These Are the Michigan Players to Look for in Super Bowl LIII
Tom Brady leads the trio of athletes from the state of Michigan that will be in Atlanta for the NFL's biggest game on February 2nd.
We've talked about Michigan's musical heritage on display at the Super Bowl, what about football players who went to college in the Great Lakes State in the big game? Last year, there were 2 Wolverine alumni on the field, this time look for 2 former Spartans- one playing with Tom Brady and one on the other side of the ball.
Tom Brady had a 20-5 record as a two-year starter for University of Michigan. Brady "started all 25 games of his junior and senior seasons, including victories in the 1999 Citrus Bowl and the 2000 Orange Bowl" and finished his collegiate career "ranking third in Michigan history with 710 attempts and 442 completions, fourth with 5,351 yards and a 62.3 completion percentage and fifth with 35 touchdown passes."
The New England Patriots quarterbacks were once rivals. Brady's backup Brian Hoyer went to Michigan State University. Hoyer "appeared in 39 games in four seasons...with 35 touchdowns and 23 interceptions" and is one of only 5 Spartan QB's to throw for over 6,000 yards. (Drew Stanton, Jeff Smoker, Kirk Cousins and Connor Cook are the other 4.)
Look for another Spartan on Super Bowl Sunday; Brian Allen will be snapping the ball from Center for the L.A. Rams. Allen was a 2017 team captain and played in 51 career games for MSU under Coach Mark Dantonio.
So, even if you "don't have a dog in the hunt" you can cheer for these Michigan players in the big game.