From D3 to Super Bowl LVIII
How 1 player & 9 coaches with D3 ties made it to Super Bowl Sunday
Super Bowl Sunday is nearly here 🙌
And while many will be focused on the big names like Patrick Mahomes, Christian McCaffrey, or Taylor Swift, we can’t help but give a shoutout to the former D3 athletes who will be making a huge impact on the game.
All said, we found one player and nine coaches with D3 connections. In this post we break down their unique paths to the NFL’s biggest game including:
Their Alma Mater
The sport they played (one played D3 college hockey 👀)
How they advanced to their current positions in the NFL
Regardless of which team you support, we think you’ll agree that all of these individuals are worth rooting for come Sunday.
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Now, sit back, relax, and enjoy, From D3 to Super Bowl LVIII!
From D3 to Super Bowl LVIII
It is no small feat to make it from D3 to the pros in any sport. It is another thing entirely to make it to the Championship of that sport.
In the NFL, this has happened only twice for former D3 athletes in the last four years: Darious Williams with the Rams in 2022 and now Ben Bartch of the San Francisco 49ers in 2024.
We lead off with Ben’s story from D3 football at Saint John’s University (MN) to Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas.
San Francisco 49ers
Ben Bartch - Offensive Lineman
School: St. John’s University (MN)
Ben Bartch has a story shared by many D3 student-athletes: Under-recruited out of High School and left with something to prove.
Despite being 6’6” and 230 pounds and a multi-sport athlete (basketball) in High School - Ben wasn’t ranked. That’s right, an NFL player in the 2024 Super Bowl was a zero star recruit 👇
Part of the problem was that Ben played TE coming out of HS and began his SJU career as a backup. It wasn’t until his Sophomore season that he switched to playing on the Offensive Line (CSBSJU Newsroom, 2024).
In order to play the new position he had to bulk up…and quickly. He began drinking a maniacal daily protein shake and following a strict lifting regimen, even while studying abroad in South Africa in 2019 👇
"I knew I needed to gain weight [during the] offseason if I wanted to play at a high level…so [my teammates] and I bought our own gym membership and worked out four days a week.”
- Ben Bartch on training in South Africa (SJU Athletics,Frank Rajkowski)
Over his next two seasons, Bartch added 50+ pounds and transformed himself into an All-MIAC and All-America starting Offensive Lineman. In 2019, “Bartch earned MIAC Lineman of the Year honors…while leading the Johnnies to a berth in the NCAA Division III semifinals.” (SJU Athletics, 2020).
Bartch's switch from TE to OL proved pivotal in his football career and ultimately opened the door to a Senior Bowl invite, and later his NFL opportunity when he was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 4th round of the 2020 NFL draft.
Bartch’s NFL Career So Far:
2020 - 2022: Started 20 games for the Jacksonville Jaguars
Summer 2022: Injures knee and began training camp on PUP list
Fall 2022: Bartch is released and added to the Jags practice squad
November 2022: Picked up by the San Francisco 49ers
January 2024: 49ers win the NFC Championship over the Detroit Lions 34-31 to advance to Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas
Look out for Ben on the field on Sunday. Now here are the members of the 49ers coaching staff with D3 connections…
Deuce Schwartz - Offensive Quality Control Coach
School: Union College (NY)
A native of Suffern, NY, Schwartz attended Union College (Schenectady, NY), where he played quarterback.
Here’s how he got his current role as Offensive Quality Control Coach in 2022:
2021: Defensive Analyst (University of Missouri)
2020: Assistant WRs coach (University of Georgia)
2019: Defensive quality control coach (Cleveland Browns)
2017-18: Special teams coaching assistant (New Orleans Saints)
2015-16: Defensive coaching assistant (Buffalo Bills)
Cameron Brown - Defensive Quality Control Coach
School: Case Western Reserve University
The former CWRU Defensive End and son of NBA Head Coach Mike Brown is making waves in his first season with the Niners.
As with many other members of this list, he got his coaching start at his alma mater before making his way into the NFL coaching ranks. Check out this profile Andscape wrote about Cameron.
Payton Greve - Football Systems Personnel Analyst
School: MIT (2023)
Payton played on the Offensive Line during his football career at MIT. During his Senior season, he played in seven games and powered the Engineers rushing attack to average 164.3 rushing yards per game.
More than just an athlete, Payton earned NEWMAC Academic All-Conference honors for his work in the classroom.
For all current D3 athletes who aspire to work in sports, check out Payton’s path from MIT to the NFL:
That’s it for the 49ers. Now, here are the five members of the Kansas City Chiefs coaching staff who will be trying to stop Ben Bartch and the 49ers on Sunday.