High school teammates highlight Carolinas' ties to Super Bowl

MYRTLE BEACH, SOUTH CAROLINA – Two high school teammates from Fort Dorchester - the Philadelphia Eagles’ Robert Quinn and the Kansas City Chiefs’ Carlos Dunlap - will be on opposing sides in the Super Bowl and highlight nine players on the teams’ rosters who have ties to Carolinas.

Quinn, a 12-year NFL veteran, graduated from Fort Dorchester, where he was also a three-time state champion in wrestling, in 2008. He starred at North Carolina and became a first-round selection of the then-St. Louis Rams in 2011.

After spending seven seasons with the Rams, Quinn played for the Miami Dolphins in 2018, the Dallas Cowboys in 2019 and then the Chicago Bears. Quinn was traded to the Eagles during the 2022 season. Quinn appeared in five games for the Eagles during the regular season and both playoff games.

Quinn has 369 tackles, 102 sacks, 33 forced fumbles and 3 fumble recoveries for his career.

Dunlap was a year ahead of Quinn in high school and also became a top prospect. The 6-foot-6, 277-pounder signed with Florida where he had a solid career and was drafted in the second round by the Cincinnati Bengals in 2010. Dunlap played 10 full seasons for the Bengals before he was traded to the Seattle Seahawks during the 2020 season.

The Chiefs signed Dunlap after his release by the Seahawks prior to the 2022 season.

Dunlap appeared in all 17 of the Chiefs’ regular season games, starting twice, and recorded 28 tackles along with 4 sacks and 8 passes defended. He appeared in both playoff games, making two tackles.

Here is a look at the other six players:

Javon Hargrave, Eagles

Hargrave was a star at North Rowan High School in Spencer, North Carolina and signed with South Carolina State. The 6-foot-2, 305-pound defensive tackle was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round in 2016. He was with the Steelers four seasons before signing a three-year contact with the Eagles in 2022.

Hargave had 11 sacks, 60 tackles - including 10 for loss - as well as 16 quarterback hits in the 2022 season.

Landon Dickerson, Eagles

A graduate of South Caldwell High School in Hudson, North Carolina, Dickerson played college football for Florida State and Alabama. The 6-foot-6, 333-pound guard won a national championship with the Crimson Tide in 2020.

Dickerson was a second-round pick of the Eagles in 2021. He was selected to his first Pro Bowl in 2022.

Linval Joseph, Eagles

The 6-foot-4, 329-pound defensive tackle played college football at East Carolina. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the second round in 2010 and earned a Super Bowl ring in 2011.

Joseph later played for the Minnesota Vikings and Los Angeles Chargers before the Eagles signed him in 2022. Joseph recovered a fumble in the NFC Championship game on the play in which Haason Reddick’s hit injured San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy.

K’Von Wallace, Eagles

A 5-foot-11, 205-pound free safety, Wallace played college football at Clemson and was drafted by the Eagles in 2020. Wallace appeared in all 17 regular season games, making 28 tackles. He was slammed to the ground by 49ers’ tackle Trent Williams during a scuffle late in the NFC Championship game. Both players were ejected.

Noah Gray, Chiefs

The 6-foot-3, 240-pound tight end played college football at Duke and was drafted by the Chiefs in 2021. Gray caught 28 passes for 299 yards and a touchdown in the 2022 season.

Joe Thuney, Chiefs

The 6-foot-5, 304-pound guard played college football for North Carolina State and was drafted by the New England Patriots in the third round in 2016. Thuney spent six seasons with the Patriots and earned two Super Bowl rings.

Thuney signed a 5-year, $80 million contract with the Chiefs in 2021.