By NAN Sports Editor
News Americas, MIAMI, FL, Sun. Feb. 4, 2018: You may love or hate the New England Patriots, but they are the only team with Caribbean roots players in today’s Super Bowl LII. Sorry Eagles fans! They are:
Patrick Chung
Patriots defensive safety, Kingston, Jamaica-born Patrick Chung, is set to play in yet another Super Bowl. Chung, 30, who has been called one of the top players in the NFL today by Pats Coach Bill Belichick, already has two Super Bowl rings with the Patriots, and will be looking for his third.
He is the son of Jamaican singer Sophia George, best known for the 1980s hit ‘Girlie Girlie.’ Chung was drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He has turned into a distinctly versatile player and experts say he might be the only player in the NFL who can play strong safety, slot cornerback, linebacker and free safety
Ricky Jean Francois
Haitian-American Ricky Jean Francois will be making his first appearance with the Patriots in today’s Super Bowl. On November 7, 2017, Jean Francois signed with the Patriots. He was released by the Patriots on December 2, 2017 and re-signed on December 13, 2017. Jean Francois is on the Pats roster for a defense slot today as well.
“I’ve been through the ups and downs, starting in Green Bay and ending up here in New England,” Jean-Francois told Sports Illustrated recently. “It’s been a rollercoaster ride, but it’s been a rollercoaster ride that I’ve enjoyed. Each man in here is grinding. Each man in here is trying to get better. What you want to do, you don’t want to look separate from them, so you want to grind it just as hard as them.”
The Miami-born, 31-year-old, whose dad is a Haitian immigrant, was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the seventh round of the 2009 NFL Draft, and played college football at Louisiana State University (LSU). He then went on to play for the Indianapolis Colts, Washington Redskins and the Green Bay Packers.
Jean Francois owns thirty Dunkin’ Donuts franchises in the southeastern part of the United States. Asked recently by SI about Donald Trump’s alleged “shithole comment” Jean Francois responded: “One thing you got to understand about Haitian people is that we’re strong. Words don’t bother us. Everyone has their opinion. The only way your opinion becomes valued is if I value it. It don’t mean anything. It’s just a bunch of words that don’t have a meaning unless you allow it to have meaning.”
So look for Chung and Jean Francois today as the Super Bowl kicks-off at 6:30 p.m. ET at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, MN live on NBC.
