2017 Super Bowl: Two Florida Gators advance to play for championship

By Adam Silverstein
January 22, 2017
2017 Super Bowl: Two Florida Gators advance to play for championship
Football

Image Credit: ESPN Images

Only one game remains in the 2015-16 NFL season, and it will conclude in just under two weeks on Sunday, Feb. 5 when the New England Patriots take on the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI.

Overall, four former Florida Gators were on the rosters of teams that played in the conference championship round over the weekend. That’s down from eight in the divisional round and 13 that started the postseason on NFL rosters over eight of 12 teams.

It will be the 15th consecutive season that a former Florida player will appear on the roster of the Super Bowl team. Should the Falcons win, a former Gators player will earn a ring for the eighth time in the last nine seasons and sixth in a row. Overall, to this point, UF has 28 Super Bowl rings won by 21 different players over 20 Super Bowls.

Also moving on to the game will be Atlanta head coach Dan Quinn, who served as defensive coordinator at Florida over two seasons under Will Muschamp (2011-12), and former UF defensive back Marquand Manuel, who currently coaches that position under Quinn.

Atlanta Falcons

Safety Keanu Neal: Started | Six tackles (five solo)
Cornerback Brian Poole: Started | Seven tackles (six solo), two QB hits — team-highs

Pittsburgh Steelers

Center Maurkice Pouncey: Started
Offensive tackle Marcus Gilbert: Started

Eliminated Gators: OT Chaz Green (Dallas), WR Demarcus Robinson and DL Jaye Howard (Kansas City), S Reggie Nelson and LB Neiron Ball (Oakland), LB Jon Bostic (Detroit), LB Jelani Jenkins and C Mike Pouncey (Miami), CB Janoris Jenkins (N.Y. Giants)

Teams without Gators Green Bay, Houston, New England, Seattle

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