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March 29, 2024

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Silverado product Ben Jacobs takes unlikely journey to Super Bowl with Panthers

Ben Jacobs-Carolina Panthers

Chuck Burton / AP

Carolina Panthers’ Luke Kuechly and Ben Jacobs stretch before the NFC Championship game against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, Jan. 24, 2016, in Charlotte, N.C. Jacobs is a Silverado graduate.

Ben Jacobs spent time on the practice squad of multiple NFL teams, he was released a few times, and at one point, thought his next game would be in the Canadian Football League.

He admits thoughts of never playing again crept into his mind.

Sunday, his journey takes him to the game everyone will be watching: Super Bowl 50. Jacobs, a Silverado High graduate, is a special teams standout and linebacker for the Carolina Panthers, who face the Denver Broncos.

“The biggest thing is believing you can play in this league,” Jacobs said. “The thing you have to understand is everyone can play in this league. That is why it is hard to get in and stay in. You have to find where you fit in. You have to adjust; you have to do new things. You have to play a lot of special teams. That is me, that is my role. That is why I am here.”

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Silverado High students made a banner to support graduate Ben Jacobs, who is playing in the Super Bowl with the Carolina Panthers.

In 2013, he finally found a home with the Panthers, initially signing a reserve/futures contract and then making his way from the practice squad to active roster. The 6-foot-4, 240-pound Jacobs has played every game the past two seasons, making 15 tackles — mostly on special teams — this season.

“He was very determined from a young age,” said Brad Talich, who was the defensive coordinator when Jacobs played at Silverado. “Even when I had him as freshman at Silverado, he would spent time in the weight room by himself and run sprints by himself. He always wanted to be good.”

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Carolina Panthers linebacker Ben Jacobs watches from the sideline during the second half of an NFL game against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2015, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Panthers won 20-9.

Despite being a four-year starter at Fresno State and one of the best linebackers in the Western Athletic Conference, Jacobs went undrafted. He played five games in 2011 with the Cleveland Browns, but was released. He didn’t appear in another game until 2014 with Carolina, giving him much appreciation for being part of the world’s most watched sporting event of the year.

Just 92 players, 46 on each team, will dress for the Super Bowl, including Cimarron-Memorial graduate Brandon Marshall of the Broncos. Millions dream of being in the game and many professionals never get a shot. Jacobs realizes he is one of the fortunate ones.

“I don’t know if it has hit me yet, maybe it will before the game starts, before kickoff. Maybe it won’t at all,” he said. “Maybe it will feel like another game. You cherish it with how you prepare for it.”

Jacobs’ quest to stick in the league has some similarities with the Panthers' rise to prominence — not many expected them to succeed. Carolina was listed at 65-to-1 odds to win the Super Bowl in September, and some felt it wouldn’t be a playoff team after receiver Kelvin Benjamin was lost for the season with injury.

But the Panthers have lost just one game and have been the league’s most dominating team. They have two of the best players in the league in likely MVP Cam Newton at quarterback and linebacker Luke Kuechly.

“That speaks to the way everyone believes in each other here in Carolina. We have such great chemistry on this team,” Jacobs said. “We know what we want to do and we work every day for it. We knew the big picture.”

And Jacobs is well aware of the big picture of the significance of reaching the Super Bowl. He quickly used his ticket allotment on friends and family — he has five siblings — so they too could enjoy his achievement. After all, they’ve each had a part in the journey, whether it was helping him train or supporting him when he was out of the league.

“I am not going to say it is more meaningful for me than everyone else in the game,” he said. “I have been in and out of the league, but a lot of guys have the same story. This team is special. Going to the Super Bowl with this group of guys, that’s the most fulfilling part.”

Ray Brewer can be reached at 702-990-2662 or [email protected]. Follow Ray on Twitter at twitter.com/raybrewer21

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