All The Super Bowl 59 Connections To New Jersey

NEW JERSEY — Super Bowl 59 may be a distant fantasy for the New York Giants and Jets, but there are still plenty of rooting interests and connections in the big game for New Jersey residents.

Neither franchise likely inspires much love in New Jersey. The Birds are the Giants arch-nemesis, while the Chiefs are building a dynasty that is spurring national fatigue.

Several players and coaches on both the Eagles and Chiefs either lived in the Garden State or played for one of its schools, potentially giving fans a point of rooting interest beyond the franchises themselves.

Here's a glance at those connections:

Jersey Birds

• Kenny Pickett - The Eagles backup quarterback was born and raised in Ocean Township, where he starred in high school before going on to the University of Pittsburgh.
• Jeremiah Trotter Jr. - The Trotters are Philly football royalty, with Jeremiah Jr. following in the footsteps of his father, Jeremiah Sr., as a star linebacker for the Birds. Jeremiah Jr. grew up Burlington County, in Hainesport Township, while his father played for the Eagles. He later attended Saint Joe's Prep in Philly for high school.
• Jahan Dotson - Birds wideout Dotson was born in Newark and spent at year at Peddie School in Mercer County before going to Nazareth High School in Pennsylvania his senior year. He later attended Penn State, one of Nittany Lions who matriculated to the Birds.
• Rick Lovato - The Eagles long snapper was born in Neptune Township, and graduated from Middletown South High School.

Jersey Chiefs

• Anthony Firkser - Former Jet and current Chiefs tight end Firkser played football at Manalapan High School, where he was also a star point guard on the basketball team.
• Isiah Pacheco - One of the most important parts of the Chiefs dynastic success the past several years has been running back Pacheco, a Vineland native who stayed in his home state and represented Rutgers before his NFL career.
• Matt Nagy - The offensive coordinator of one of the most high powered offenses in recent history is from Dunellen, in Middlesex County. He's another from this list that has connections to Pennsylvania as well, as he graduated from Manheim Central in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

Super Bowl 59 is Sunday, Feb. 9.