'What A Stud': Frankfort's Allegretti Tears UCL, Stays In Super Bowl

LAS VEGAS — Frankfort's Nick Allegretti knew his Kansas City Chiefs teammates needed him, and nothing was going to stop him from giving the run for another Super Bowl ring all he's got.

Allegretti, a Chiefs offensive lineman and former Lincoln-Way East and University of Illinois star, tore the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his elbow in the Feb. 11 game's second quarter—and played all 79 snaps despite the injury, NFL Network reported Tuesday.

"Few are tougher than Allegretti, now a three-time champ," the network's Tom Pelissero shared on X.

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes praised his teammate for his part in the team's 25-22 overtime victory against the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII.

"Beast man!" Mahomes said on X. "We told him we needed him out there and he didn’t miss a snap!"

Chiefs offensive lineman Creed Humphrey also shouted out his teammate.

"One tough S.O.B!!" Humphrey shared on X.

Tackle Donovan Smith chimed in, too.

"A dawg !!!" Smith said.

FOX Sports betting analyst Geoff Schwartz and former Chiefs offensive lineman himself heaped on.

"What a stud," Schwartz wrote on X. "Championship teams always seem to have these players."

Allegretti's injury is most commonly seen in MLB pitchers, Fox Sports reports. The ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) runs along the inner side of the elbow to help support it when performing certain motions, such as throwing. Allegretti tore the UCL in his left elbow. The injury is often treated with the Tommy John surgery, named after a pitcher who had his UCL reconstructed in 1974.

The 2024 Super Bowl marked only the second time a Super Bowl game has gone into overtime, according to ChiefsWire.com. The first was Super Bowl LI between the New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons in 2016.

The Chiefs also became the first back-to-back Super Bowl champs since 2004.

Now in his fifth year with the team, Allegretti started in place of Joe Thuney, who suffered a pectoral injury in the Divisional game, moving Allegretti into the lineup for the rest of that game, as well as both the AFC Championship Game and Super Bowl. Allegretti played a combined 173 snaps in those three weeks, including 81 in the conference title game, according to fan website Arrowhead Report.

Allegretti, 27, has now won three championships with Kansas City. He was a seventh-round selection out of Illinois in the 2019 draft.

It's another significant twist of fate for the Frankfort native on the day of the big game—his wife last year welcomed twins girls just hours ahead of the Chiefs' appearance in the 2023 Super Bowl.

Allegretti's next steps are unclear. He was re-signed on a one-year contract in March 2023. He is up for free agency this spring.