49ers Rally vs. Lions in NFC Title Game to Reach Super Bowl LVIII

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SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- As they trudged to the locker room at halftime down 17 points to the Detroit Lions, their season's end seemingly just 30 minutes away, the San Francisco 49ers' range of emotions wasn't hard to comprehend.

The Lions had just pushed the Niners all over the field for the first two quarters and frustration didn't do it justice. On the light side, running back Christian McCaffrey called for focus. Coach Kyle Shanahan said his team was angry. Defensive end Nick Bosa described it as embarrassing.

For a proud, veteran team playing in its fourth NFC Championship Game in five years and third in as many seasons, no amount of halftime prodding was going to provide an instant fix.

For a team that spent most of the season running away and hiding from opponents by jumping out to big leads, the 49ers have turned this postseason run into a testament to their resolve.

That was writ large Sunday night when the 49ers erased that 17-point deficit in just eight minutes of game time, rattled off 27 consecutive second-half points and surged to a stunning 34-31 win to claim the franchise's eighth NFC championship, tied for the second most in league history. It tied for the biggest comeback in an NFC Championship Game ever with the 2012 Niners, who rebounded from down 17 to beat the Atlanta Falcons.

The victory punched San Francisco's ticket for Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas and set a rematch against the same Kansas City Chiefs they faced in Super Bowl LIV.

South Dakota Born NFL Players of this Century

While not a traditional powerhouse Nation Football League feeder, South Dakota has produces a fair number of football players that went on to the big time in the NFL.

Here are some that have played on various teams over the last couple of decades.