IRVING, Texas – American Athletic Conference football programs will be well-represented in the NFL’s Championship Weekend.
 
Fans of The American will find familiar faces on all four of the remaining teams in the NFL Playoffs as alums of conference schools have made substantial contributions throughout the postseason.
 
Most prominently, the Philadelphia Eagles list seven former American Athletic Conference players on their 2022 roster, in addition to two other high-profile players who played at member schools before the formation of The American in 2013. The Eagles are led by linebacker Haason Reddick, the former Temple standout who registered 16.0 sacks in the regular season before delivering 1.5 sacks and five tackles in the Eagles’ Divisional Round win against the New York Giants. Eagles running back Kenneth Gainwell, the former Memphis standout, rushed for a career-high 112 yards and a touchdown in the win against the Giants.
 
Thirteen American Athletic Conference players have been part of Super Bowl championship teams, most recently Marquise Copeland (Cincinnati), Darrell Henderson (Memphis) and Justin Lawler (SMU), who were members of the Los Angeles Rams last season.
 
 
Players From American Athletic Conference Schools in NFL Championship Weekend

Cincinnati Bengals
D’Ante Smith	OT	East Carolina	Played in both playoff games this season
Mitchell Wilcox	TE	South Florida	Played in 16 regular-season games (four starts) and both playoff games
Cam Sample	DE	Tulane	Played in 16 regular-season games (one start) and both playoff games;
			Had four tackles and a pass deflection in Wild Card win against Baltimore
Brandon Wilson	S	Houston	Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform
Kevin Huber	P	Cincinnati	Practice Squad; played in nine regular-season games; 14-year NFL veteran
Kansas City Chiefs
Bryan Cook	S	Cincinnati	Played 19 defensive snaps in Divisional Round win against Jacksonville
Shane Buechele	QB	SMU	Signed to the Chiefs’ active roster in 2021
Marquez Valdes-Scantling	WR	South Florida	Had a TD reception in Divisional Round win against Jacksonville;
			Had 42 catches for 687 yards and two TDs in the regular season
Austin Reiter	C	South Florida	Practice Squad
Matthew Wright	K	UCF	Practice Squad; Has gone 15-for-18 on field goals for Pittsburgh and Kansas City in 2022 season
Jordan Franks	TE	UCF	Practice Squad/Injured
Travis Kelce	TE	Cincinnati	Four-time All-Pro, including 2022 season; two TD receptions in Divisional Round win against Jacksonville; 1,338 yards, 12 TDs in regular season
Philadelphia Eagles
Jake Elliott	K	Memphis	Scored eight points in Divisional Round win against New York Giants; made 20 of 23 field goal attempts in regular season
Kenneth Gainwell	RB	Memphis	Rushed for 112 yards and a TD on 12 carries in Divisional Round win against New York Giants
Grant Calcaterra	TE	SMU	Played in 15 regular-season games and in the Divisional Round win against New York Giants
Haason Reddick	LB	Temple	Had five tackles with 1.5 sacks in Divisional Round win against New York Giants; started all 17 games and was second in the NFL with 16.0 sacks in regular season
Patrick Johnson	LB	Tulane	Played in 16 regular-season games and in the Divisional Round win against New York Giants
Shaun Bradley	LB	Temple	Reserve/Injured list; played in 15 regular-season games
Greg Ward	WR	Houston	Practice Squad
Jason Kelce	C	Cincinnati	Five-time All-Pro, including 2022 season; started all 17 regular-season games and Divisional Round game against New York Giants
Linval Joseph	DT	East Carolina	Started last eight games of regular season and Divisional Round win against New York Giants; 13-year NFL veteran
San Francisco 49ers
Danny Gray	WR	SMU	Played in 13 regular-season games and in both playoff games
Kalia Davis	DL	UCF	Reserve/Non-Football Injury list

 
Kevin Huber, Travis Kelce, Jason Kelce and Linval Joseph all played for current members of the American Athletic Conference before the league was formed in 2013
 
 
Other Standout Performances by American Athletic Conference Players in the NFL Playoffs
 

• Jacksonville WR Zay Jones (East Carolina) had eight catches for 74 yards and a touchdown in the Wild Card Weekend win against the Los Angeles Chargers and five receptions for 83 yards in the Divisional Round loss to Kansas City

 

• Jacksonville K Riley Patterson (Memphis) hit the game-winning field goal as time expired in the Wild Card win against the Chargers; he was 3-for-3 on field goal attempts in two playoff games

 

• Buffalo WR Gabe Davis (UCF) had six catches for 113 yards and a touchdown in the Wild Card Weekend victory against Miami

 

• Buffalo DE Ed Oliver (Houston) had two tackles with a sack in the win against Miami

 

• Buffalo OG Dion Dawkins (Temple) played a combined 113 of 114 offensive snaps in a Wild Card win against Miami and the Divisional Round loss to Cincinnati

 

• Dallas RB Tony Pollard (Memphis) had a team-high 77 rushing yards on 15 carries in a Wild Card weekend win against Tampa Bay

 

• Dallas OL Tyler Smith (Tulsa) played every offensive snap in the Wild Card win against Tampa Bay and the Divisional Round loss to San Francisco

 

• Minnesota P Ryan Wright (Tulane) averaged 49 yards on three punts in a Wild Card Weekend loss to the New York Giants

 

• Baltimore LB Tyus Bowser (Houston) had two tackles with a sack in a Wild Card Weekend loss to Cincinnati