JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Former Jaguars linebacker Lonnie Marts has fond memories of playing for both of this year’s Super Bowl teams. The Kansas City Chiefs and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were the first two teams he played for in his 10 years in the NFL.
So as you can imagine, he is a bit conflicted about the game. He has friends who are still involved with both teams and he told me today that he still feels a connection with both of the teams who will be playing in Super Bowl 55.
Recommended Videos
“Kansas City was the first place that gave me a shot,” Marts said. “Tampa Bay was the second place, they gave me a shot. And it was a place that I saw things turn. And both of these teams obviously had me or helped me develop who I became when I got to Jacksonville. So yeah, they hold a special place.”
When asked for a prediction on the game, Marts admitted his head and his heart disagree.
“I expect that the Chiefs will show that they are a superior offense and that they have many, many weapons and they have go-tos,” Marts said. “It’s going to take Andy Reid to pull off something really special to win this game.
“My heart is with Kansas City, but as a defensive player, and watching them do what they’ve done, Tampa Bay is gonna win this game. But defense wins championships.”
Marts acknowledges that the Chiefs’ offense is as potent as they come and he is continually amazed by the play of Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
“Mahomes can do things that other quarterbacks can’t do,” Marts said. “I mean, just watching the game last week, it was like, how do you get out of a rush and be able to twist and throw the ball pinpoint, downfield? Who does that? But, again, I’ve seen this defense locked down a lot of offenses who I think had high powered weapons, maybe not as many as chiefs. So we’ll see.”