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Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College (NEO) alum Darwin Thompson is headed to the Super Bowl after the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Tennessee Titans 35-17 in the AFC Championship Game on January 19. Thompson, who was drafted by the Chiefs in the sixth round of the 2019 NFL Draft, had one carry for seven yards during the matchup. With Chiefs running back LeSean McCoy inactive for much of the postseason, Thompson has seen significantly more playing time behind running back Damien Williams. Thompson has had a few standout moments during his rookie season; picking up a rushing touchdown against the Oakland Raiders and making a clutch Special Teams fumble recovery in the Divisional Round of the Playoffs against the Houston Texans. Thompson will now join reining NFL MVP Quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Pro Bowlers Tight End Travis Kelce, Wide Receiver Tyreek Hill, Defensive End Frank Clark, Defensive Tackle Chris Jones, and Wide Receiver/Kick Returner Mecole Hardman as they travel to Miami to play in the Super Bowl against the San Francisco 49ers.

Thompson was a product of the #staygolden Golden Norse Football Program under the direction of former Head Coach Clay Patterson in 2016 and 2017. During his time with NEO, he picked up over 1,000 yard rushing and nine touchdowns in his first year. In his second year, he led the nation in all-purpose yards, picking up 1,619 yards on 185 carries and 13 receptions. While at NEO, he earned Second-Team All-American, First-Team All-Conference, and Southwest Junior College Football Conference Offensive MVP honors. After transferring to Utah State University for one season, Thompson again rushed for over 1,000 yards and had 23 receptions, with one going for 88 yards. In his first year with the Chiefs, Thompson made twelve appearances, picking up 128 yards rushing on 37 attempts and a touchdown. He also caught ninety percent of his passes and totaled 43 receiving yards, with a 19 yard reception. In addition to Thompson, NEO Alumni and Green Bay Packers Tight End Jace Sternberger played in the NFC Championship Game against the 49ers, picking up his first NFL touchdown after spending much of the season out on injury. The Super Bowl game will be held on February 2 at 5:30 p.m. CST on FOX. For more information on the Golden Norse Football program, contact Lisa Severe at lsevere@neo.edu.