Former Oklahoma football Sooners are scattered throughout the NFL, and a good number of them are on teams that qualified for this season’s NFL playoffs, which kick off this weekend.
Many of these former Sooners are younger, and will begin their playoff careers, or have the opportunity to win their first playoff game.
Some are nearing the end of their careers and hope to pick up a championship on their way out, but one thing is for certain, Sooners will be highly visible in the NFL in the month of January.
The Arizona Cardinals are led by former Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Kyler Murray. Murray led Oklahoma to the postseason in his sole year as starting QB,
Murray had a solid 2021 NFL season, leading his Cardinals to the No. 5 seed in the NFC and throwing for 3,787 yards and 24 touchdowns with 10 interceptions.
Arizona also has former OU defensive lineman Jordan Phillips, who was selected to the second-team All-Big 12 in 2014. Phillips has not appeared in a game since Dec. 19, but still has a chance to win a championship with this team.
Turning to the Dallas Cowboys, the No. 3 seed in the NFC, former Sooner All-American wide receiver CeeDee Lamb is one of the Cowboys’ key offensive weapons. In his second NFL season, Lamb had 79 receptions for 1,102 yards and six touchdowns.
Former OU defensive tackle Neville Gallimore has not seen a great deal of game action for Dallas this season but has appeared in a few games, including the Cowboys’ most recent matchup against Philadelphia.
A former second-team All-Big 12 selection, Gallimore finished with three solo tackles and two tackles for loss last week, and hopefully, that is a sign of things to come for him.
The San Francisco 49ers have dealt with injuries this season, and one injury in particular could keep a former OU star and current NFL superstar out of the first round of the playoffs. Nine-time Pro-Bowler and 2009 All-American Trent Williams has been beyond important for the offensive line of the 49ers.
Williams did not practice on Wednesday, which could spell trouble for the 49ers when they face the Cowboys in Dallas.
Running back Trey Sermon played three seasons at Oklahoma before transferring to Ohio State for his final year of college ball. Sermon had a great 2018 for Oklahoma, rushing for just shy of 1000 yards and punching in 13 touchdowns. He was recently activated off of IR and could see some action depending on how far San Francisco goes in the postseason.
The Philadelphia Eagles snuck into the Playoffs as the No. 7 seed in the NFC, with former Sooners Jalen Hurts at the quarterback spot. Second-team All-Big 12 offensive lineman and first-round NFL draft pick Lane Johnson, has been key in protecting Hurts for Philadelphia.
Hurts, Johnson and the Eagles will have a tough task going against Tom Brady and the No. 2-seeded Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but if Hurts can lead the Sooners down 28-3 against Baylor, he has the poise to make it happen.
The AFC features a number of former Sooners as well, including the Cincinnati Bengals who play in the Sooner-heavy AFC North.
Cincinnati’s most notable Sooner, Joe Mixon, has proved to be one of the top running backs in the league. Mixon had his best season statistically in 2021 with 1,205 rushing yards along with 13 touchdowns, both career bests. He also caught 42 passes for 314 yards and three touchdowns.
Mixon’s backup, Samaje Perine, has had a bit of a career resurgence in Cincy. The former second-team All-American holds the single-game rushing record as well as Oklahoma’s career rushing record. Perine ran for 302 yards in 2021 and has served as a solid depth piece in the Bengals’ backfield.
Linebacker Jordan Evans, who was a member of OU’s defense from 2013-2016, unfortunately, tore his ACL in Week 5 this season, but he would still be eligible for a ring if Cincinnati was to win the Super Bowl.
The matchup between the No. 3 Buffalo Bills and No. 6 New England Patriots also features a matchup between former OU teammates.
The Bills’ offensive line includes a couple of Sooners. Daryl Williams has been effective as a starting right guard, while Cody Ford is in a reserve role. Williams was a 2014 All-Big 12 First-Team selection, and Ford was the same thing in 2018.
The running game of the New England Patriots has a great amount of depth with multiple moving parts, one of which being former Sooner Rhamondre Stevenson. Stevenson has averaged 4.6 yards a carry with 606 rushing yards and five touchdowns in his rookie season.
Linebacker Ronnie Perkins, another rookie, has been on injured reserve for some time, and only time will tell if he sees time for New England in the postseason.
The Kansas City Chiefs are tied with the Ravens for the most former Sooners on their roster, and all of them have made their mark in their respective roles.
Blake Bell, former Oklahoma quarterback and tight end, has been a solid depth piece for the Chiefs and should see some plenty of action this postseason.
James Winchester has been the long snapper for Kansas City since 2015, and he will have another chance at a Super Bowl.
Two Sooners joined Kansas City this past offseason with Orlando Brown Jr. coming in through trade, and Creed Humphrey making his way to Missouri through the NFL Draft.
Brown Jr. just made his third straight Pro-Bowl this season, while Humphrey is already being touted as one of the best, if not the best, centers in the NFL in just his first season.
The Chiefs, the No. 2 seed in the AFC, will take on the No. 7-seeded Pittsburgh Steelers, who have Tre Norwood, a defensive back, who has seen a reserve role and some crucial game time for the Steelers in his rookie season.
There is a good chance that a former Sooner will lift the Lombardi Trophy when the NFL playoffs are all said and done, but either way, these players will all show how important they are to their respective franchises.