Whether it was Belle Glades' own Santonio Holmes making a spectacular game winning grab in the corner of the end zone and winning the MVP of Super Bowl XLIII, or Joe Namath guaranteeing victory and then flipping off fans in the old Orange Bowl in Super Bowl III, South Florida has a long and storied history with the big game.

Along with New Orleans, Miami has hosted the game more than any other city (10 times) and though this year’s game is being played in Indianapolis several players who may play a part in the outcome have strong connections to South Florida.

Both teams sport several players who grew up in South Florida, played in college in the state or made other stops in the region.

Perhaps the biggest impact will come from Jason Pierre-Paul, defensive end for the New York Giants, who was born and raised in Deerfield Beach and played college at South Florida.

The All Pro lineman whose parents emigrated from Haiti has been the most dominant force on a defensive line which is expected to harass New England Patriot quarterback Tom Brady.

Pierre-Paul anchors the strength of the Giants defense, but its weakness, the secondary, will also count on two local products to slow down New England’s vaunted passing attack.

Strong safety Kenny Phillips was born in Miami and played high school football at Coral City High School before playing at the University of Miami. Phillips is coming off a career year in which he had his most tackles, interceptions and pass deflections.

Joining Phillips in the secondary is UM alum Antrel Rolle. Born in Homestead, Rolle played high school football at South Dade High School before a standout career in college and with the Arizona Cardinals before being signed by the Giants in 2010.

If South Florida will play in a role in the Giants trying to stop the Patriots then the region is also sure to help New England’s chances of reaching the end zone. 

The injury to All Pro Tight End Rob Gronkowski means the Patriots will have to look at other receiving options on Super Bowl Sunday and although Miami Beach-raised Chad Ochocinco has had a down year by his standards he could be a key to the team’s passing attack.

Ochocinco, known as Chad Johnson when he played at Miami Beach Senior High, has been one of the top wide receivers over the past decade but has had difficulty fitting into the Patriot’s established short passing attack.

Whether Ochocinco gets involved in the game or not, former Miami Dolphin Wide Receiver Wes Welker is sure to be a focal point of the offense. Welker is from Oklahoma and played college at Texas Tech but he played his first two years in the NFL in Miami (2005-2006).

Welker’s performance with the Dolphins helped convince Head Coach Bill Belichick to trade for the future Hall of Famer.

On the defensive side, the Patriots will depend on nose tackle Vince Wilfork, born in Boynton Beach and who played at the University of Miami, to stop New York’s running attack.

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