Utes in the Super Bowl: Eric Weddle is one of the best storylines

Los Angeles Rams safety Eric Weddle warms up before wild-card game against Arizona, Jan. 17, 2022, in Inglewood, Calif. — Los Angeles Rams safety Eric Weddle warms up before wild-card game against the Arizona Cardinals Monday, Jan. 17, 2022, in Inglewood, Calif. Weddle, along with two other former Utes, will be trying to bring home a Super Bowl title to the city of Los Angeles.

This article was first published in the Ute Insiders newsletter. Sign up to receive the newsletter in your inbox each Wednesday night.

Former Utah star Eric Weddle is one of the best storylines of the upcoming Super Bowl when the Los Angeles Rams face the Cincinnati Bengals on Feb. 13.

Weddle, 37, recently came out of retirement to play for the Rams during their playoff run. And Weddle hasn’t just played — he led the team with nine tackles Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers.

One of the former All-Pro safety’s stops came on a second-and-1 play near midfield that helped end a San Francisco drive in the fourth quarter. Los Angeles came back from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat the 49ers 20-17.

Meanwhile, former Utes kicker Matt Gay booted the game-winning 30-yard field goal with 1:49 remaining. He also drilled a 40-yarder earlier in the fourth quarter.

Another former Ute, Terrell Burgess, also plays special teams and defense for the Rams, making three total players from Utah’s program that will participate in the Super Bowl.

For Weddle, this is all unexpected.

“It’s crazy,” Weddle told Deseret New columnist Doug Robinson last week. “You can’t make this up. All the things that have aligned. I’m just taking it and running with it.”

Numbers game

10: Number of games the Utah basketball team has lost in a row under first-year coach Craig Smith. It’s the longest skid in program history.

10: Senior Maile O’Keefe’s score on the balance beam, the second perfect routine of her Utah career.

197.675: Score put up by the No. 2 Red Rocks, the highest by any team in the nation this year, in a win over No. 19 Stanford.

From the archives

Utah basketball suspends Dusan Mahorcic ahead of Washington game (Deseret News)
Runnin’ Utes’ program-record 10th straight loss, to UW in double overtime, is the most heartbreaking of them all (Deseret News)
‘I have always wanted to be a Runnin’ Ute’: Why Cache Valley’s Jaxon Brenchley remained a Utah Man (Deseret News)

Fanalyst

Weddle is a total freak of nature. This was obvious when he was at Utah, and he had a great pro career. But coming back like this at the end of a season after two years off and playing at a high level for 60+ plays in a playoff game against a potent offense? In his second week back? This is another level man.

— kea1593

Eric Weddle .... only a 2 star coming out of high school and a bit player at Utah until Urban arrived, if I remember correctly. You have to respect what he has achieved both at Utah and in the NFL, no matter what team you root for. I haven’t been a Rams fan since the Fearsome Foursome, but would love to see a man of this caliber coming out of retirement, playing a great game and getting a ring. It would be a fairytale ending to a great story.

— periloustimes