Anchorage’s Brandon Pili will be the first Alaskan to play in the Super Bowl since 2014. Photo by Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images
From undrafted to unflinching, Brandon Pili of Anchorage has had quite the journey in the NFL, and it’s been only three years. In that time, however, the 26-year-old has pieced together several key performances to fuel his rapid rise in the pecking order among the 14 Alaskans to lace ’em up in the league.
His 25 regular-season appearances are right outside the top 10 for players from the state, second among undrafted players. He ranks third in playoff tackles and now, in his first season with Seattle, he’ll be the fifth Alaskan to play in the Super Bowl, the first since 2014.
Pili, of Dimond High fame, punched his ticket to the big game after the Seahawks beat the Los Angeles Rams 31-27 in the NFC championship game Sunday at home.
The nose tackle came off the bench to log five snaps on defense. The 6-foot-3, 330-pounder is a run stopper, and the Rams threw the ball on 35 of 57 snaps, so you could see why he didn’t play more.
In the Super Bowl, Seattle will face a New England squad that sports running back Rhamondre Stevenson, who leads the NFL with 194 postseason yards. Patriots quarterback Drake Maye ranks fifth with 141 yards, so expect to see Pili get more snaps.
He played 16 snaps in Seattle’s 41-6 divisional playoff win over the San Francisco 49ers.
The Alaskan has had a career year with the Seahawks, appearing in 13 games – one more than he played in his first two seasons combined with Miami – along with a career-high 12 tackles. He also forced his first fumble and earned his first start.
His three tackles against the 49ers moved him up to third among Alaskans in that category for the playoffs, trailing only Kenai’s Travis Hall (13) and Fairbanks’ Reggie Tongue (12).
In Week 8, Pili became the first Alaskan to force a fumble in the NFL since 2011. Photo courtesy Seattle Seahawks
When it comes to the Super Bowl, five Alaskans have played in the game, beginning with former Service High star Mark Schlereth at Super Bowl XXVI in 1992.
After winning his first ring in Washington, Schlereth went on to win two more with Denver alongside John Elway in 1998 and 1999.
In 1999, Schlereth faced off against Atlanta defensive tackle Travis Hall of Kenai. It’s the only time Alaskans have gone head-to-head in the Super Bowl.
In 2011, North Pole’s Daryn Colledge won Super Bowl XLV with the Green Bay Packers, who beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-25 behind MVP Aaron Rodgers.
In 2014, Anchorage’s Chris Kuper played in the Super Bowl with Denver and Peyton Manning in a 43-8 loss to Seattle.
A dozen years later, the Seahawks are back, and they are bringing Pili with them.
Alaskans have been good luck in the Super Bowl, posting a 4-2 record (with one of those losses coming against another Alaskan).
The Super Bowl is Feb. 8 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. Watch for Pili, who wears No. 95.
