ATHENS —Regardless of who comes out on top in this year’s Super Bowl, it has already been a massive win for the Georgia football program.

No school is better represented in this year’s Super Bowl than Georgia, which has eight players on the two rosters. Six play for the Philadelphia Eagles, with all six being on the defensive side of the football.

Those six players — Jordan Davis, Jalen Carter, Nolan Smith, Nakobe Dean, Kelee Ringo and Lewis Cine — all played crucial roles on Georgia’s iconic 2021 defense.

That group, which also featured the likes of Travon Walker, Quay Walker and Devonte Wyatt, is already viewed as a legendary defense, cemented by how it smothered Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young and Alabama in the 2022 National Championship Game.

But helping this Philadelphia team get back to the Super Bowl, and possibly winning it on Sunday against the best quarterback of his era in Patrick Mahomes, only adds to the legacy of the 2021 Georgia defense.

“If you told us we were going to be on the same team and playing for a Super Bowl within four years, we’d all say you’re crazy, man,” Ringo told DawgNation’s Cody Chaffins. “But, man, that just goes to show how blessed we are and highly favored we are just to be in this situation.

“I walk in this building and I’m like, dang, I’m really living young Keele’s dreams, man.It’s just a great feeling just to be able to soak it in.”

To date, the 2021 defense has produced 18 draft picks. That number is likely to grow this offseason, with Smael Mondon, Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins and Dan Jackson among those to be selected in the 2025 NFL Draft. This group wasn’t just loaded at the top of the roster, but at the bottom of the depth chart as well.

Ten of the 11 starters from that national championship game were drafted, with William Poole being the future answer to a trivia question. Poole though did have a massive pass breakup in the win over Alabama. He wasn’t just along for the ride.

Those who follow the Georgia program have little trouble recognizing the greatness of the 2021 defense. It wasn’t a defense that was built on statistical dominance. The group didn’t force an ungodly amount of sacks and turnovers.

They simply lined up and dominated in 14 out of the 15 games Georgia played during the 2021 season. The exception of course was the SEC Championship game loss to Alabama.

The loss motivated many on that Georgia team, most notably Davis. He was the vocal leader on the defense, powering them off the field as much as they are on it.

That Georgia team spoke all season about how connected they were, something that wasn’t as strong with this 2024 Georgia team.

It’s a reminder that in addition to having special players, you need special people like Davis and Smith in your program as well.

Two years ago, the Eagles lost to the Chiefs in the Super Bowl. Davis and Dean were largely spectators in that game. Dean won’t play at all on Sunday after suffering a knee injury in Philadelphia’s playoff win over the Packers.

“Man, I know it hurts him. But we’re doing this for him,” Smith said of Dean at Super Bowl media day. “And we’re cheering him on.”

This time around though, the Eagles have Smith and Carter, who have been terrors on the defensive line. Those two are prepared to make things miserable for Mahomes in a way they couldn’t last time. The Eagles would take Carter Smith and Ringo in the same 2023 NFL Draft. Carter and Smith were both first-round picks.

Georgia has become an NFL factory, with 48 Georgia players being taken in the previous five NFL drafts. It’s no surprise that with that level of NFL talent, the Bulldogs were able to win two national championships over that span.

The Eagles hope that on Sunday night, their collection of Georgia talent — that came in with championship pedigree and experience — brings them a championship of their own.

“I mean, if you want to be developed and go to the NFL, and really have an opportunity to make a difference in the next level, that’s where to go,” Cine said of Georgia. “You learn everything that you need to learn and able to make a difference here.”