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49ers’ Super Bowl trick play TD engineered by former high school, college QB

Super Bowl LVIII: Former Tennessee Vols QB Jauan Jennings throws a touchdown to Christian McCaffrey in the second quarter

San Francisco 49ers’ Jauan Jennings (15) catches a pass in the first half of the Super Bowl against the Kansas City Chiefs at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev., on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
San Francisco 49ers’ Jauan Jennings (15) catches a pass in the first half of the Super Bowl against the Kansas City Chiefs at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev., on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
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Jauan Jennings got to relive his college days midway through the second quarter of Super Bowl LVIII when he helped the 49ers take a 10-0 lead over the Chiefs.

Jennings, a former quarterback at the University of Tennessee, hauled in a backward pass from Brock Purdy on the first stage of a trick play called by 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan.

The 6-foot-4 wide receiver then tossed a looping ball back across the field to Christian McCaffrey, who ran upfield for a 21-yard touchdown with 4:23 left in the half. 

Jennings became the first wide receiver to throw a touchdown pass in a Super Bowl since former Steelers wideout Antwaan Randle El did so in 2006 in Super Bowl 40. 

Jennings was rated as a four-star quarterback recruit coming out of Blackman High School in Murfreesboro Tennessee, a town 30 minutes outside of Nashville. 

According to stats inputted into MaxPreps, Jennings threw for 2,169 yards and 22 touchdowns as a senior in high school.

Jennings converted to wide receiver at Tennessee, where he caught a game-winning Hail Mary pass against Georgia in 2016. He still ended up throwing two touchdowns for the Vols before being drafted by the 49ers in 2020.