JOHNNY Wilson and Philadelphia Eagles ended Kansas City Chiefs’ two-year reign with a 40-22 victory in the Super Bowl LIX on Sunday night (Monday in Manila) at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana.
The 23-year-old Wilson, who has Filipino heritage through his mother Leslie, was utilized as one of the wide receivers by head coach Nick Sirianni during the decisive championship game.
Standing at 6 feet 6 inches and weighing 231 pounds, Wilson was recognized as the largest wide receiver drafted in the past decade when he was selected 185th overall by the Eagles in the 2024 NFL Rookie Draft.
“Being this size and being able to do some of the things I can do with my body and getting in and out of my breaks, and just having super long arms, it’s sometimes an advantage,” Wilson said in an interview published on Kollective Hustle website.
“My size is an edge especially to a lot of smaller corners and smaller defenders,” he added. “I’ve just over the years tried to do a lot of training and using my body to my advantage.”
Before entering the NFL, Wilson played at Calabasas High School, subsequently advancing to the collegiate level at Arizona State University and later at Florida State University.
Additionally, Filipino-American cornerback Tariq Castro-Fields was also part of the extended roster of the Eagles for this season.
In contrast, the Chiefs’ significant loss to the Eagles meant that Filipino-American Nikko Remigio was unable to secure his second consecutive Super Bowl title.
The 25-year-old Remigio, whose father Mark hails from Iloilo province and Muntinlupa City, was one of the prominent wide receivers for the Chiefs this season.
Remigio joined the Chiefs as a rookie free agent last year after going undrafted in the 2023 NFL Rookie Draft.
Before turning professional, Remigio spent four seasons at the University of California, Berkeley, before transferring to Fresno State Bulldogs for his final collegiate year./PN
