An array of odd similarities at play with the Colts & Saints

As kickoff to Super Bowl XLIV moves ever closer, it is interesting to note some of crossover oddities that exist between the AFC and NFC Champs.

Old Home Week

Peyton Manning and Drew Brees, the two star quarterbacks in Sunday's game, both possess a history and lineage in the states their opponents happen to call home. 

It is well chronicled that Peyton Manning grew up in New Orleans, while his dad Archie played QB for the Saints. What is sometimes forgotten is that Drew Brees spent his college career in the state of Indiana, at Purdue University.  Purdue's West Lafayette campus is only 65 miles from Indianapolis.  Also, Brees currently resides in the Uptown section of New Orleans.  Uptown is the very same neighborhood where Peyton and the rest of the Manning family grew up. In fact, Brees and his wife are neighbors to Peyton's brother Cooper Manning.  

The head coaches in this game also have a bit of geography in common. Saints' coach Sean Payton grew up in Naperville, Illinois, 95 miles south of Colts' coach Jim Caldwell, who was raised in Beloit, Wisconsin.

Haiti On Our Minds

Saints' linebacker Jonathan Vilma and Colts' wide receiver Pierre Garcon can both trace their roots to the country of Haiti.  In light of the horrific series of earthquakes that struck the island nation, Vilma and Garcon have become vocal spokesmen in support of their ancestral homeland. The Super Bowl stage has been an ideal outlet to convey how much help the people of Haiti truly require.

What's In A Name?

Pierre Garcon is one of four NFL players with the first name Pierre. The Saints Pierre Thomas happens to be another one of the four. So, half of the NFL's Pierre's will be on the field come Sunday.

It's All About The U

Super Bowl XLIV will have three players who starred locally at the University of Miami. The Saints Jonathan Vilma and Jeremy Shockey, plus the Colts Reggie Wayne.

Everyone Loves A Trip to Miami

Both the Colts and Saints played regular season games at Sun Life Stadium, during the 2009 season. Week two, the Colts came back from three points down, late in the fourth quarter, to defeat the Dolphins 27-20.  Week seven, the Saints erased a 21-point deficit, in beating Miami 46-34.