Tudor: N.C. schools have small Super Bowl stake

North Carolina's college programs came close to having no representation on the rosters of Super Bowl contenders Green Bay and Pittsburgh.

If not for Steelers long snapper Greg Warren (UNC) and Packers rookie defensive lineman C.J. Wilson (ECU), the state would be O-for-Dallas in Sunday's game.

The ACC does have a number of former players on the Steelers roster -- Georgia Tech's Jonathan Dwyer (RB) and Keyaron Fox (LB), Clemson's Nick Eason (DE), Virginia's Heath Miller (TE) and James Farrior (LB), Florida State's Bryant McFadden (CB) and Lawrence Timmons (FS) and Virgiia Tech's Jason Worilds (LB). Offensive lineman Kyle Jolly of UNC is on the Pittsburgh practice squad.

The Packers have nose tackle B.J. Raji of Boston College and cornerback Sam Shields of Miami.

In addition to Wilson, ECU's Jay Ross is an offensive lineman on the Green Bay practice squad.

Only one ACC product has ever been the outright Super Bowl MVP -- safety Dexter Jackson (FSU) for the Tampa Bay Bucs in 2003.

Dallas defensive lineman Randy White (Maryland) did share the award with teammate Harvey Martin in 1978.

Former Florida State wide out Fred Bilentnikoff of Oakland won in 1977, but Florida State had not yet joined the ACC and Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis, the 2001 MVP, played at Miami before the Hurricanes joined the ACC.

-- Caulton Tudor