CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Sydney Brown is a Super Bowl champion. The former Illini All-American helped the Philadelphia Eagles to a 40-22 win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans.
Brown played 18 snaps (16 special teams, 2 defense) in the Super Bowl victory. A special teams star, Brown had a tackle in each of Philadelphia's three playoff wins leading up to the Super Bowl.
After returning from a knee injury suffered last season, Brown totaled seven tackles, one interception, two passes defended, and one forced fumble in 11 regular-season games. During his two-year career, Brown has 52 tackles, two interceptions, five passes defended, and two forced fumbles. He played in 14 games with six starts last season before a season-ending torn ACL.
Brown was a 2022 All-American at Illinois before being selected in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft by Philadelphia. Brown started 50 games over five seasons at Illinois and totaled 319 tackles, 10.0 tackles for loss, 10 interceptions, 26 passes defended, and four forced fumbles.
An Illini has won a Super Bowl ring in three straight seasons, tied for the second-longest streak in program history (8, 2003-10).
Illini Super Bowl Champions
| Year |
Player |
Team |
| 1967 (I) |
Jim Grabowski |
Green Bay |
| 1967 (I) |
Ray Nitschke |
Green Bay |
| 1968 (II) |
Jim Grabowski |
Green Bay |
| 1968 (II) |
Ray Nitschke |
Green Bay |
| 1975 (IX) |
Preston Pearson |
Pittsburgh |
| 1978 (XII) |
Preston Pearson |
Dallas |
| 1984 (XVIII) |
Darryl Byrd |
L.A. Raiders |
| 1984 (XVIII) |
Jack Squirek |
L.A. Raiders |
| 1986 (XX) |
Calvin Thomas |
Chicago |
| 1998 (XXXII) |
Howard Griffith |
Denver |
| 1999 (XXXIII) |
Howard Griffith |
Denver |
| 2000 (XXXIV) |
Robert Holcombe |
St. Louis |
| 2003 (XXXVII) |
Jameel Cook |
Tampa Bay |
| 2003 (XXXVII) |
Ken Dilger |
Tampa Bay |
| 2003 (XXXVII) |
Simeon Rice |
Tampa Bay |
| 2004 (XXXVIII) |
Eugene Wilson |
New England |
| 2005 (XXXIX) |
Eugene Wilson |
New England |
| 2006 (XL) |
Walter Young |
Pittsburgh |
| 2007 (XLI) |
Kelvin Hayden |
Indianapolis |
| 2007 (XLI) |
Aaron Moorehead |
Indianapolis |
| 2008 (XLII) |
Dave Diehl |
New York Giants |
| 2009 (XLIII) |
Carey Davis |
Pittsburgh |
| 2009 (XLIII) |
Rashard Mendenhall |
Pittsburgh |
| 2010 (XLIV) |
Pierre Thomas |
New Orleans |
| 2012 (XLVI) |
Dave Diehl |
New York Giants |
| 2012 (XLVI) |
Steve Weatherford |
New York Giants |
| 2015 (XLIX) |
Michael Buchanan |
New England |
| 2015 (XLIX) |
Michael Hoomanawanui |
New England |
| 2015 (XLIX) |
Tavon Wilson |
New England |
| 2017 (LI) |
Ted Karras |
New England |
| 2019 (LIII) |
Ted Karras |
New England |
| 2020 (LIV) |
Nick Allegretti |
Kansas City |
| 2023 (LVII) |
Nick Allegretti |
Kansas City |
| 2024 (LVIII) |
Nick Allegretti |
Kansas City |
| 2025 (LIX) |
Sydney Brown |
Philadelphia |
