WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) – Steve Tasker is no stranger to the Super Bowl. Jeremiah Pharms is quickly becoming acquainted.
Tasker played in four Super Bowls during the 1990s with the Buffalo Bills. One of the greatest special teams player in NFL history, Tasker was a key piece in four consecutive AFC Champions between 1991-94.
Tasker was born in Smith Center and went to high school at Wichita County in Leoti, Kan. His football journey eventually landed him as a seven-time Pro Bowler, a member of the NFL’s All-Time Team in 2000 and a pick for the Bills’ Wall of Fame.
Pharms, who’s from Stockton, Calif., but now lives in Goddard with his wife and four children, is the only player from Friends University in Wichita to ever advance to the NFL.
He’s a defensive lineman for the Patriots, who will play in Super Bowl 60 against the Seattle Seahawks this weekend.
The theme for both players is perseverance. Pharms made stops with the Wichita Force of indoor football and with the USFL before being signed by the Patriots — and coach Bill Belichick — in 2022.
He owns a sack of Bills standout quarterback Josh Allen and a “never give up” mentality that has helped him carve out a four-year career in the NFL.
Tasker was drafted in the ninth round — a round that doesn’t exist anymore by the Houston Oilers — a team that doesn’t exist anymore.
He did not have a stellar career at Northwestern University and was cut early in his career by the Oilers. He caught on with the Bills, though, and was part of a framework that made Buffalo the dominant team in the AFC for several years.
He experienced four Super Bowls, but Buffalo didn’t win any of them. Pharms will participate on the scout team with the hope of being called up to the 53-man roster for Sunday’s big game.
In exclusive interviews with 12 News, Pharms and Tasker discussed their personal histories and this weekend’s Super Bowl.
To access the full interviews, download the free KWCH app on your Roku, Apple TV or Firestick device. Find “Origin Stories” under the “12 News Originals tab.
Here are some highlights of those interviews:
Pharms on choosing Friends University:Pharms on perseverance:Tasker on overcoming setbacks:Tasker on Super Bowl memories:
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