A look at Gators' ties to Super Bowl XLIX
Friday, January 30, 2015 | Football, Men's Swimming & Diving, Scott Carter
Gators head coach Jim McElwain has player ties in Super Bowl XLIX. (File photo)
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Since Super Bowl I 48 years ago at the Los Angeles Coliseum, the Gators have usually been represented in the biggest sporting event of the year.
In that very first Super Bowl between Green Bay and Kansas City, former UF punter/kicker Don Chandler was part of Green Bay's 35-10 victory over the Chiefs. He was back a year later in Green Bay's 33-14 win over Oakland in Super Bowl II.
Chandler's four field goals against the Raiders still stand as the most ever in a Super Bowl, tied by San Francisco kicker Ray Wersching in Super Bowl XVI at the now-decrepit Pontiac Silverdome.
A year ago in Seattle's 43-8 rout of Denver in Super Bowl XLVIII, former UF star Percy Harvin turned Florida fans nostalgic when he returned a kickoff for a touchdown.
In Sunday's Super Bowl XLIX between Seattle and New England, the only former UF player on either roster is defensive tackle Dominique Easley, the Patriots' first-round draft pick.
Easley played in 11 games this season and started two, recording 10 tackles and an interception before New England shut him down so he could further rehabilitate a knee injury he suffered as a senior at UF. He is currently on injured reserve.
However, there are plenty more UF connections in the game, including a trio of Seattle assistants, most prominently Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn. Quinn was Florida's defensive coordinator in 2011-12 and is heading to Atlanta to become the Falcons' head coach after the Super Bowl.
Former UF defensive back Marquand Manuel is a defensive assistant for Seattle and Will Harriger, a graduate assistant at UF in 2012-13, is in his first season as an offensive assistant with Seattle.
Meanwhile, Florida's new coaching staff is well-represented in this year's Super Bowl.
Head coach Jim McElwain, offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier, defensive coordinator Geoff Collins, associate head coach Randy Shannon, strength and conditioning coordinator Mike Kent, offensive line coach Mike Summers and defensive line coach Terrell Williams all have former pupils in the game.
Thanks to research by Florida football sports information director Dan Apple, a look at those connections:
Player Team Pos. Connection
Ryan Wendell Patriots OL McElwain was Fresno State's OC his senior season in 2007
Vince Wilfork Patriots DL Shannon was Miami's defensive coordinator while he was at UM
Deontae Skinner Patriots DL Practice-squad player coached by Collins at Mississippi State
Darrelle Revis Patriots DB Kent was strength coach at Pittsburgh when Revis was there
Cliff Avril Seahawks DL Williams was his position coach at Purdue
Alvin Bailey Seahawks OL Summers coached him at Arkansas his redshirt freshman season
James Carpenter Seahawks OL McElwain was OC at Alabama during his career
Jermaine Kearse Seahawks WR Nussmeier was OC at Washington his final three seasons
Kevin Norwood Seahawks WR McElwain and Nussmeier served as OC at Alabama in his career
