KANSAS CITY, Mo. —

Two unlikely friends, one a Chiefs fan and one an Eagles fan, will be sitting together at the Super Bowl on Sunday.

John Gladwell and Billy Welsh first met each other while serving together in the Marine Corps at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina.

“We did not like each other while we were in,” Gladwell said. “He was 17, he was young, he was too enthusiastic. I just wanted to go home. I wanted out,” he added.

“He was a jerk,” Welsh said of Gladwell.

But that dynamic all changed when Welsh reached out on social media in desperate need of a kidney and Gladwell responded.

“I was shocked, when he said he was a match and he was going to be in town next week, I cried,” Welsh said. “Never in a million years would I have ever thought that dude would’ve given me a kidney,” he added.

At the time, Gladwell not only thought about Welsh, but his very young son who was about 2 years old, close to the same age as one of his grandchildren, when the kidney donation took place.

“I don’t think I could’ve lived with myself if I could do something but didn’t. I wanted him to have dad going to Eagles games, Phillies games, Flyers, 76ers all of that. I wanted him to be able to experience all of that with his dad,” Gladwell said.

After that kidney donation in October 2020, Gladwell faced his own health crisis.

About a year ago, COVID sent Gladwell to the hospital’s intensive care unit with stage four kidney failure.

“I was in a pretty pickle,” he said.

It took Gladwell nearly a month recover.

“I’m so thankful that he pulled through, that both kidneys are still functioning,” Welsh said.

Now the two men who didn’t like each other in the Marine Corps will have a once in a lifetime trip together.

Even though they’re rooting for different teams, their bond is now much bigger than football.

“He’s family,” Gladwell said.

“He’s my hero,” Welsh said.

While the two men will be making their first trip to the Super Bowl, Gladwell’s wife Randi will be returning to Phoenix.

Nine years ago, she was there for several months getting treatment for ovarian cancer which spread to her kidney.

Given a 7% chance at survival, Randi will ring her bell Saturday morning for being cancer free.

Severe weather on Friday didn't stop the University of Oklahoma from hosting its graduation ceremony, but it did change its plans. The ceremony was moved indoors due to the storm, but some familiar faces attended the commencement. Related video above: Jalen Hurts signs record contract with the Philadelphia EaglesCurrent Philadelphia Eagle and former OU quarterback Jalen Hurts was on campus in Norman, Oklahoma to get his master's degree. The athlete was personally honored by OU President Joseph Harroz Jr. Hurts graduated with his Master of Human Relations degree. He earned his degree through OU Online.The keynote speaker of the event, encouraging graduates to keep their ambition in the workforce, was Randle Stevenson, the former chairman of AT&T. "Like many of you, I was the first person in my family to earn a college degree. As you heard, I grew up a few miles from here in Moore, Oklahoma," Stevenson said. Stevenson, an OU graduate, said there is a high bar for students graduating from the university. "I was blessed to be able to be raised in Oklahoma in a time when we valued education as the principal means for upward mobility," Stevenson said. "You are about to become major actors in our free market system, and it's a system that does not hand out participation trophies."

Doug Pederson is out as head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles three years after guiding them to their first-ever Super Bowl title.

Eagles Chairman and CEO Jeffrey Lurie made the announcement Monday on Twitter.

"I have spent the last few weeks evaluating everything from this past year and looking ahead. We are all very disappointed with the way our season went and eager to turn things around, not just for next season but also for the future of the franchise," Lurie said in a statement. "Coach Pederson and I had the opportunity to sit down and discuss what that collective vision would look like moving forward. After taking some time to reflect on these conversations, I believe it is in both of our best interests to part ways."

The Eagles went 4-11-1 in 2020 and were 42-37-1 under Pederson during his five-year tenure as head coach. Pederson led the team to two division titles and three playoff appearances.

According to The Associated Press, Pederson and general manager Howie Roseman weren’t on the same page regarding many personnel moves, which ultimately led Lurie to choose his GM over Pederson.

“Although I am disappointed that this chapter of my career has come to an end, I am extremely proud of what we accomplished together,” Pederson said in a statement.

The New York Times reported that Pederson took a lot of heat from fans and players when he decided to bench rookie starter Jalen Hurts and play Nate Sudfeld in the fourth quarter of a Week 17 game against Washington, which they lost 20-14.

In his second season as head coach, Pederson's Eagles defeated Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl. The team was led by backup quarterback Nick Foles who filled in after starting quarterback Carson Wentz was injured.

Wentz struggled in 2020, throwing only 16 touchdowns and 15 interceptions before being benched for Hurts. According to an ESPN report on Jan. 3, Wentz's relationship with Pederson was "fractured beyond repair."