Super Bowl XLIX Open Thread and a Look at Former Penn Staters

It's been two full weeks of nonsensical, media-generated "controversies" to keep the focus on the Super Bowl. Now, we're finally ready to settle things on the field. Enjoy the last bit of real football for the next seven months.

There are two former Penn Staters who will take part in today's game, although one of them will unfortunately be sidelined with an injury. The Patriots don't have any Nittany Lions on their current roster, but Garry Gilliam and Jordan Hill are both important members of the Seahawks. Hill was unfortunately placed on the injured reserve before the start of the playoffs with a calf injury. Before said injury, however, Hill was showing the Seahawks why it was such a good idea to draft him in the third round of the 2013 draft.

Despite having a quiet first half of the season, from Week 12 and on, Jordan racked up 5.5 sacks and one beautiful interception.

This interception final straw in Hill's breakout season, in which he had become infinitely more valuable and irreplaceable with the injury to fellow defensive tackle, Brandon Mebane. Look for Hill to be a threat to start on the vaunted Seahawks defensive line next season, and know that he was an important piece of the team this year.

The Seahawks pride themselves on being a versatile team, so who better to have as an extra offensive lineman than former tight end, Garry Gilliam? Gilliam wasn't used a ton this year by Seattle, but when he was called upon, it was to be an extra tackle/decoy. Until the Packers game...

This beautiful trick play was made even more delicious thanks to the fact that it was former Ohio State Buckeye, AJ Hawk, who was supposed to be covering Gilliam on the play. The world works in hilarious ways.

So flip on the game, watch for Garry Gilliam and root for the Seahawks. Unless you want to be like Bill, then you can root for the Patriots. But do any of you really want to be like Bill, and root for the team that doesn't have any Nittany Lions? I didn't think so.