NEW ORLEANS -- Kelee Ringo closed his eyes during a Philadelphia Eagles team exercise and had Georgia football on his mind.
“Words couldn’t explain how proud I was of my team,” Ringo said, sharing thoughts prompted by coach Nick Sirianni’s for each player to think about their greatest football feeling.
“Coach (Kirby) Smart, just the whole organization, to be able to support them and talk about the ‘G’ …. "
Safe to say, Bulldogs’ fans will have the six former Georgia players on the Eagles’ roster on their minds when Super Bowl LIX kicks off at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday night.
Former Georgia stars Jordan Davis, Nolan Smith, Jalen Carter, Lewis Cine and Nakobe Dean will have Eagles wings on their helmets when the game kicks off against two-time defending champion Kansas City.
Malik Herring and Mecole Hardman are on the Chiefs’ roster, though Hardman is on injured reserve and will not play.
The “PhillyDawgs” have taken a place in the hearts of Georgia fans who flood their support for the former Bulldogs on social media daily.
Philadelphia starting defensive tackle and former Georgia Outland Trophy winner Jordan Davis made it clear that fan support is noted.
“I miss y’all, and I love y’all and we appreciate the support,” said Davis, whose decision to return for his senior season in 2021 sparked Georgia’s unprecedented back-to-back CFP Championship victories.
“If I could do it all over again, it would be so amazing,” Davis said. “I wouldn’t be here without (Kirby Smart); he’s done a lot for us, he’s still doing a lot for us, and we’re grateful for him.”
Nolan Smith, a former No. 1 recruit who developed into a first-round NFL pick and breakout star of this year’s playoffs, echoed Davis’ sentiment for Smart.
“This guy is special man, he’ll care about you, and he’ll hug you, and then he’ll treat you like no other,” said Smith, who has recorded at least one sack in all three of the Eagles playoff games leading up to the Super Bowl.
“He may come across to some people as a yeller, but no, he’s just a loud career. I call him a loud carer.”
Lewis Cine, the newest of the PhillyDawgs after being acquired last month to shore up depth in the secondary, credits Smart and the Georgia staff for developing him into a first-round NFL pick.
“If you want to be developed and go to the NFL and really have an opportunity to make a difference on the next level, that’s where to go,” Cine Monday said at the Super Bowl Media opening press conference. “They get you prepped, they get you ready, you learn everything that you need to learn to make a difference here.”
And, Cine said, being part of Georgia football led him to one of the happiest days of his life when the Bulldogs completed their back-to-back championship run with a 65-7 win over TCU.
“One of the most blissful moments of my life, honestly,” said Cine, who has overcome the fractured leg he suffered his NFL rookie year.
“It took a whole lot of work, sweat and tears from the guys we battled with.”
These Eagles have bonded together in much the same fashion in their quest to win what would be the franchise’s first Super Bowl victory since a 41-33 win over New England in 2018.
Davis had just enrolled at Georgia at that time, while Dean — who is injured and won’t play in the Super Bowl — was mulling a scholarship offer from Kirby Smart.
Smith was committed to UGA, while Cine, Ringo and Carter were on the Bulldogs recruiting radar, unaware they were on the verge of starting something special together at Georgia that would carry over into the NFL ranks.
“If you told us we would be on the same team and playing for a Super Bowl …. " Ringo said, “we’d all say you’re crazy, but it shows how blessed we are to be in this situation.”
Herring will be wearing Kansas City colors on Sunday night, but he shared how beneath those helmets and shoulder pads the former Bulldogs remain brothers from their days in red and black.
“Everybody keeps in touch with everybody, we still have our group chat,” Herring said. “The love and family is still there at Georgia, and everybody still looks after each other and takes care of each other.”
But come Sunday night, it will be about taking care of business in the Super Bowl, even as the Georgia fans tuned into the live action flashback to the players’ glory of yesteryear.
Super Bowl LIX Georgia players draft history
DT Jordan Davis, First round (13th), 2022
DT Jalen Carter, First round (9th), 2023
OLB Nolan Smith, First round (30th), 2023
DB Lewis Cine, First round (32nd), 2022
CB Kelee Ringo, Fourth round (105th), 2023
LB Nakobe Dean, Third round (83rd), 2022
DE Malik Herring, Free agent, 2021
WR Mecole Hardman, Second round (56th), 2019