When Super Bowl LV kicks off Sunday evening in Tampa Bay, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Ricky Seals-Jones will become the first Sealy-born NFL player to make the championship game.

According to Pro Football Reference, which has a record of Texas-born players dating back to 1920, only Eric Dickerson (Sealy High School alum) and Shane Lechler (East Bernard High School alum) were born in Sealy but neither advanced past their respective conference championships.

Seals-Jones said Dickerson, who also shares family ties with him, recently reached out to congratulate him on achieving something he was unable to do despite earning All-Pro and Hall-of-Fame honors after an 11-year career.

“I talk with my cousin Eric a lot just about being in the league in general. Obviously he's been there, he's had some major accomplishments and milestones,” Seals-Jones said in a Feb. 3 phone interview. “(But) this is the first time he called me and was like ‘Hey, you've done something I've never done. I've dreamed about it, but it's a big thing just to put Sealy on the map.’”

The 25-year-old alumnus of Sealy High School and Texas A&M is playing in his fourth professional season and says he is proof that small-town kids can achieve big dreams.

“Coming from a small town, you can do big things. You can make it as long as you keep working at it and it'll pay off,” Seals-Jones said. “Just being from the small town of Sealy and making it this far and making it to a championship is huge. Hopefully it shows the younger generation that just because we're a small town and we're growing, you don't have to go to a big crazy school or live in the city to do something as big as making it to a Super Bowl.”

Ray Dabney, who coached Seals-Jones in football, basketball and track in high school, said he is ecstatic to see a familiar face at the pinnacle of the NFL season representing his hometown.

“He’s living the dream for all of us because we want our kids and the people we coached to exceed at the highest level and that’s the epitome of what everybody plays for,” Dabney said. “He represents the Sealy, America nation and we’ve got somebody else in the NFL – and not just in the NFL, but representing Sealy at the Super Bowl; I’m super excited for him.”

The current head football coach of the Sealy Tigers, Shane Mobley, agreed that Seals-Jones’ path sets an example for the younger generations to follow.

“I think it’s a testimony for every one of those kids to never give up on your dream and keep fighting. … It’s the same thing if you’re a golfer or a volleyball player,” Mobley said. “For him to be there, enjoy it; enjoy the ride. I’ve talked with him a couple of times when he’s been back visiting the school. He’s a very humble young man so I know a lot of people from Sealy, Texas are smiling and happy for him.”

Seals-Jones said the support has always been strong and he has been appreciative of it.

“Support's been great. It's always great, especially if I come back home. I'm more of a loner, I stay to myself really. But when I'm back home, if there's something going on, I try to just go to it. Or even if I'm at Hinze's or Walmart, people will come up to me and tell me they're proud of me and everything that I'm doing,” he said. “Getting all the love and support from people hitting me up or hitting my parents up, it means a lot just to know that everyone's keeping tabs on me and making sure that I'm still doing what I'm supposed to do. I just try to make sure I represent Sealy in the right way and I feel like I have just by showing them and leading by example.”

Seals-Jones previously played for the Arizona Cardinals and Cleveland Browns before he signed with the defending champion Chiefs as a free agent in the offseason and said he’s been able to gain plenty of knowledge from a top-tier tight end in today’s NFL in three-time All-Pro Travis Kelce.

“(They’re) building a dynasty, I just wanted to be a part of it,” Seals-Jones said. “I get to learn from Travis, one of the best tight ends in the league and a future Hall of Famer. I'm just soaking it all in and getting knowledge from him, going out every day going to work just to get my craft right.”