ATLANTA – After the New England Patriots beat the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship game two weeks ago to advance to the Super Bowl, cornerback Jonathan Jones sent Los Angeles Rams defensive back Blake Countess a text. "I'll see you in Atlanta."
The Rams had already held up their end of the bargain earlier that day by beating the New Orleans Saints, and that meant a reunion of sorts for the former Auburn teammates, along with fellow Auburn alum and Patriots' linebacker Brandon King, in Super Bowl LIII.
"It's kind of crazy," Countess said. "I talked to my parents and a couple of my friends, and it hasn't really hit me just yet just because there's still a milestone out there that needs to be completed.
"But when you step back and look at the magnitude of this game and the history – as a little kid just watching this game – it's kind of crazy to think about. I'm going to be playing in this game in a couple days. It's definitely humbling, and I'm excited. I can't wait."
For Countess, this will be his first Super Bowl. The former Auburn defensive back spent one year on the Plains as a grad transfer from Michigan and recorded a career-high 71 tackles. He was then drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the sixth round of the 2016 NFL draft but never made it to their opening day roster. The Eagles cut him on Sept. 3 the same year he was drafted.
Three days after he was cut, Countess was signed to the Los Angeles Rams practice and then a promotion to the active roster followed later that season. He has been with the Rams ever since.
To this day, he credits his one year at Auburn for helping him reach the next level.
"I think it was exactly what I needed at the time," Countess said. "It was like a breath of fresh air for me. The whole team, the university, the fans, the whole program was very accepting of me. They welcomed me with open arms.
"I got the chance to play three different positions on the back end, which helped me going forward and being looked at in the NFL. I started a couple games at corner, I played nickel, and I played safety as well. Just being able to add that to my resume at the level of the SEC, it was exactly what I needed at the time."
On the other side, this will be the third straight Super Bowl appearance for Jones and King. The duo won a title together with the Patriots two years but are hungry for redemption after losing last year to the Eagles.
"It's great being back," said King, a special teams star with the Patriots since 2015. "Being a little closer to home, it's a little different environment, but we're still trying to get the same goal, the same outcome. We're trying to get a win."
Jones, who signed with the Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2016, has now reached the Super Bowl all three seasons he played in the NFL.
This year, though, has been a breakout year of sorts as he has 56 tackles, 1.5 sacks, three interceptions and seven passes defended. He started the AFC championship game, his fifth start of the season, and was tasked with shadowing Chiefs' wide receiver Tyreek Hill. The Pro Bowler caught only one pass for 42 yards.
But playing big in big games is something Jones has been doing since his days at Auburn where he started four years and finished with 129 career tackles and seven career interceptions.
"We played in a lot of big games in college, won a lot of games," he said. "So just having that consistency of winning and playing in those big games, you weren't shocked when you got to the NFL.
"I'm missing the Plains. I enjoyed my four years there. It was a great time. My development as a young man from school and also football – it was a great place to play ball. I love the fan base. It's an excellent fan base. That platform definitely helped me come into the league."
"Being an Auburn man, you carry that with you for the rest of your life."
Greg Ostendorf is a Senior Writer for AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @greg_ostendorf