New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady sets to throw under pressure from New York Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul during Super Bowl XLVI
TAMPA, Florida -- Eli Manning was named the MVP of Sunday night's Super Bowl, but he got a lot of help from two former University of South Florida Bulls.
One of those New York Giants teammates, Jason Pierre-Paul, received a lot of attention during the broadcast.
"He's not a normal human being," raved NBC analyst Cris Collinsworth.
It was also noted during the game that Pierre-Paul's blind father was in the stands, the first game he's ever attended.
He was also the only player to have a song about him played during the game.
"It's huge, man. Does wonders for the program," said USF student James Fakunle.
The attention on USF, in front of an audience of well over 100 million people, is exposure a $3.5 million ad couldn't even buy.
"South Florida is becoming more recognizable and I think it's another great opportunity for us to get our name out there," said USF student Lindsey Morrow.
Bulls Assistant Coach Kevin Patrick, who coached and recruited Pierre-Paul, says he traded texts with the defensive end after the game.
Patrick calls JPP a great player, but an even better person.
"To see how fast he rose through the ranks in the NFL as one of the more dominant players is just a proud moment for all of us at USF," he said.
Jaquan Williams, another former Bull, also had three tackles in the game.
He also helped knock down the game's final pass, preserving the win for the Giants.