Today is Super Bowl LIX. In a few hours fans will find out if the Kansas City Chiefs can secure their third championship in three years, or if Saquon Barkley and the Philadelphia Eagles can break their streak. There’s a lot to look forward to, even outside of Kendrick Lamar’s halftime show. But the game also features a matchup between two U.S. Military Academy graduates.
Cole Christiansen plays as a linebacker for the Chiefs while Brett Toth is an offensive lineman with the Eagles. Both will be at Caesar’s Superdome in New Orleans when the Super Bowl starts at 6:30 p.m. Eastern Time.
The two were formerly teammates at West Point, now they’re on opposite sides of football’s biggest game. Both players were given waivers allowing them to defer service in order to play professional football.
Christiansen (class of 2020) entered the NFL in 2020, after serving as team captain for the Black Knights. Initially signed to the Los Angeles Chargers, he joined Kansas City in 2022. He played nine games this regular season, but is currently on the practice squad going into Super Bowl LIX. He’s currently a second lieutenant in the Army.
After graduating West Point, Toth (class of 2018) was serving as a second lieutenant when he was signed to the Eagles. After being waived, he was claimed by the Arizona Cardinals and was on the team for a year before returning to the Eagles in 2020, where he played his first professional game. Since then he’s been off and on the active roster. He did not play in any regular season game this past year, but did play during playoff games. He’s currently a first lieutenant in the Army.
This is actually the second time the two were members of teams facing off in football’s biggest game. Both were signed to their respective teams in Super Bowl LVII in 2023, where the Chiefs won 38-35. Kansas City won the following Super Bowl against the San Francisco 49ers, where Christiansen was on the field.
Super Bowl LIX starts at 6:30 p.m. Eastern Time.