Long, Countess Claim Super Bowl LVI Title with Los Angeles Rams
2/13/2022 10:23:00 PM | Football
LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Former University of Michigan defensive backs David Long and Blake Countess helped the Los Angeles Rams win Super Bowl LVI, defeating the Cincinnati Bengals by a 23-20 score on a go-ahead touchdown with 1:25 remaining at SoFi Stadium on Sunday (Feb. 13). Long was a starter in the secondary and Countess is a reserve safety and special teams performer.
Long started in the secondary, playing extensive snaps at cornerback and slot cornerback, and also saw action on special teams during the championship game. A native of Los Angeles, he tied for the team lead with four tackles in the first half, including three solo stops. Long finished the contest with those four stops. He was a 2019 third-round draft pick of the Rams.
Countess was active for the Super Bowl and played on special teams. He did not see action during the regular season but played in the Rams' three playoff games leading up to the Super Bowl (24 snaps on special teams). Countess has played six seasons in the NFL with four different organizations after being drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles. He graduated from Michigan with a degree in sport management (2015) and played a graduate year at Auburn before turning pro.
Two former Wolverines were on the opposite sideline with the Bengals -- rookie running back Chris Evans and defensive quality control coach Jordan Kovacs. Evans caught a key three-yard pass on third-and-2 to move the chains with under eight minutes left in the fourth quarter, but the Bengals were unable to sustain the drive. He was on the field offensively during some third-down situations throughout the game and played on specials teams. Evans was the Bengals primary kick returner but did not have an opportunity to return a kick.
