4 Minnesota natives, over dozen ex-Vikings competing in Super Bowl 60

The Minnesota Vikings, again, won’t be competing in the biggest game of the NFL season when the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots compete in Super Bowl 60 on Sunday. However, the teams feature more than a dozen former Vikings players and coaches, plus a few Minnesota natives.

Altogether, there are nearly two dozen Minnesota connections to this year’s Super Bowl contenders. Here is the breakdown by the numbers:

4 Minnesota natives

3 Seahawks: Nick Kallerup – Wayzata, Boye Mafe – Golden Valley, Ty Okada – Woodbury

1 Patriot: Wide receivers coach Todd Downing – Eden Prairie

3 Gophers alums

2 Seahawks: Kallerup and Mafe

1 Patriot: Jack Gibbens

7 former Vikings coaches

5 for Seattle: Offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, assistant head coach Leslie Frazier, run game coordinator Rick Dennison, quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko and safeties coach Jeff Howard

2 for New England: Downing and outside linebackers coach Mike Smith

11 ex-Vikings players

4 Seahawks: Starting QB Sam Darnold, linebacker Chazz Surratt, running back Cam Akers (practice squad) and cornerback Shaquill Griffin (practice squad)

7 Patriots: Starting center Garrett Bradbury, starting wide receiver Stefon Diggs, starting nose tackle Khyiris Tonga, offensive lineman Vederian Lowe, quarterback Joshua Dobbs, wide receiver Trent Sherfield Sr., and defensive tackle Jaquelin Roy (injured reserve)

22 total Minnesota connections

12 Seahawks: Kallerup, Mafe, Okada, Darnold, Surratt, Akers, Griffin, Kubiak, Frazier, Dennison, Janocko and Howard

10 Patriots: Downing, Gibbens, Bradbury, Diggs, Tonga, Lowe, Dobbs, Sherfield, Roy and Smith

RELATED: Watch: Eden Prairie native Todd Downing pumped to coach in Super Bowl with New England Patriots

RELATED: Watch: Boye Mafe’s family happy for him reaching Super Bowl with Seattle Seahawks

Kickoff is set for 5:30 p.m. on NBC.

Next year will mark 50 years since the Vikings last played in the Super Bowl.
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