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Much of the attention in the lead-up to Super Bowl LIX has fallen on Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and his efforts to lead the franchise to the first-ever three-peat in NFL history. And deservedly so.
Yet perhaps just as important to Kansas City’s success in the Super Bowl on Sunday will be the play of the team’s defense.
The Chiefs’ opponent on Sunday is the Philadelphia Eagles, a team led by quarterback Jalen Hurts that boasted a top-10 offense in both points scored (27.2) and yards gained (367.2) during the regular season. In the playoffs, the Eagles are averaging a league-best 35.0 points per game.
The Chiefs were the No. 4 scoring defense in the regular season (19.2 points allowed per game), and the team will need another championship performance from its defense on Sunday to earn the franchise’s third consecutive Super Bowl title, and its fifth overall.
A key component of accomplishing such a feat will be the play of 24-year-old cornerback Trent McDuffie. He recorded 59 combined tackles, a forced fumble and the first two interceptions of his career in the 2024-25 season. The third-year pro out of Washington has started every NFL game in which he’s appeared, and he’s considered by many to be Kansas City’s top cornerback; he earned first-team All-Pro honors last season and was second-team All-Pro this season.
Trent McDuffie has INTs in back-to-back weeks!
📺: #HOUvsKC on NBC/Peacock
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/2VN51C3yIo— NFL (@NFL) December 21, 2024
The California native has certainly had quite a start to his NFL career. In fact, if the Chiefs are able to stifle the Eagles and hoist another Lombardi Trophy on Sunday night, McDuffie will have won the Super Bowl in each of his first three professional seasons.
Still, as McDuffie and the Chiefs are preparing to try make history, he knows true contentment comes from God alone.
“My faith is huge,” he told Sports Spectrum on Monday at Super Bowl LIX’s opening night. “Really, it’s the biggest thing in my life as far as a place of comfort, a place of peace, a place of hope, an understanding of where I am in my life. Really, it’s the biggest thing that humbles me and allows me to be where my feet are.”
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McDuffie also revealed that faith plays a large role throughout the Chiefs organization, beginning with owner and CEO Clark Hunt and extending to the locker room.
“Every day before the game, we hold a chapel that guys show up to and get to hear the good Word, get to get some prayer in,” McDuffie said. “It just allows me to not only share my faith with other people but with the people around me.”
McDuffie’s comments reiterated previous comments he made on “The Franchise,” a series of episodes giving a behind-the-scenes look at the Chiefs. Team chaplain Marcellus Casey was shown preaching to players and coaches during one of his pregame chapels, and Casey shared a clip on Instagram.
“Faith has been a big part of my life growing up,” he said. “… That culture that you can bring and making sure you have family and faith within [the locker room] can kind of brood this culture where everybody’s kind of together and everybody really relies on each other.”
As an eighth-grader, McDuffie encountered tremendous tragedy when his older brother, Tyler, unexpectedly died. According to McDuffie’s foundation, the T-22Foundation, “amid his grief, [Trent] found a steadfast faith in God, a deep appreciation for family, and strength in his motto, ‘Power 2 Overcome.'”
Now, he works with young people through the T-22Foundation so that they too can experience healing.
“Through the T-22 Foundation, Trent extends his journey to others, offering hope and guidance,” the foundation’s website reads. “By sharing his experiences, he empowers others to turn pain into purpose, showing that healing is not only possible but can lead to strength and community. Through his ‘Power 2 Overcome,’ Trent celebrates life amid loss, uncovering resilience and inspiring others along the way.”
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“Today’s a new day,” McDuffie said of his daily mindset in a TikTok video from 2023. “God gave me the opportunity to live it, so might as well make the most of it.”
McDuffie will try to keep this same mindset on Sunday with NFL history hanging in the balance. A win would be an incredible gift, but lasting satisfaction is only found in a relationship with God. Kickoff for Super Bowl LIX from New Orleans is set for Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET.
>> Do you know Christ personally? Learn how you can commit your life to Him. <<
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— Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs to go for 3-peat: ‘I want to give all glory to God’
