NFL Overreactions: Patriots will take on Seahawks in Super Bowl LX
USAT’s Prince Grimes breaks down the NFL Championship weekend and prepares for Super Bowl LX with the Patriots and Seahawks.
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Editor’s note: Follow along for live updates for Super Bowl 60 throughout the day.
Super Bowl 60 is just moments away at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, just about 40 miles south of San Francisco.
The championship game between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks is set to be an epic matchup taking place in Northern California.
This will be the second time that the Super Bowl has been hosted at Levi’s Stadium. The first time was a decade ago in 2016 in Super Bowl 50 featuring the Denver Broncos, who beat the Carolina Panthers 24–10.
The Super Bowl has taken place in California a total of 13 times, mostly in Southern California. It is the third time the game has been hosted in Northern California. The first time being at Stanford Stadium in Stanford for Super Bowl XIX in 1985 when the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Miami Dolphins to capture their second championship.
In Sunday’s matchup between the Patriots and Seahawks, there are many players who are familiar with Northern California, all various regions.
Here are all the players in Super Bowl 60 with Northern California ties:
Super Bowl 60 players with NorCal ties
Check out all of the players with Northern California ties from each team whether listed on the active, practice or injured roster list.
New England Patriots
These players on the New England Patriots have ties to the Northern California region. Here’s where:
Austin Hooper, tight end, active
Austin Hooper grew up not far from the site of Super Bowl 60. Hooper was born in San Mateo, about 25 miles north of Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.
A Northern California native to a T, Hooper went to De La Salle High School in Concord before committing to Stanford.
As a Cardinal he produced 74 catches, 937 yards and eight touchdowns in two seasons at Stanford. Hooper was selected by the Atlanta Falcons with the 81st overall pick in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft.
Hooper signed with the Patriots in 2024 following a season with the Las Vegas Raiders. He re-signed with New England on a one-year, $5 million contract in 2025.
Marte Mapu, linebacker, active
Marte Mapu is a Southern California guy with Northern California ties. Mapu grew up in Hawthorne in southwestern Los Angeles County. He went north to attend Sacramento State, where he won Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year in 2022.
Mapu was drafted by the Patriots with the 76th overall pick in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Craig Woodson, safety, active
Craig Woodson was born in Nashville but grew up in Texas. He went west for college football, landing at Cal.
During his time with the Golden Bears, he tallied 165 tackles, 18 pass deflections, five interceptions, one returned for touchdown, and three forced fumbles in 46 games played from 2021 to 2024.
He graduated from Berkeley with a degree in film and media in 2023.
Jeremiah Pharms Jr., defensive tackle, practice
Jeremiah Pharms Jr. is Northern California bred hailing from Stockton.
The 29-year-old was born and raised in Stockton, attending Stagg High School. After high school, he spent time across the junior college circuit landing at Sacramento City College in 2015.
From there, Pharms played at San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton in 2016 and 2017.
He transferred to Friends University in Wichita, Kansas. He went undrafted in the 2020 NFL Draft. He played professional indoor football for the Wichita Force before getting drafted to the Pittsburgh Maulers of the USFL.
Pharms signed with the Patriots in July 2022.
Lan Larison, running back, reserve/injured
Lan Larison grew up in Idaho but the 24-year-old chose to attend UC Davis, which is 15 miles from Sacramento.
Larison was named Big Sky Offensive Player of the Year in 2023. That year, he ran for 1,101 yards and 13 touchdowns. After going undrafted in the 2025 NFL Draft, Larison signed with the Patriots.
He was placed on the injured-reserve list in August after suffering a foot injury.
Seattle Seahawks
Check out the players on the Seattle Seahawks who have ties to the Northern California region.
Jason Meyers, place kicker, active
Jason Meyers is a Southern California guy, born and raised in Chula Vista of San Diego County and attended Mater Dei High School.
He started his professional career in Northern California with the San Jose Sabercats of the Arena Football League.
Meyers signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2015 and then bounced around to the Seattle Seahawks and New York Jets in 2018. He joined the Seahawks again in 2019, where he’s played ever since.
Leonard Williams, defensive tackle, active
Leonard Williams was born in Bakersfield but lived in multiple cities growing up.
One of the Northern California cities he briefly lived in was Sacramento. Williams also lived in Michigan and Arizona before he ever finished grade school, according to ESPN.
Williams was selected by the New York Jets sixth overall in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft. He played in New York for four seasons before being traded to the New York Giants, where he played another four seasons.
He landed with the Seahawks in 2023 as part of another trade, the following year, Williams signed a three-year, $64.5 million contract extension.
Tory Horton, WR, reserve/injured
Tory Horton grew up in Fresno and attended Washington Union High School.
Although some might say Fresno isn’t Northern California, but more central California, we decided to include it anyway.
Horton recorded 37 receptions, 821 yards and 15 touchdowns in his high school career. He went on to attend Nevada and Colorado State before being taken in the 2025 NFL Draft with the 166th pick in the fifth round by the Seahawks.
