As far an NFL fandom goes, I mostly identify as a Saints supporter, but I’ve never been hardcore in my support.

There’s so much pain involved with being a religious Saints fan and I think that I’ve tried to spare myself some of that agony by not getting too wrapped up in black and gold.

I’m more of a fan of specific players than teams and my rooting allegiance has always been tied to athletes that got their start in the Magnolia State.

The upcoming Super Bowl on Sunday is a chance for our state to show the world just how special it is when it comes to turning out top tier football talent.

There will be eight Mississippi natives suiting up in the game for either the Chiefs or the Eagles and they’ll not just be dudes on the roster, but some of the biggest stars in the game.

Eagles defensive lineman Fletcher Cox played high school football at Yazoo City High and his teammate, running back Kenneth Gainwell, played for rival Yazoo County High.

Kansas City linebacker Willie Gay Jr. and Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown suited up together at Starkville High and helped the school win the 2015 MHSAA 6A state title.

One of the biggest storylines of the game will be the ability of the Philadelphia offensive line to protect quarterback Jalen Hurts from the interior defensive rush that Chiefs tackle Chirs Jones provides. Jones played MHSAA 4A football at Houston High before starring at Mississippi State.

Amazingly, each team has a linebacker from Horn Lake High School, just south of Memphis.

Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean was a state championship winning linebacker at Horn Lake that every college program in the nation wanted. He signed with Georgia, won a national championship with the Bulldogs and is now looking to add a Super Bowl ring as a rookie.

Horn Lake alum Darrius Harris is playing in his third Super Bowl as a linebacker for the Chiefs.

Gardner “The Mississippi Mustache” Minshew is a backup quarterback for the Eagles from Brandon. 

That’s all not even counting the guys from out of state who played college football in Mississippi.

Two former Southern Miss Golden Eagles play for the Philadelphia Eagles — offensive lineman Cameron Tom and wide receiver Quez Watkins. Mississippi State alum Darius “Big Play” Slay is a crucial member of the Philadelphia defense as a defensive back.

Texas is known for having high schools that play football in multi-million-dollar stadiums. Florida has long been a recruiting hotbed for high school talent. California has a population of almost 40 million, while Mississippi has 3 million residents.

Seven natives of Texas will play in the Super Bowl this season, Florida will have six players representing it and California will have five players from it on the combined rosters.

You might think there is something in the water that’s responsible for how our state spawns football talent.

I think it’s something in the dirt.

The dirt that’s been beaten down by continuous use in the yards and green spaces of Yazoo City as the next generation of 10-year olds play a game of yard football, hoping to be another Fletcher Cox.

The dirt of the practice fields that are often just a small piece of pastureland behind your typical Mississippi high school. Painted with lines if your district is rich, but most likely sporting line-markers burned into place with a liberal spray of weed poison. There’s usually a rusty old blocking sled that’s been discarded in the nearest tree line.

The dirt of the game field on a Friday night. Where the stands will have proud grandparents sporting shirts that say, “No. 2 Is My Grandbaby.” And the sidelines that might have a coach from the local community college there as a recruiter or might have an SEC head coach standing there as well — trying to catch the eye of the next big talent to come out of typical smalltown Mississippi.

Cliff Furr is the sports editor of The Daily Leader. He can be reached via email at sports@dailyleader.com.