2 Super Bowl-bound football stars make Limestone County proud

328311711 1234734317476919 423403537125538287 n — Former Athens High School standout Quez Watkins is headed to the Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles. (Quez Watkins via Facebook)

The Super Bowl is arguably the biggest stage in sports in the U.S., with nearly 100 million viewers watching the top two teams in the NFL battle it out for the Lombardi Trophy.

This year, as the Philadelphia Eagles take on the Kansas City Chiefs, two Huntsville-area natives — Reed Blankenship and Quez Watkins — will be on that stage. Check this out:

328129097 498660912430989 1575167157448004367 n — The Limestone County Courthouse has been lit up in Philadelphia Eagles green to honor county natives Reed Blankenship and Quez Watkins. (Limestone County Commission)

The Philadelphia Eagles won the NFC title with a victory over the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game, which means two Eagles players with local ties will get a chance to play in the Super Bowl this weekend.

Athens High School alum Quez Watkins is a wide receiver for the Eagles, and has scored three touchdowns for Philadelphia this season. Watkins was a standout player for Athens before playing college football at Southern Miss. He was drafted by the Eagles in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

Eagles safety Reed Blankenship will also take the Super Bowl stage this Sunday. Blankenship is a graduate of West Limestone High School, where he was an All-State selection, and went on to star at Middle Tennessee State before landing on the Eagles’ roster as an undrafted free agent last year.

316677751 1979572608904418 7780438562097865179 n — Reed Blankenship starred at West Limestone High School before playing at MTSU, then for the Eagles. (Reed Blankenship via Facebook)

Huntsville-area players in the Super Bowl

16507958 1617684564918977 6474585575039100504 n — Columbia High School alum Trey Flowers won two Super Bowls with the Patriots. (Tey Flowers via Facebook)

As we referenced in a previous report here on Hville Blast, the Huntsville area is no stranger to sports fame, and that includes gridiron stars who were on Super Bowl rosters.

Here a look at some Huntsville-area natives who played in Super Bowls:

Howard Cross: The New Hope High School graduate and Alabama Crimson Tide star played for the New York Giants when they won Super Bowl XXV.
Trey Flowers: This Columbia High School graduate was an All-SEC defensive back for the University of Arkansas and has gone on to play in three Super Bowls as a member of the New England Patriots, winning two (LI & LIII) and losing one (LII)
Walter Jones: As a member of the Seattle Seahawks, this Aliceville native was on the losing end of Super Bowl XL, as his team reached their first Super Bowl in franchise history, losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Jones had an All-American career at Florida State before a stellar NFL career where he was a 4-time Pro Bowl Selection.
Reggie Ragland: A standout football and basketball player at Bob Jones High School, Ragland was an All-American at Alabama and second round draft pick of the Kansas City Chiefs in 2016. He helped the Chiefs win Super Bowl LIV over San Francisco.
John Stallworth: This NFL Hall of Famer helped the Pittsburgh Steelers win four Super Bowls in the 1970s during a career that finished as the most prolific for any wide receiver in Steelers history.

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