Super Bowl 51 in Houston won’t have as much Tennessee flavor as Super Bowl 50’s matchup between the Peyton Manning-led Broncos and the Carolina Panthers that featured four former Vols.
But with wins by the Patriots and Falcons on Sunday afternoon in the conference championship games, the Vols are guaranteed at least one player will be on the roster for Super Bowl 51, though there may not actually be any on the field.
Cornerback Justin Coleman, who has appeared in 10 games for the Patriots during the 2016 season, has been a healthy inactive for both of New England playoff games, making it unlikely that he’ll be on the field on Feb. 5.
The Falcons have former Tennessee quarterback Matt Simms on their practice squad, but barring an unforeseen injury in practice, Simms likely won’t be on the official roster for the game either. Both, however, would likely be in line to receive a ring should their respective team win the game.
Offensive lineman Ramon Foster and defensive tackle Daniel McCullers both appeared in the AFC Championship Game on Sunday evening against the Patriots.
With the exception of 2009, Tennessee’s had at least one player representative in every Super Bowl since 1991.
