Former University of Wisconsin standout Leo Chenal has gone 2-for-2 in his professional football career.

The second-year linebacker has earned a second Super Bowl championship, helping the Kansas City Chiefs defeat the San Francisco 49ers, 25-22, in overtime in Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas.

A native of Grantsburg (Wis.) High and former three-star recruit, Chenal registered six tackles for a second straight Super Bowl. He also notched a tackle for loss and a forced fumble on running back Christian McCaffery, the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year, on the game’s opening possession.

Chenal also notched an eight-yard loss in the third quarter and blocked a low extra point try by San Francisco's Jake Moody with 11:22 to go, a critical play that kept the 49ers lead at three points.

The Chiefs are the first NFL teams to win the Super Bowl in consecutive seasons since the New England Patriots did so in 2003-04.

Chenal joins an exclusive list that includes Green Bay’s Ken Bowman (1967-68), Dallas’ Bill Gregory (1972, 78), Pittsburgh’s Mike Webster (1975-76, 1979-80), New Orleans/New England’s Jonathan Casillas (2010, 15), Seattle/Philadelphia’s Chris Maragos (2014, 18), and New England’s James White (2015, 17, 19) as former Badgers to win multiple Super Bowls.

“It’s something straight out of somebody’s dream,” Chenal said this week. “I couldn’t have imagined this three (or) four years ago. It’s something I would say as a 10-year-old growing up, like I’m going to play in a Super Bowl but not really meaning it, just kind of hoping. I got here. I’m blessed to be a part of this team.”

Chenal has risen quickly in the ranks of the Chiefs defense. As a rookie last season, Chenal went from starting on special teams to starting eight games, finishing with 35 tackles, one sack, and three tackles for loss. In last year’s 38-35 victory over Philadelphia in Super Bowl LVII, Chenal had six tackles and a sack.

Appearing in all 17 games this season (10 starts), Chenal registered 65 tackles (31 solo) and three sacks in the regular season. Winners of the AFC West and seeded third in the playoffs, Chenal had nine total tackles in a home win over Miami (start) and road wins at Buffalo (reserve) and Baltimore (start).

A standout performer at Wisconsin, Chenal was among the best linebackers in college football his junior year, recording 115 tackles, 18.5 tackles-for-loss, eight sacks, and two forced fumbles in 2021. He finished No. 7 in the FBS in tackles-per-game (10.4) and No. 2 in tackles-for-loss-per-game (1.6).

One of only two FBS players with 115+ tackles and 18.0+ tackles-for-loss, Chenal declared for the NFL Draft after earning Big Ten Linebacker of the Year and First-Team All-American honors. The Chiefs drafted him with the 103rd overall pick in last April’s draft (third round), the first of five UW players selected.

A former Wisconsin Badger has played in 37 of the 58 Super Bowls, including 14 of the last 15. Twenty-three players have been a part of a championship team.

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