One of Boise State’s all-time greats is headed to the Super Bowl

Former Boise State tailback Jay Ajayi and the Philadelphia Eagles secured a spot in the Super Bowl on Sunday by beating the Minnesota Vikings 38-7 in the NFC Championship Game.

Ajayi, who was traded to the Eagles by the Miami Dolphins during the season, handled 18 of the Eagles’ 30 rushing attempts against the Vikings’ stout defense. He gained 73 yards, with a long of 16. He added three catches for 26 yards. His 99 yards from scrimmage led the team.

The Eagles will face the New England Patriots on Feb. 4 in Minneapolis. The Eagles opened as 5- to 6.5-point underdogs, the largest spread for a Super Bowl since 2009, according to ESPN. The most recent larger underdog was Arizona, which nearly upset Pittsburgh as a 7-point underdog nine years ago.

Ajayi set Boise State records with 1,823 rushing yards and 28 rushing touchdowns in 2014.

Former Boise State defensive lineman Shea McClellin, who won a Super Bowl with the Patriots last year, still is on the Patriots’ roster but hasn’t played this season because of injury.

This story was originally published January 21, 2018 at 9:17 PM with the headline "One of Boise State’s all-time greats is headed to the Super Bowl."