Feb. 1, 2008
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - When the New England Patriots and New York Giants clash in Super Bowl XLII on February 3, Penn State once again will be well represented on the field and the sidelines.
Several former Penn State players and staff with ties to the Nittany Lion Football program will be involved in the National Football League's championship game, headed by three former standout players. Veteran tight end Kyle Brady is a member of the Patriots, while rookie defensive tackle Jay Alford and tackle Kareem McKenzie are with the Giants.
For the 38th time in the Super Bowl's 42-game history, at least one Penn State alumnus will be a member of one of the teams, with at least one former Nittany Lion guaranteed of being on this year's title team. Twenty-eight former Nittany Lions have earned a total of 44 Super Bowl rings, most recently All-Pro center Jeff Hartings with the Pittsburgh Steelers during the 2005 season.
In addition to the three former players, two members of the Giants' coaching staff - Pat Flaherty and Peter Giunta - were Penn State assistant coaches earlier in their careers.
Alford has played in every game this season for the Giants after being selected in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He recorded a sack in New York's 16-13 win at Philadelphia on Dec. 9 and made two assisted tackles in the 23-20 overtime win over Green Bay in the NFC Championship game. The Orange, N.J. product also is the Giants' long snapper. Alford started 41 games at Penn State and in 2006 was selected a third team Associated Press All-American and earned second team all-conference honors for the second consecutive year. He is tied for eighth on the Penn State career sack list with 19 and is tied for 15th with 32 career minus-yardage plays.
In his seventh season in the NFL, McKenzie is the Giants' starting right tackle. Selected by the New York Jets in the third round of the 2001 NFL Draft, he played four seasons with the Jets before signing with the Giants. He has played in 101 career regular season games, earning 93 starts, including all 45 regular season contests he has played with the Giants. A product of Willingboro, N.J., McKenzie earned second team All-Big Ten honors in 2000.
Brady is in his first season with the unbeaten Patriots and 13th year in the NFL. He and quarterback Kerry Collins (Tennessee) are the longevity leaders among former Nittany Lions playing in the NFL. Brady started nine of 14 regular season games this season and has nine receptions for 70 yards, with touchdown catches vs. Dallas and Miami. Selected by the New York Jets with the ninth overall pick of the 1995 NFL Draft, the Camp Hill, Pa. product played four seasons in New York and eight years in Jacksonville before joining the Patriots. In 197 career regular season games, he has 343 receptions for 3,519 yards (10.3) and 25 touchdown catches.
Brady earned first team All-America honors in 1994 as a critical member of one of the most prolific offenses in college football history. The former Cedar Cliff High School standout made 27 receptions for 365 yards and two touchdowns during his senior season to help the Nittany Lions become the first Big Ten team to earn a 12-0 record, capped by a Rose Bowl win over Oregon. Brady helped Penn State lead the nation in total offense (520.2 ypg) and scoring offense (47.8 ppg), which remains the eighth-highest scoring average in NCAA Division I-A history. Penn State's 48.1 scoring average in Big Ten games remains a conference record.
Flaherty joined the Giants in 2004 and serves as the offensive line coach. A native of McSherrystown, Pa., Flaherty was a member of the Nittany Lions' coaching staff in 1982 and '83, serving as a part-time assistant coaching the offensive line under Dick Anderson. He helped Penn State win the 1982 National Championship with a Sugar Bowl victory over No. 1 Georgia. When Anderson was named head coach at Rutgers for the 1984 season, Flaherty joined the Scarlet Knights' staff. He was at Rutgers through the 1991 season and coached in the college ranks until joining the Washington Redskins' staff in 2000.
Giunta joined the Giants staff in 2006 and coaches the cornerbacks. A product of Salem, Mass., Giunta was a part-time assistant at Penn State in 1982 and '83, working with the tight ends. In 1981, Giunta served an internship with the Nittany Lions. He also helped Penn State win the 1982 National Championship with an 11-1 record. Giunta coached at Brown and Lehigh through 1990, joining the Philadelphia Eagles' coaching staff in 1991. He was the defensive coordinator in 1999 when the St. Louis Rams won Super Bowl XXXIV.
In addition, former Giants Vice President and General Manager Ernie Accorsi was Penn State's Assistant Sports Publicity Director in the late 1960's. Accorsi joined the Giants in 1994 and was named General Manager in '98, a position he held until retiring after the 2006 season.
Ten former Nittany Lions playing in the National Football League were on 2007 playoff teams, with at least one Penn Stater on eight of the 12 squads vying for the Super Bowl XLII title. There were 28 former Lions active on 2007 NFL rosters, placing Penn State in the Top 15 nationally among schools in producing current NFL players.
More than 300 Nittany Lions have signed NFL contracts since Joe Paterno became head coach in 1966. The Hall of Fame coach has seen 232 of his players drafted by NFL squads.
Thirty-one Nittany Lions have been NFL first round draft choices since 1966, including tackle Levi Brown (Arizona), who was the No. 5 overall pick in 2007. A school record four Nittany Lions were selected in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft.
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