The Super Bowl is old hat for the UNC duo on the Pittsburgh Steelers. Running back Willie Parker (Clinton High Schoo, home of the Dark Horses) and kicker Jeff Reed helped Pittsburgh and former coach Bill Cowher win Super Bowl XL.
Parker and Reed are back in Super Bowl XLIII and they'll have ACC company. Nineteen former ACC players will be in Tampa on Feb. 1 for America's holiday between Pittsburgh and the Arizona Cardinals, even Duke, with the fewest ACC alumni in the NFL, has two representatives.
While UNC fans have a reason to pull for Pittsburgh, State fans should side with the Cardinals. Pro Bowl safety Adrian Wilson is a Wolfpacker, as is the Cards' director of player personnel, Steve Keim.
Duke's got one former player on each team. Linebacker Patrick Bailey is a rooke on the Steelers and tight end Ben Patrick is in his second season with the Cardinals. Patrick, who spent his final college season at Delaware, caught the 2-point conversion in the fourth quarter after Tim Hightower's touchdown gave Arizona the lead in Sunday's NFC Championship Game.
The ACC alums in the Super Bowl:
Pittsburgh
Patrick Bailey, Duke
Fast Willie, UNC (Clinton)
Jeff Reed, UNC
Lawrence Timmons, FSU
Orpheus Roye, FSU
James Farrior, UVa
Heath Miller, UVa
Bryant McFadden, FSU
Key Fox, GT
Nick Eason, Clemson
Arizona
Adrian Wilson, N.C. State
Anquan Boldin, FSU
Elton Brown, UVa
Calais Campbell, Miami
Darnell Docket, FSU
Eric Green VT
Ben Patrick, Duke
Antrel Rolle, Miami
Pat Ross, BC
