Hobart Football | 1/25/2021 8:30:00 AM

Former Hobart Statesman Ali Marpet '15 and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers made NFL history with a 31-26 NFC Championship Game win over the Green Bay Packers. The win punched the Bucs' ticket to Super Bowl LV which will be played in Tampa Bay's Raymond James Stadium. Marpet and his teammates will be the first team to play for the Lombardi Trophy at home.
 
The Buccaneers will face Kansas City in the Super Bowl at 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 7. The game will be televised on CBS.

The road home wasn't an easy one. The Buccaneers had to beat three division champions on the road during their playoff run. Tampa won on Wild Card Weekend 31-23 at NFC East champion Washington, followed by a 30-20 Divisional Round win at NFC South champion New Orleans, before the win at Lambeau Field.
 
Tampa Bay never trailed, scoring on the game's opening drive for a 7-0 lead, an advantage that stood up through the end of the first quarter. The Buccaneers added two more touchdowns in the second quarter to go into the locker room with a 21-10 lead.
 
The Bucs stretched their lead to 28-10 with the opening score of the second half, but the NFC's top team in the regular season kept things interesting. The Packers scored back-to-back TDs to cut their deficit to 28-23 heading into the fourth quarter. The teams traded field goals in the final frame as Tampa clinched its second NFC Championship (2003).
 
In the midst of a superb season that has seen him earn All-Pro honors from PFF and All-NFC accolades from PFWA, Marpet has not allowed a sack this season, extending his streak to 26 consecutive games dating back to Week 6 of the 2019 season.
 
At Hobart, Marpet was a three-year starter at tackle, earning three straight All-Liberty League awards. He was twice named D3football.com All-East and was named to four separate All-America teams following his senior season. Marpet and his teammates won four consecutive Liberty League Championships, compiling a 41-5 overall record. He played in four straight NCAA playoffs, leading the Statesmen to the national quarterfinals in 2012 and 2014.
 
A second round draft pick of the Buccaneers in 2015, Marpet was chosen 61st overall, the highest a Division III player has been taken in the NFL draft. He has started all 88 games he's played in his NFL career.