MOUNT CARMEL, Pa. — An hour north of Harrisburg lies the coal mining town, Mount Carmel.
Once an anthracite juggernaut, today this football hamlet is maybe more known for one of its favorite sons.
"Just working in the NFL is certainly a dream come true," said Kansas City Chiefs general manager and Mount Carmel native Brett Veach. "And then to think that you've had the opportunity to play in two Super Bowls, three now, potentially a chance to win a second is a little bit surreal, for sure and it's almost like a dream."
Veach's Pa. ties are almost as deep a vein of coal.
Not only did he play for Mount Carmel High School, a school well known for its football program, but his NFL front office journey started in Philadelphia alongside Andy Reid with the Eagles.
"It's hard enough just to get to a Super Bowl, but now to think you'll be playing a team and an organization that coach (Andy Reid) and I both worked with, it'll be a lot of fun. It should be a really good game," Veach explains.
Before his time in Philadelphia, Veach was a star running back at Mount Carmel and helped the Red Tornadoes win two, PIAA state titles in 1994 and 1996. His parents, Bob and Donna, still live in town, and it is not lost on folks in our area with ties to the Red Tornadoes Program what Veach is doing on the biggest stage.
Former Dallastown and West York head football coach Ron Miller is one of those Mount Carmel natives.
"Obviously, the name is ingrained in your head. Obviously, extremely proud of him. I am not a big Eagles fan, so I am really rooting for him this weekend and we will go from there."
What started as a youth player on the turf of the Silver Bowl, in the heart of PA's coal country, the life of football has now taken Veach to a third Super Bowl against the team he once worked for.
Those memories of playing in his hometown on Friday nights are not lost on Veach as he is once again on the world's biggest stage.
"As soon as our Mt. Carmel game would be over, you'd hit the dance on Friday night and you'd jump right home and have your dad put on the highlights. So, it's kind of cool to be back here years later talking about Super Bowls, right?"