Jan. 4, 2018

Boilermakers in the NFL

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Six former Purdue football players are with National Football League teams headed to the playoffs, which get underway this weekend.

The sextet consists of safety Ricardo Allen (Atlanta Falcons), quarterback Drew Brees (New Orleans Saints), running back Akeem Hunt (Kansas City Chiefs), guard/tackle Dennis Kelly (Tennessee Titans), offensive lineman Jason King (New England Patriots) and defensive tackle Kawann Short (Carolina Panthers).

On Saturday, Kansas City hosts Tennessee and Atlanta plays at the Los Angeles Rams.

On Sunday, New Orleans hosts Carolina.

New England is the AFC East Division champion and plays its first game Jan. 13.

A Boilermaker has been in 18 consecutive Super Bowls, the second-longest streak in the country behind Nebraska (24), and on the winning team 14 of the last 18 seasons.

Brees set the NFL season record by completing 72.0 percent of his passes. He also owns the third- and fourth-best marks (71.2 in 2011 and 70.6 in 2009) and is the career leader at 66.9 percent. Furthermore, Brees became just the third quarterback in NFL history to pass for 70,000 career yards, following Peyton Manning (71,940) and Brett Favre (71,838).

BOILERMAKERS IN THE SUPER BOWL
I	Len Dawson, Kansas City Chiefs
IV	Len Dawson, Kansas City Chiefs* (MVP)
VI	Tim Foley, Miami Dolphins; Bob Griese, Miami Dolphins
VII	Tim Foley, Miami Dolphins*; Bob Griese, Miami Dolphins*
VIII	Tim Foley, Miami Dolphins*; Bob Griese, Miami Dolphins*
XII	Otis Armstrong, Denver Broncos
XVI	Keena Turner, San Francisco 49ers*
XVII	Dave Butz, Washington Redskins*
XVIII	Dave Butz, Washington Redskins
XIX	Mark Brown, Miami Dolphins; Keena Turner, San Francisco 49ers*
XXI	Mark Jackson, Denver Broncos
XXII	Dave Butz, Washington Redskins*; Mark Jackson, Denver Broncos
XXIII	Keena Turner, San Francisco 49ers*
XVIV	Mark Jackson, Denver Broncos; Keena Turner, San Francisco 49ers*
XXX	Jim Schwantz, Dallas Cowboys*; Rod Woodson, Pittsburgh Steelers
XXXIV	Steve Jackson, Tennessee Titans; Jeff Zgonina, St. Louis Rams*
XXXV	Rod Woodson, Baltimore Ravens*
XXXVI	Matt Light, New England Patriots*; David Nugent, New England Patriots*; Jeff Zgonina, St. Louis Rams
XXXVII	Mike Alstott, Tampa Bay Buccaneers*; Rod Woodson, Oakland Raiders
XXXVIII	Rosevelt Colvin, New England Patriots*; Brandon Gorin, New England Patriots*; Matt Light, New England Patriots*; Gene Mruczkowski, New England Patriots*
XXXIX	Ian Allen, Philadelphia Eagles; Rosevelt Colvin, New England Patriots*; Brandon Gorin, New England Patriots*; Matt Light, New England Patriots*; Gene Mruczkowski, New England Patriots*
XL	Niko Koutouvides, Seattle Seahawks; Chukky Okobi, Pittsburgh Steelers*; Craig Terrill, Seattle Seahawks
XLI	Gilbert Gardner, Indianapolis Colts*; Kyle Orton, Chicago Bears; John Stadeford, Indianapolis Colts*
XLII	Rosevelt Colvin, New England Patriots; Matt Light, New England Patriots
XLIII	Chike Okeafor, Arizona Cardinals
XLIV	Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints* (MVP), Curtis Painter, Indianapolis Colts
XLV	Mike Neal, Green Bay Packers*
XLVI	Niko Koutouvides, New England Patriots; Matt Light, New England Patriots; Rob Ninkovich, New England Patriots
XLVII	Bernard Pollard, Baltimore Ravens*
XLVIII	Cliff Avril, Seattle Seahawks*; Shaun Phillips, Denver Broncos
XLIX	Cliff Avril, Seattle Seahawks; Rob Ninkovich, New England Patriots*
50	Kawann Short, Carolina Panthers
LI	Ricardo Allen, Atlanta Falcons; Rob Ninkovich, New England Patriots*

* denotes Super Bowl champion.