MD High School Grad To Play In Super Bowl 59

MARYLAND — A familiar Maryland name is on the roster in Sunday's Super Bowl LIX between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.

One of the players on the 53-man roster got their start in playing high school football in Maryland, according to High School Football America.

Eagles defensive tackle Thomas Booker IV graduated from Gilman School, an all-boys private school in Baltimore. Booker's first sport was tennis, but he lettered in football, basketball and track at Gilman.

Born in Ellicott City, Booker later played college ball at Stanford, where he was a two-time first-team Academic All-America selection. His hobbies include reading, listening to audiobooks and playing the Halo video game. He also participated in a White House panel discussion on gun violence in June 2024.

The Houston Texans drafted Booker in the fifth round in 2022. He played in 10 games that year, posting 15 total tackles.

Houston cut Booker in summer 2023, and he joined Philadelphia's practice squad last season.

The 25-year-old has played in every Eagles game this season, including one start. The 6-foot-3, 301-pounder has recorded 18 tackles, including one sack, this season. He played on 16% of defensive snaps in the regular season, and he's appeared in 2% of downs in the playoffs.

Booker wears No. 59.

The Super Bowl will not feature any players who attended college in Maryland.

Overall, high school athletes from 31 different states, plus Australia will be represented when the Chiefs and Eagles battle for the Vince Lombardi Trophy for the second time in the last three years.

Florida has 14 former players (10 for Philadelphia, four for Kansas City) slated to play in America’s biggest football game.

Texas has the second most with 12 (eight for Philadelphia, four for Kansas City).