Super Bowl LVI Features Four Independence Bowl Alumni

Former Independence Bowl players Von Miller and Cam Akers crowned Super Bowl LVI champions

Cam Akers (#3) at 2017 Independence Bowl vs. Southern Miss. (Photo: Steve Mauldin/Independence Bowl Archives)

Update (Feb. 14, 2022): Los Angeles Rams starters, Von Miller and Cam Akers, were crowned Super Bowl champions in the Rams’ 23-20 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI. Miller and Akers have both previously played in the Independence Bowl. Miller played in the 2009 game for Texas A&M against Georgia, while Akers suited up in the 2017 Independence Bowl for Florida State against Southern Miss. Rams head coach Sean McVay also has ties to the Independence Bowl, as he was a redshirt on the 2004 Miami (OH) team that faced off against Iowa State in the Independence Bowl.

SHREVEPORT, La. (Feb. 8, 2022) – Super Bowl LVI is set to kick off this Sunday, February 13 at 5:30 p.m. CT, as the Cincinnati Bengals will take on the Los Angeles Rams, and the culmination of the National Football League (NFL) season will feature four players who played in the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl.

With two players each from the Bengals and Rams, the Independence Bowl alumni that are set to play in Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, Calif. are the following:

Cincinnati Bengals

• B.J. Hill – DT (NC State, 2016)
• Auden Tate – WR (Florida State, 2017)

Los Angeles Rams

• Cam Akers – RB (Florida State, 2017)
• Von Miller – Edge (Texas A&M, 2009)

Three of the four players – Hill, Akers and Miller – started in the conference championship games on Sunday, while Tate has been on injured reserve since week seven. He was designated to return from IR on January 11 and has a 21 day window to return to the active roster.

Hill has started two of the Bengals’ three playoff games – collecting 10 combined tackles, 1.5 sacks and one interception. In Cincinnati’s comeback victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship game, he recorded five combined tackles, 0.5 sacks and intercepted Patrick Mahomes II late in the third quarter to help the Bengals tie the game at 21 apiece.

Akers and Miller both started for the Rams in the NFC Championship game and have played big roles in helping their team to Super Bowl LVI. Akers rushed 13 times for 48 yards against the San Francisco 49ers in Sunday’s 20-17 victory and has played a major role in the Rams’ offense since returning in week 18 from a torn Achilles tendon that occurred prior to training camp. Miller has been even more instrumental to the Rams’ Super Bowl run after being traded from the Denver Broncos mid-season. Between 11 regular season and post-season games, the former All-Pro has recorded 43 total tackles, 16 tackles-for-loss and 7.0 sacks – providing another pass rushing threat alongside All-Pro defensive tackle Aaron Donald.

Across the four conference championship rosters, there were seven other former Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl players on the playoff rosters, and five of the seven players appeared in the conference championship games. Former Louisiana Tech defensive back and 2019 Independence Bowl alumni L’Jarius Sneed had the biggest impact, as the Chiefs defensive back collected eight solo tackles, 10 combined tackles, one tackle-for-loss and one interception against the Bengals.

ABOUT THE RADIANCE TECHNOLOGIES INDEPENDENCE BOWL™:

Established in 1976, the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl™ is the nation’s 11th-oldest bowl game. The UAB Blazers defeated the No. 13 BYU Cougars 31-28 in the 45th Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl on Saturday, December 18, 2021. The Independence Bowl Foundation announced a one-year extension with Radiance Technologies – ensuring they will be the title sponsor through 2025. The bowl’s conference and team agreements, as well as the television agreement, also run through the 2025 season. Army West Point and BYU are slated to matchup against a rotation of the Pac-12 Conference, American Athletic Conference and Conference USA, which will be televised on an ESPN network.

The Independence Bowl Foundation is prevalent in the Shreveport-Bossier City area throughout the year, hosting events to help enhance the economic impact and growth of our community. The Mission of the Independence Bowl is to attract and provide quality, nationally recognized football competition oriented to the Ark-La-Tex region. For more information, visit RadianceTechnologiesIndependenceBowl.com or follow the bowl on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @IndyBowl.