USF Athletics

Former USF Standouts Have Earned 'Awesome' Super Bowl Experience

January 28, 2020

By TOM ZEBOLD
USF Senior Writer

TAMPA, JAN. 28, 2020 – Persistence has paid off for two former USF standouts who are getting ready to experience the grandest game on the gridiron.

Years after suiting up for the Bulls as teammates (2012-14), offensive linemen Austin Reiter and Kofi Amichia will be back in the same stadium together during Super Bowl LIV on Sunday in Miami Gardens.

Reiter, Kansas City's starting center, and Amichia, a versatile San Francisco practice squad member, are the 12^th and 13^th Bulls in USF history to play for Super Bowl teams. The culmination of the NFL's 100^th season will mark the 11^th Super Bowl to feature at least one Bull.

"It's awesome. It should definitely help out with recruiting and help out the program," said Reiter, who proudly played for the Bulls from 2011-14.

No matter the result, a USF football alum will become the program's 10^th member of a Super Bowl champion team. Both Bulls associated with this year's game certainly deserve the distinction for their determination to succeed at football's highest level.

"If you just work hard and stick to it, you can get there," Reiter said.

Reiter Relentlessly Rises to Starting Role
Austin Reiter started every game for USF from 2012-14 and was a Rimington Trophy candidate his final two seasons as a Bull. Despite his shining collegiate accomplishments, Reiter had to be relentless on the road to becoming a trusty center for a Super Bowl squad.

Selected in the seventh round of the 2015 NFL Draft, Reiter was waived by Washington at the end of his first preseason and spent his rookie regular season on the Redskins' practice squad. Reiter was back on Washington's practice squad after Week 1 of the 2016 regular season until Cleveland signed him later that September.

Coincidentally, Reiter made his first NFL regular-season start against Washington on Oct. 2, 2016 and played well, but an ACL injury sidelined him for the rest of the season.

"Coming into my second year, I saw firsthand the improvement I made," he said. "That second year was when I really knew I could be a legitimate starter and can play 16 games at a high level. The ACL injury was definitely a setback."

Reiter came back strong to play in 16 games during the 2017 season, enduring 16 straight losses with the Browns before his release prior to the 2018 regular season.

"It's almost like a wakeup call. It's like, 'How long am I gonna have a future in this?'" Reiter said.

Reiter's NFL future turned out to be very bright and he didn't have to wait long to start seeing the light.

Officially claimed off waivers by Kansas City on Sept. 3, 2018, Reiter made the most of his "golden" first year with the Chiefs. While injuries hit Kansas City's offensive line hard early on, Reiter showed his ability in four starts during the regular season and made an impression in 13 games, the final being the AFC Championship. By then, Reiter was already rewarded with a two-year extension worth up to $5.5 million.

"I was fortunate to be able to get that opportunity to be able to go in there and play," Reiter said. "I kind of gotta give credit to older guys I've talked to throughout the year that say, 'Stay ready. Be ready to play any week, any time.' I seized the opportunity there."

Reiter has continued to step up since then, serving as Kansas City's season-long starter in 2019 while helping the Chiefs win another AFC West title and earn the franchise's first trip to the Super Bowl in 50 years.

"It still hasn't hit yet. Looking back, I was really excited to get the opportunity to start Week 1 and go throughout the season. One of my goals was to play in all 16," he said. "The season's not over yet, so I haven't really been able to kind of look back. We've still got one more goal in front of us and that's to get that ring."

Ready to make more snaps for a very potent Kansas City offense, Reiter returns to the field Sunday with an incredibly talented cast of coworkers led by superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

"You've got Pat, you've got Travis (Kelce), you've got Tyreek (Hill), Sammy Watkins, Mecole (Hardman), Damien Williams, Shady (McCoy). It's crazy to look around that huddle," Reiter said. "We just have so many weapons. I think that shows in the games, we can gave it to just about any of our skill guys and they're gonna make people miss."

Amichia Fitting Right in With 49ers
Kofi Amichia won't be starting in Sunday's game, but he'll certainly be happy standing on the sidelines as a valued member of the NFC champion 49ers' practice squad.

"It really feels surreal," he said. "I just got out here not too long ago. I was trying to see where the next move was gonna be. Now, I'm out here with a Super Bowl team. It's a great feeling."

Amichia's path to the NFL's biggest stage began much like his old pal, Reiter. Following his USF playing career (30 games from 2014-16), Amichia was a late-round pick by Green Bay in the 2017 NFL Draft (212^th overall).

Amichia spent his rookie season on the Packers' practice squad and was eventually waived by Green Bay on Sept. 1, 2018. By the end of that October, he was signed to Baltimore's practice squad and lasted the season prior to his release in May 2019.

Carolina signed him less than two weeks later, but Amichia got hurt during the preseason and was waived from the Panthers' injury reserve list in late September.

"My agent kept telling me he had something lined up. Eventually in December, that's when (the 49ers) called me for the workout," Amichia said. "I went into the workout, I killed it, so they decided to sign me afterwards. Since then, I've just been doing great out here. I'm trying to work hard and stay out here."

Initially a backup to Reiter at center for his first two years with USF, Amichia went on to become a first team all-conference left tackle for the Bulls in 2016. These days, he's proving his worth to San Francisco at both guard spots and center, which has impressed the 49ers' staff since he went West.

"Every chance I get, I do pretty well where I'm at," he said. "… I'm hoping it brings up better things in the future."

Amichia definitely appreciates the "top-notch" organization for the opportunity, and the hospitality.

"At first, it was kind of awkward because I hadn't been here the whole year. I didn't know everybody. I didn't know where to stay, but everybody welcomed me with the open arms, from the front office to all the players," he said. "It was pretty much come in, get ready to roll and get with the program. Do whatever you can to help the team and just stay positive."

Much like the businesslike 49ers' relaxed approach going into the NFC Championship, Amichia is rolling with things and enjoying his run with a Super Bowl squad.

"For me to end up in something like this, it's like a movie moment," he said. "It's crazy."

Former Teammates Ready for 'Cool' Reunion
Once the confetti falls at Hard Rock Stadium, Reiter and Amichia will make sure they try to find each other in the midst of the Super Bowl postgame celebration, no matter the winner.

"That will be real cool," Reiter said. "I haven't seen Kofi in personally probably in a little while. We keep in touch through social media, texts and whatnot. That will be cool to see his face."

Amichia is happily "still cool" with Reiter, saying the two talked a few weeks ago about "small stuff," which is a norm in the close fraternity of former USF players.

Whether it's right after the game, or wherever they get to meet in Miami, both resilient Bulls can have a laugh about their wild ride to the Super Bowl.

"It's pretty funny. It just goes to show the NFL is a crazy world," Reiter said. "There's so many guys that are drafted, late-round picks, that just turn into really good players and come into their own. That's what's so unique about the NFL."

Not quitting, no matter the adversity, comes with an incredible reward of two former teammates joining the exclusive club of super Bulls.

"For USF to have so many players through the years and only 13 to be able to be on the field when the Super Bowl is being played, that's definitely something I'm gonna take in," Amichia said.


 

Bulls in the Super Bowl
Season, Game	Player	Position	Team	Score
2019, LIV	Austin Reiter	C	Kansas City	Sunday, 6:30 p.m.
2019, LIV	Kofi Amichia*	OL	San Francisco	Sunday, 6:30 p.m.
2017, LII	Eric Lee	DE	New England	L, 41-33
2016, XLX	Kayvon Webster	DB	Denver	W, 24-10
2015, XLIX	B.J. Daniels*	QB	Seattle	L, 28-24
2014, XLVIII	Kayvon Webster	DB	Denver	L, 43-8
2014, XLVIII	B.J. Daniels*	QB	Seattle	W, 43-8
2012, XLVI	Jason Pierre-Paul	DE	N.Y. Giants	W, 21-17
2012, XLVI	Jacquian Williams	LB	N.Y. Giants	W, 21-17
2011, XLV	Sampson Genus*	C	Green Bay	W, 31-25
2008, XLII	Kawika Mitchell	LB	N.Y. Giants	W, 17-14
2005, XXXIX	J.R. Reed	DB	Philadelphia	L, 24-21
2003, XXXVII	Ryan Benjamin	LS	Tampa Bay	W, 48-21
2002, XXXVI	Kenyatta Jones	OL	New England	W, 20-17
2002, XXXVI	Scott McCready*	WR	New England	W, 20-17
*practice squad

 
 
About USF Football
The USF football program first took the field in 1997 and just completed its 23^rd season (20^th at the FBS level) in 2019. The Bulls have posted 15 winning seasons, earned 14 All-America selections and 29 first-team all-conference selections and have seen 30 players selected in the NFL Draft. USF has made 10 bowl games appearances (going 6-4 in those games) and posted a program record six straight appearances from 2005-2010. The Bulls most recently made four straight bowl appearances from 2015-18 and posted back-to-back 10-win seasons in 2016 and 2017, logging a program-record 11-2 mark in 2016 while finishing both seasons ranked in the Top 25. USF spent a program record 20 straight weeks ranked in the Top 25 during the 2016 and 2017 seasons and reached as high as No. 2 in the national rankings during the 2007 season.
                                                                                
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