Three players from the Charlotte-Hickory region are NFL champions after their Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV on Sunday night.
Field goal kicker Ryan Succop, from Hickory, connected on a 52-yard field goal and made all four of his extra point attempts in the game. Succop played collegiately at South Carolina.
Punter Bradley Pinion, a Northwest Cabarrus High School product, punted four times for 150 yards, and pinned the Chiefs inside the 20-yard line with one boot.
Pinion, who played at Clemson, also kicked three touchbacks and made one tackle on a Chiefs kick return.
Defensive back Ross Cockrell did not show up in the box score, but he Charlotte Latin/Duke product was a key acquisition for the Bucs this season after coming over from the Carolina Panthers.
The win marks the first Super Bowl title for all three players.
