Sauerbrun

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Former consensus All-American punter Todd Sauerbrun now of the Carolina Panthers becomes the latest West Virginia University football player to showcase his talents in football’s biggest game.

Sauerbrun and his Carolina Panthers take on the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXVIII later today in Houston.

Center Mike Compton was placed on injured reserve late in the regular season and will not be on the active roster for the Patriots today.

Sauerbrun, a Setauket, N.Y., native, is looking to become one of six former WVU players to participate on Super Bowl championship teams. Linebacker Chuck Howley was the first for the Dallas Cowboys in 1973. Backup fullback Walter Easley was a member of the 1982 World Champion San Francisco 49ers though he didn’t play; quarterback Jeff Hostetler played on Super Bowl title team with the New York Giants in 1991 and was a member of the 1987 Giants team that won Super Bowl XXI; defensive tackle Mike Fox was a teammate of Hostetler’s in 1991; backup defensive back Alvoid Mays was a member of the Washington Redskins Super Bowl title team in 1992; starting left guard Mike Compton was a member of New England’s only Super Bowl championship in 2002.

All told, Sauerbrun becomes the 16th former Mountaineer to appear in the Super Bowl. Last year, wide receiver Jerry Porter caught a 39 yard touchdown pass and finished the game with 4 catches for 62 yards in Oakland’s 48-21 loss to Tampa Bay.

Although he didn’t win game MVP honors, quarterback Jeff Hostetler did a magnificent job managing the game for the New York Giants in their victory over the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXV.

Hostetler completed 20 of 32 passes for 222 yards and a touchdown to lead New York to a memorable 20-19 victory over the Bills and former WVU All-American linebacker Darryl Talley. Hostetler took over the Giant offense late in the season when starter Phil Simms went down win an injury.

Howley was the game’s MVP in 1972 in Dallas’ 16-13 loss to the Baltimore Colts. Howley was the first defensive player to earn MVP honors and also be named that game’s best player from a losing team. Howley intercepted two passes and recovered a fumble to claim top honors. The following year, Howley also contributed a key interception to help Dallas defeat Miami, 24-3 in Super Bowl VI.

Defensive back Fulton Walker electrified the Rose Bowl crowd with a Super Bowl record kickoff return of 98 yards in Miami’s 27-17 loss to Washington. It was the first kickoff return for a TD in the Super Bowl and was a record that lasted 14 years until Green Bay’s Desmond Howard broke the mark with a 99-yard return against New England in the Superdome.

Tight end Ken Herock was the first Mountaineer to play in a Super Bowl as a substitute for the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl II in 1967. Linebacker Darryl Talley has played in the most, appearing in four for the Buffalo Bills in 1991, 1992, 1993 and 1994.

Meanwhile, next week Sauerbrun will join former Mountaineer players Mike Vanderjagt, Marc Bulger and Gary Stills in the 2004 Pro Bowl in Hawaii.

The four WVU players are the most to ever play in the game in one year. Sauerbrun is making his third appearance while Vanderjagt is making his first appearance; Bulger and Stills made the game as alternates. A total of 18 former WVU players have earned spots on Pro Bowl rosters.