Somewhere between the Super Bowl party hors d’oeuvres and the commercials, there will be a football game on Sunday night between the Indianapolis Colts and Chicago Bears.

Super Bowl XLI has more Syracuse connections than other Super Bowls. The Colts will be a particular point of interest for Syracuse fans, considering they have five players from SU – Marvin Harrison, Dwight Freeney, Josh Thomas, Ryan LaCasse and James Mungro. Mungro, however, has been hurt all season and is on injured reserve.

The other four are members of the active roster, and while some are more prominent than others, they each are part of Syracuse lore, as acknowledged by associate director of athletics for football operations Reggie Terry, who’s seen them all come through the program.

Marvin Harrison1992-1995

In the NFL: Harrison, an 11-year NFL veteran, will one day retire as one of the greatest players in football history. A certain first-ballot Hall of Famer, Harrison is an nine-time Pro Bowler who has the NFL record for receptions in a single season (143 catches in 2002) and is a model of consistency of professionalism. While other receivers in the NFL make headlines by acting in an ostentatious manner, Harrison has gone on record saying he’d much rather play in an empty stadium.

At SU: Harrison has the most receiving yards in Syracuse history and second-most touchdowns. He was a consensus All-Big East selection in his senior season when he recorded 56 catches for 1,131 yards and eight touchdowns. He also went out in style, partnering with Donovan McNabb in a 41-0 Gator Bowl rout of Clemson. Harrison had seven catches for 173 yards and two touchdowns in that game.

What Terry says: ‘He’s due. The accolades, he’s right smack dab in the middle of what (the great players in NFL history) have achieved and done. If he can play well and win the Super Bowl, it will validate everything he’s done on the historical scale, even though he’ll go down in NFL history as one of the greatest at his position.’

Dwight Freeney1998-2001

In the NFL: Despite critics who claimed Freeney was too small to play defensive end when the Colts selected him with the No. 11 overall pick in the 2002 NFL Draft, Freeney has spent the last five seasons establishing himself as one of the league’s elite pass rushers. In his rookie season, Freeney burst onto the scene with 13 sacks and nine forced fumbles. Since then, he’s averaged almost 11 sacks per season and is among the most feared defensive ends in the NFL.

At SU: Freeney was a major part of SU’s defense all four seasons with the Orangemen. He’s second in school history with 34 career sacks and has NCAA records for forced fumbles and fumbles recovered in a season (eight forced, three recovered in 2001). In his senior season, he led the nation with 17.5 sacks. He’s an example of a player who improved in year, leaving Syracuse as a legitimate NFL speed rusher whom the Colts coveted.

What Terry says: ‘When he got drafted, people kind of scratched their head and said it was a reach. Now in a sense, he’s kind of redefining what that end position can do and what the body type is supposed to be. He’s the same guy he was as a freshman. Money, fame, success – it hasn’t affected him. He still comes back every summer.’

Josh Thomas2001-2004

In the NFL: The Colts signed Thomas as an undrafted free agent in 2004 and he fought his way in training camp to earn a spot on the roster. He had 18 tackles in 11 games during his rookie season before a knee injury ended his season prematurely. Thomas came back in 2005 and started two games at defensive end, mainly as a pass-rusher. He finished the season with 29 tackles and three sacks. Thomas has continued to produce this season, recorded 35 tackles and fitting into the Colts’ line rotation.

At SU: Thomas started three years at SU as a productive presence on the Orange’s defensive line. He finished his Syracuse career with 124 total tackles, nine sacks and two interceptions. He came to the Orangemen from Orchard Park (N.Y.), where he set the New York state record with 24 sacks in his senior season.

What Terry says: ‘Self-made guy. He came as a long, tall guy who needed to gain some weight. He came and worked hard. Weighed himself, lifted weights, ate the right food. He did all those things, and it really worked out good for him.’

Ryan LaCasse2002-2005

In the NFL: LaCasse was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the seventh round of the 2006 NFL Draft, which is the final round. Players selected that late often have an uphill climb to make the team’s active roster, and LaCasse wasn’t going to make the Ravens. But the Colts didn’t want him to reach the open market and instead traded an undisclosed draft pick for LaCasse. He’s been more of a developmental player than contributor this season. He was active for seven games and recorded one tackle.

At SU: For his first three seasons playing for SU, LaCasse was seen as a promising prospect that hadn’t reached his potential. In his senior season, he finally did. LaCasse recorded nine sacks in 2005 after 7.5 in his first three seasons. He was always a speed rusher, but he put in all together at the end. He finished his career with 118 tackles – 23.5 for losses – 17 pressures, eight fumble recoveries and one interception.

What Terry says: ‘The thing that impresses me about Ryan, he’s always been a big, fast guy. He worked hard, he won records in New England as a track guy, and it was a deal in which he just kept getting better. He’s a guy who worked and put himself in that position.’

Published on January 31, 2007 at 12:00 pm