Sam Shields Adds Name To Elusive List

Feb. 7, 2011

CORAL GABLES, Fla. — For the 45th time in the history of the NFL, a Miami Hurricane has been crowned Super Bowl Champion. 

Green Bay Packers cornerback Sam Shields became the latest member of long list of Hurricanes to hoist the Lombardi trophy, and the fourth in the past two years, as the Packers defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers, 31-25 on Sunday in Dallas, Texas.

Shields, the undrafted rookie who had never played cornerback before his senior year at UM, finished the game with two tackles, and after 2009 defensive player of the year Charles Woodson left the game with a broken collarbone, stepped up to help quell the Steelers comeback attempt, and bring the Packers their first Super Bowl win in 14 years.

Shields became the first former Hurricane rookie to win the Super Bowl since Tanard Davis won Super Bowl XLI with the Indianapolis Colts, also as a cornerback.

An important streak was extended in dramatic fashion on Sunday afternoon.

A couple other notes about ‘Canes in the Super Bowl:

* The most ‘Canes ever to play in the NFL title game was nine in Super Bowl XXVIII.  The Dallas Cowboys had eight of those UM players, plus head coach Jimmy Johnson, while defeating the Buffalo Bills and UM legend Jim Kelly.

* The second best UM showing came in Super Bowl XXX, which featured six former Canes, including five on the Dallas Cowboys roster. The Cowboys won that Super Bowl over the Pittsburgh Steelers, who featured Leon Searcy.

* Six Canes also played in Super XXXV, which featured the Baltimore Ravens and Ray Lewis easily defeating the New York Giants with Micheal Barrow and Jessie Armstead.

* Following the 2010 regular season, 18 former Canes were on NFL teams that reached the Playoffs.