Army Veterans Turn NFL Rivals in Super Bowl LIX Showdown

Two former West Point colleagues, Cole Christiansen and Brett Toth, square off on opposing sides of the championship game, adding an unexpected rivalry to the field for Super Bowl LIX. Military waivers let Christiansen, a linebacker for the Kansas City Chiefs, and Toth, an offensive lineman for the Philadelphia Eagles, pursue their NFL careers.

Originally a second lieutenant, 2018 West Point graduate Toth signed on with the Eagles. Following a short time with the Arizona Cardinals, he returned to Philadelphia in 2020 to play his first professional game. Though he didn't attend any regular-season games this year, he helped the Eagles throughout their postseason run. His Army rank right now is first lieutenant.

Before graduating in 2020, Christiansen captained the Black Knights. He joined the NFL with the Los Angeles Chargers and then joined the Chiefs in 2022. This season, he only participated in nine games, although he stayed on the practice squad for Super Bowl LIX. In the Army, he is a second lieutenant right now.

The two West Point graduates had also participated in a Super Bowl game before this. Both were on the rosters of their respective teams in Super Bowl LVII in 2023, in which the Chiefs triumphed 38–35. Christiansen also participated in the Super Bowl last year, in which Kansas City beat the San Francisco 49ers.

Their trip from Army football to the NFL emphasizes the unusual pathways military academy athletes can follow as the two former colleagues hit the field at Caesar's Superdome in New Orleans. Tonight they will trade friendship for rivalry in the most crucial game of their careers.

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