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If you are a fan of Boston College Eagles football, then there's no doubt that Super Bowl XLVI will hold your interest. There are 16 people (players, coaches and one owner) who have ties to the school and will represent BC in the big game for the New England Patriots or New York Giants, who will battle for the Lombardi Trophy on February 5 at Lucas Oil Stadium.
BC is the most represented college in Super Bowl XLVI. The Giants easily outnumber the Patriots when it comes to former Boston College players in the game, with new York possessing four of the six playing in the game. Mark Herzlich, Mathias Kiwanuka, Chris Snee and Will Blackmon. New England has two former Eagles, with Dan Koppen and Ron Brace representing the Heights.
Other team coaches and executives have connections to BC, as well. Patriots owner Robert Kraft was a former member of the Board of Trustees and a current Trustee Associate. Tom Coughlin, the Giants coach, is a former head coach at BC and Jack Bicknell Jr. the Giants assistant offensive line coach, was an assistant head coach and O-line coach at BC.
Boston College's athletic website provided a list and background of all former Boston College players, coaches or executives associated with Super Bowl XLVI on their website, seen below.
Jack Bicknell, Jr. '85 (New York Giants - assistant offensive line coach) served as assistant head coach and offensive line coach for Boston College for two seasons (2007-08), before becoming the assistant offensive line coach for the Giants in January 2008. Bicknell is the son of former Boston College head coach Jack Bicknell. Bicknell was a three-year letterwinner on the Boston College offensive line for his father. He was the starting center during Doug Flutie's 1984 Heisman Trophy winning season. As a senior at BC, Bicknell received the Scanlan Award, the highest honor for a BC football player.
Will Blackmon '06 (New York Giants - cornerback, 6-0, 210) is in his sixth NFL season. He was drafted in the fourth round (115th overall) by the Green Bay Packers in the 2006 NFL draft. Blackmon, a Providence, R.I. native, earned four varsity letters (2002-05) as a wide receiver, corner back and return-man at Boston College.
Ron Brace ‘08 (New England Patriots - defensive end, 6-3, 330) is in his third NFL season. He was drafted in the second round (40th overall) by the Patriots in the 2009 NFL Draft. Brace, a Springfield, Mass. native, was paired with defensive tackle B.J. Raji, a first-round pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. Brace earned All-Atlantic Coast Conference second-team honors as a senior in 2008.
Tom Coughlin (New York Giants - head coach) was 21-13-1 in three seasons (1991-93) as head football coach at Boston College. He registered a 9-3 record in 1993 when Boston College won eight consecutive games, defeated top-ranked Notre Dame, 41-39, and beat Virginia in the Carquest Bowl. Coughlin's last Boston College team was ranked 12th in the USA Today/CNN coaches poll and 13th by the Associated Press.
DuJuan Daniels ‘02 (New England Patriots - area scout) is in his fifth year as a member of the New England Patriots organization. Daniels, an Indianapolis, Ind. resident, was a wide receiver at Boston College from 1998-2001.
Brian Flores '03 (New England Patriots - defensive assistant coach) is in his first season as a defensive assistant coach and his fourth coaching season for the Patriots. Flores spent 2010 as an offensive assistant/special teams coach. A Brooklyn, N.Y. native, Flores earned four varsity letters from 2000-03 as a linebacker at Boston College.
Mark Herzlich '10 (New York Giants - Linebacker, 6-4, 246) is in his first NFL season. He signed a free-agent rookie contact with the Giants in July 2011. Herzlich, a Wayne, Pa. native, earned Atlantic Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Year honors and Associated Press All-America third-team accolades as a junior linebacker in 2008. He missed the 2009 season while battling Ewing's Sarcoma, a form of bone cancer, and returned to start all 13 games in 2010.
Jerald Ingram (New York Giants - running backs coach) is in his eighth season in his position with the Giants. He spent three years (1991-93) as running backs coach at Boston College under head coach Tom Coughlin.
Mathias Kiwanuka'05 (New York Giants - defensive end, 6-5, 267) is in his sixth NFL season. A two-time All-America honoree and Boston College's all-time leader in sacks (37.5), Kiwanuka was selected in the first round (32nd overall) of the 2006 NFL Draft. Kiwanuka is a Indianapolis, Ind. native, who graduated from Cathedral.
Robert Kraft (New England Patriots - chairman and chief executive officer) is currently an active Boston College Trustee Associate and former member of the Board of Trustees.
Dan Koppen '02 (New England Patriots - center, 6-2, 296) is in his ninth season in the NFL. A finalist for the Rimington Trophy as the nation's premier center in college football in 2001, Koppen was drafted in the fifth round (164th overall) of the 2003 NFL draft. He has started 120 NFL games for the Patriots and was named to the Patriots' 2000s all-decade team in 2010.
Chris Mara '79 (New York Giants - senior vice president of player evaluation) graduated from Boston College in 1979.
John Mara, Esq. '76 (New York Giants - president and chief executive officer) graduated from Boston College in 1976.
Jerry Palmieri (New York Giants - strength and conditioning coach) is in his eighth season in his position with the Giants. He served as director of strength and conditioning operations at Boston College for one season (1993).
Sean Ryan (New York Giants - wide receivers coach) - is in his second season in his current position with the Giants. Ryan spent two years (2001-02) as a graduate assistant at Boston College, where he worked primarily with the wide receivers.
Chris Snee '04 (New York Giants, guard, 6-3, 305) is in his eighth NFL season. He was drafted in the second round (34th overall) by the New York Giants of the 2004 NFL draft. Snee, a Montrose, Pa. native, earned All-America second-team honors as well as All-Big East first-team recognition as a junior in 2003.
No matter which team wins, Boston College will come out as a winner in this one.
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