Former Abilene Christian football player Jack Gibbens and his New England Patriots will play the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday in Super LX in the San Francisco area.
Gibbens was a star linebacker at ACU from 2017-2020, totaling 257 tackles, seven sacks and five interceptions in his 39 games. He led the Wildcats in tackles in the COVID-shortened 2020 season, and was second with 104 as a junior in 2019. An Academic All-America selection by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), Gibbens graduated from ACU as a double major in accounting and financial management with a perfect 4.00 GPA.
He was a a two-year team captain, a member on ACU's Dean's List six times, and also named a
National Football Foundation National Scholar-Athlete in 2020.
When the NCAA granted players an extra year of eligibility, and the option to transfer without sitting out, Gibbens moved on to Minnesota of Big Ten for the 2021 season. He started all 13 games for the Golden Gophers, amassing a team-high 92 tackles and was named All-Big Ten Honorable Mention.
READ: Jack Gibbens' 2023 interview with ACU's College of Business Administration
After three years with the Tennessee Titans, Gibbens has become a major contributor in his first season with the Patriots. Gibbens has started nine games, including New England's AFC Divisional Round game against the Houston Texans.  He is third on the team in tackles with 96 heading into Sunday's matchup.
Gibbens will be the seventh former Wildcat to play in a Super Bowl, and the first since receiver Taylor Gabriel and the Atlanta Falcons faced the Patriots in Super Bowl LI in 2018. If New England defeats the Seahawks, Gibbens will be just the second ACU product to win a Super Bowl as a player, joining Cle Montgomery who did it with the Los Angeles Raiders in Super XVIII.
Below is the list of former ACU players who have appeared on Super Bowl teams.
Clint Longley ('74)
Super Bowl X (1976), Dallas Cowboys, QB
               Lost to Pittsburgh Steelers, 21-17
Wilbert Montgomery ('77)
Super Bowl XV (1981), Philadelphia Eagles, RB
               Lost to Oakland Raiders, 27-10
Super Bowl XXXIV (2000) St. Louis Rams, Assistant Coach
               Defeated Tennessee Titans, 23-16
Super Bowl XXXVI (2002), St. Louis Rams, Assistant Coach
               Lost to New England Patriots, 20-17
Super Bowl XLVII (2013), Baltimore Ravens, Assistant Coach
               Defeated San Francisco 49ers, 34-31
Cle Montgomery ('78)
Super Bowl XVIII (1984) Los Angeles Raiders, WR
               Defeated Washington Redskins, 38-9
Dan Remsberg ('85)
Super Bowl XXI (1987), Denver Broncos, OT
               Lost to New York Giants, 39-20
Super Bowl XXII (1988) Denver Broncos, OT
               Lost to Washington Redskins, 42-10
Danieal Manning ('07)
Super Bowl XLI (2007), Chicago Bears, S
               Lost to Indianapolis Colts, 29-17
Taylor Gabriel ('15)
Super Bowl LI (2018), Atlanta Falcons, WR
               Lost to New England Patriots, 34-28 in overtime
Jack Gibbens ('20)
Super Bowl LX (2026), New England Patriots, LB
Another, running back and kick returner
V.T. "Vitamin T" Smith Jr. ('49), played in three NFL title games (1949-51) for the Los Angeles Rams before the game was called a Super Bowl.
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