Super Bowl XLVI will kick off in a little over 24 hours and both rosters feature players who have some particularly pertinent connections to the Bay Area. It'd be much better if a Bay Area team was actually in the Super Bowl, but I suppose we'll just have to live with this for now.
The most well known Bay Area connection is of course the pride of San Mateo, Tom Brady. Much has been made throughout Brady's career about his love for the 49ers growing up and how Joe Montana was his idol as a child. Now that Brady has another shot at ring number four, the comparisons between the Patriots quarterback and Montana are heating up. A win over the Giants will put Brady in the rarified air of Montana and Terry Bradshaw. While there is an argument for passing stats being inflated these days, Brady has at least put himself a little further in the discussion.
Giants center David Baas was originally drafted by the San Francisco 49ers and left the team as a free agent heading into this season. Baas bounced around between guard and center during his time with the 49ers before settling in as the center last year. Baas and the 49ers could not work out a long-term deal in free agency and the 49ers replaced him with former Saints center Jonathan Goodwin.
One of the interesting stories is that of former Oakland Raiders cornerback and Antioch native Sterling Moore. The Patriots cornerback had a huge play in the fourth quarter of the AFC Championship game that broke up a potential game-winning touchdown pass to Lee Evans. Moore went into training camp with the Raiders, but was cut before he could prove himself.
Here are all the pertinent greater Bay Area Super Bowl roster connections:
New England Patriots
Tom Brady - San Mateo, CA
RB Shane Vereen - Cal
DE Andre Carter - Cal - injured reserve
WR Julian Edelman - Redwood City, CA
OG Logan Mankins - Catheys Valley, CA (East of Central Valley)
OG Nick McDonald - Salinas, CA
CB Sterling Moore - Antioch, CA - formerly with Raiders
New York Giants
David Baas - former 49er
David Carr - former 49er
DE Dave Tollefson - Walnut Creek, CA