last two seasons. In 2021, he had 62 tackles and 2 interceptions.

Matt Gono, OL, Falcons, Wesley College

Gono, who originally made the Falcons’ roster as an undrafted free agent in 2018, spent this season on the physically unable to perform list.

Angelo Blackson, DL, Bears, Red Lion

Blackson, in his seventh season, finished with career-high 41 tackles and tied for career high with 2.5 sacks while starting 8 games. Blackson is on his fifth NFL team.

Bilal Nichols, DL, Bears, Hodgson/UD

Nichols, the Bears’ fifth-round pick in 2018, often played next to Blackson on the Bears’ D-line. Nichols started 15 games and finished with a career-high 45 tackles, 3 sacks and 2 fumble recoveries.

Brian O’Neill, RT, Vikings, Salesianum

O’Neill has started in every game he has played in over the last three seasons and has become one of the top right tackles in the NFL. Last fall, O’Neill signed a five-year contract extension worth as much as $92 million.

David Sills, WR, Giants, Red Lion

Sills, in his third season, worked his way up from the practice squad and got into the first four games of his NFL career. His first NFL reception came against the Eagles on Nov. 28. In all, Sills had 2 catches for 17 yards.

Gary Brightwell, RB, Giants, St. Georges

Brightwell, the Giants’ sixth-round pick, mostly made his mark on special teams. In 13 games, Brightwell had 1 carry for 4 yards and 1 reception for 6 yards.

Wendell Smallwood, RB, WFT, Red Lion

Smallwood got his first carries since 2019 while getting elevated from the practice squad for three games. Smallwood, who’s in his sixth season, had 5 carries for 25 yards. He began the season on Jacksonville’s practice squad before moving to Washington’s practice squad. He had 850 yards rushing in his first three seasons (2016-18) with the Eagles.

Nick Boyle, TE, Ravens, Delaware

Boyle, recovering from a torn ACL suffered in Nov. 2020, played in 5 games this season. Boyle, known for his prowess as a blocker, had 1 catch for 2 yards.

Brandon Rusnak, CB, Jaguars, Red Lion

Rusnak (formerly Brandon Watson) has spent all three of his seasons with Jacksonville after signing as an undrafted free agent in 2019. He played in 4 games this season with 1 tackle.

Nasir Adderley, S, Chargers, UD

Adderley, the Chargers’ second-round pick in 2019, had his best season. He started all 15 games he played in, and finished with a career-high 94 tackles. He also had 0.5 sacks and 5 passes defensed.

Joe Flacco, QB, Jets, Delaware

Flacco began the season, his 14th in the NFL, with the Eagles, but didn’t get into a game. The Eagles then traded him to the Jets. Flacco got into two games, starting one. He 338 yards, 3 TDs and 0 INTs, with a passer rating of 113. Flacco ranks 19th in NFL history in passing yards with 41,269.