Pardon me if I tend to brag a little today.

I’m talking about a small state like South Carolina having a big impact in the 2020 Super Bowl.

Former Clemson star receiver Sammy Watkins and South Carolina star receiver Deebo Samuel turned in spectacular performances before millions of fans on TV.

DEEBO DOES IT

Lets talk about Samuel who electrified Gamecock fans despite suffering game-missing injuries while at Carolina,

In the Super Bowl, he became San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan’s perfect attack weapon.

As a  rookie, Deebo is far more than just a receiver. He is one of his team’s most dangerous ball-carriers, breaking tackles and making defenders miss him.

Shanahan went to Deebo early against the Kansas City Chiefs. With 12:34 remaining in the 1st quarter, 49ers’ quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo faked a handoff to running back Tevin Coleman.

He tossed the ball to Deebo who raced down the sidelines for 32 yards to give the 49ers early momentum.

In the 3rd quarter, Deboo carried the ball for 14 more yards to set a Super Bowl record for most rushing yards by a receiver– 53 yards on 3 carries.

Deebo rushed for 159 yards and 3 touchdowns in the regular season. He also had 49 rushing yards on 3 carries in the 49ers’ 1st 2 playoff games.

SAMMY SWINGS

After being a 1st round draftee of the Buffalo Bills. Sammy Watkins was traded to the Los Angeles Rams and finally the Chiefs.

This led him to Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens 2 hours from where he grew up in Fort Myers.

In the 1st half, Sammy had a 4-yard reception on a crossing route and then got open deep in 49ers territory.

He timed his jump to catch the ball at its peak for 27 yards. That set up a 31-yard field goal to give the Chiefs a brief 10-3 lead.

Sammy finished the game with 5 receptions for 98 yards. That included a 38-yard reception on a deep pass from Super Bowl MVP QB Patrick Mahomes.

Sammy then beat cornerback Richard Sherman to set up the go-ahead TD.

He told the Palm Beach Post, “Those were things that we worked on in practice and it was one of the biggest plays in the game.

“That’s why we work on those plays – to have one of the best quarterbacks in the league and he made one of the best throws.

“We just connected.”

After playing a huge part in the Kansas City Chiefs’ 31-20 victory, he got to hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

“It’s amazing,” he said. “Having 3 injuries back-to-back, breaking my foot, being drafted in the 1st round and then being called a bust. I can say now I am blessed and thankful for everyone who supported me.”

 The Sports Grouch welcomes email at ChronicleSports@yahoo.com .