Another Mississippi State Bulldog is now Super Bowl-bound. The Seattle Seahawks are headed to the Big Game after a 31-27 victory over the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship Game, and that means that former Bulldog left tackle Charles Cross will take the field with the Lombardi Trophy on the line. It will be the first Super Bowl appearance for the fourth-year offensive lineman.
Mississippi Made.
— Mississippi State Football (@HailStateFB) January 26, 2026
NFL Proven.
𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐁𝐨𝐰𝐥 𝐁𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝.#STATEToSundays || #HailState pic.twitter.com/obu4oMTgYG
Regardless of if the Seahawks or Rams had won the NFC Championship, Mississippi State was assured representation in the Super Bowl, as former Bulldog and current Los Angeles corner Emmanuel Forbes went head-to-head against Cross on Sunday.
Charles Cross becomes the 41st Bulldog to reach a Super Bowl, and this is the 62nd overall appearance by a Bulldog in the game. This will be the fourth-straight Super Bowl to feature a Mississippi State alum, and the sixth in the last seven. Cross will now look to be the 27th Bulldog to win a Super Bowl ring.
Charles Cross has lived up to his billing with the Seahawks
Charles Cross is one of those players that has lived up to the hype every step of his career. A 5-star recruit out of Laurel, MS in 2019, Cross would become a dominant left tackle for the Bulldogs and one of the nation's best pass protectors. In 2021, he won the Kent Hull Trophy and was named 1st Team All-SEC.
His collegiate production led to him being the No. 9 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, going to Seattle as the third offensive tackle off the board. Cross immediately become the Seahawks' blindside protector. Throughout his four-year NFL career, he's established himself as one of the top linemen in the NFL, and he recently signed a contract to back that up.
In early January, Charles Cross signed a four-year extension with Seattle worth $104.4 million at an average of $26.1 million per year, the third-highest average annual salary amongst NFL left tackles. It's the biggest deal for a non-QB in Seahawks history, and Cross will take home a huge $40.5 million in the first season of the deal.
From 5-star recruit, to All-SEC lineman, to 1st Round NFL Draft pick, to a $100+ million contract, Charles Cross has been a true standout player. Now the former Mississippi State Bulldog will look to add "Super Bowl champion" to his illustrious resume. He and the Seahawks will take on the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX on February 8 in Santa Clara, CA.