MIAMI _ A costly penalty by linebacker Dee Ford prevented the Kansas City Chiefs from reaching the Super Bowl last season.
The Chiefs and Ford both made it to the sport's biggest stage this season, but they are on opposite sides.
Last March, the Chiefs traded Ford to the San Francisco 49ers.
On Sunday, in Super Bowl LIV at Hard Rock Stadium, Ford will try to help the 49ers win their sixth title and prevent the Chiefs from winning their second.
The Chiefs might have played the Los Angeles Rams in the Super Bowl last season if not for Ford's miscue in the AFC title game against the New England Patriots.
With just over a minute left, the Chiefs led 28-24 and the Patriots faced a third-and-10 situation. The Chiefs intercepted a pass by Tom Brady, but officials cited Ford for lining up in the neutral zone.
Brady subsequently led the Patriots to a touchdown. The Chiefs tied the score with a field goal to force overtime, but the Patriots won the coin toss and drove for a game-winning touchdown that sent them to the Super Bowl, where they defeated the Rams 13-3.
Ford spoke Tuesday of being accountable for mistakes.
"Most players you're going to come across had plays that haunt you," he said. "Just part of the game.
"But what makes great players is perseverance and competition. And I don't harp on things in life. I'm not going to harp on things on the field either."
That has not stopped reporters and others from raising the issue.
Chiefs linebacker Frank Clark, acquired in a trade with the Seattle Seahawks to fill the void left by Ford, said in January that jumping offside occasionally was OK, but lining up offside was "inexcusable."
Ford reportedly agreed with Clark's assessment during Super Bowl media night on Monday.
Ford was sidelined because of several injuries this season. He sat out the final six games and finished with 6 { sacks. Ford returned for the playoffs and recorded a sack in an NFC divisional-round victory over the Minnesota Vikings.
He said Tuesday that he was undeterred by his mistake last season.
"If I spent time pouting about what happened _ first of all that's the not the makings of a man to me, and that's not the making of a great player.
"And I knew that I was going to have a big role for whatever team that I was going to play for. And I needed to fill that void. I needed to show up."
