In all, as many as 212 players will participate in the AFC and NFC championship games on Sunday – four teams, 53 players per team. When including players not on the active rosters of the four teams playing for a shot at the Super Bowl, however, the total jumps to more than 250.

The schools represented on the Atlanta Falcons, San Francisco 49ers, New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens range from college football's elite (Alabama, Ohio State, Texas and Florida) to those situated far outside the national picture (Hillsdale, Bellhaven, Lane and Indiana).

Here are the eight schools most represented by the four teams playing Sunday for a trip to the Super Bowl:

1. Miami (Fla.): 12. P Matt Bosher, OL Harland Gunn, DL Micanor Regis (Atlanta); LB Tavares Gooden, RB Frank Gore (San Francisco); DL Vince Wilfork, DL Marcus Forston (New England); LB Ray Lewis, OL Bryant McKinnie, RB Damien Berry, WR Tommy Streeter, S Ed Reed (Baltimore).

2. (tie) Oregon: 7. WR Drew Davis (Atlanta); RB LaMichael James, FB Will Tukuafu (San Francisco); TE Ed Dickson, DL Haloti Ngata, QB Dennis Dixon (Baltimore).

2. (tie) Florida: 7. LB Mike Peterson (Atlanta); DL Ray McDonald (San Francisco); DL Jermaine Cunningham, RB Jeff Demps, TE Aaron Hernandez, LB Brandon Spikes (New England); WR Deonte Thompson (Baltimore).

4. (tie) Alabama: 6. OL Mike Johnson, WR Julio Jones (Atlanta); DL Brandon Deaderick, LB Dont'a Hightower (New England); DL Terrence Cody, LB Courtney Upshaw (Baltimore).

4. (tie) Iowa: 6. DL Jonathan Babineaux (Atlanta); LB Jeff Tarpinian, TE Brad Herman, OL Markus Zusevics (New England); S Sean Considine, OL Marshal Yanda (Baltimore).

4. (tie) Texas: 6. OL Justin Blalock (Atlanta); CB Tarell Brown, OL Leonard Davis (San Francisco); OL Kyle Hix (New England); CB Chykie Brown, K Justin Tucker (Baltimore).

4. (tie) South Carolina: 6. DL John Abraham, DL Cliff Matthews, DL Travian Robertson, CB Dunta Robinson (Atlanta); S Emanuel Cook, CB Chris Culliver (Baltimore).

4. (tie) Ohio State: 6. OL Alex Boone, WR Ted Ginn Jr., LB Larry Grant, S Donte Whitner (San Francisco); TE Jake Ballard, S Nate Ebner (New England).
Another eight schools have five players on the rosters: Arizona State, Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia, UCF, Rutgers, Syracuse and Illinois.

Teams with four players: Oklahoma State, Marshall, Michigan, Fresno State, Utah, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Missouri, Louisville, LSU and Georgia Tech.

Three players: Auburn, Wisconsin, Maryland, California, Wake Forest, Florida State, Penn State, Kansas, Purdue, Northwestern, Texas Tech and Arkansas.

Two players: Baylor, Michigan State, Stanford, Boston College, Clemson, Connecticut, ECU, Oregon State, Richmond, San Jose State, Kentucky, Montana, North Carolina, Northern Illinois, TCU, UCLA, Notre Dame, Central Michigan, Delaware, Iowa State, Colorado, Tennessee State, Nebraska, Buffalo, Arizona and Washburn.

Luck of the draw plays a role, of course, but it's a bit surprising to see that schools like Virginia Tech, USC, Oklahoma and Texas A&M only have one player each on the four rosters. Not surprising? That one player represents schools like Prairie View A&M, Lane, Harvard, Weber State, Chadron State (Danny Woodhead), Hillsdale and Hofstra (which no longer has a football program).


(usatoday.com)

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. - The Atlanta Falcons have announced the signing of offensive guard Harland Gunn after backup lineman Joe Hawley received a four-game suspension for violating NFL rules on performance-enhancing substances.

The 6-foot-2, 310-pound Gunn was picked up by the Falcons on Tuesday. Atlanta plays at Tampa Bay on Sunday.

He initially signed with Dallas as a college free agent after the NFL draft. Gunn was waived by the Cowboys and joined the New Orleans Saints practice squad. He played collegiately at Miami.

Hawley will be eligible to return to the roster after the Dec. 16 game against the New York Giants.


(winnipegfreepress.com)

Harland Gunn, 6-2, 314, was signed by the Dallas Cowboys as a rookie free agent following the 2012 NFL Draft out of the University of Miami (Fla.). Following a four-year career with the Hurricanes, Gunn worked at both center and guard for the Cowboys in their training camp. Gunn was then signed to the Saints practice squad.

The Cowboys were already displeased with their interior OL situation when they found out that C Phil Costa, the uninspiring favorite to start, had suffered a back injury, the extent of which is not currently known. That means that David Arkin (a guard by trade) could be switched to center in the meanwhile, but Harland Gunn (who suddenly is in the picture) and Mackenzy Bernadeau (initially pegged as a starting guard) also could factor in there once he’s healthy enough to play. Journeyman Derrick Dockery and undrafted Ronald Leary have entered the mix at guard now with C Kevin Kowalski (ankle), OG Nate Livings (hamstring) and OG Bill Nagy (ankle) all hobbling. Even the known elements, OTs Tyron Smith and Doug Free, are not showing their best. It’s madness along the line, and the Cowboys do not like what currently sits on the free-agent market. Improvement and better health must come from within now.


(profootballweekly.com)

Cowboys guard Harland Gunn snaps the ball to quarterback Stephen McGee during practice. Gunn was at center because the position has been beset by injuries.

Dallas Cowboys OLs David Arkin and Harland Gunn struggled with their snaps so much in practice Tuesday, Aug. 7, that head coach Jason Garrett had to insert C Phil Costa to work with the third team just so the unit could run plays. Still, executive vice president Stephen Jones downplayed any fears in the event Costa goes down with an injury. "Center? We feel like we are going to be fine there," Jones said. "Arkin, I've noticed days he's had a little problem with the snaps. At some point, we will put the ball in (OG Mackenzy) Bernadeau's hands. He's (played center) before. It's not totally foreign to him."


(kffl.com)

Position: Guard
Height/Weight: 6-2, 314
Age: 22
College: Miami
NFL Exp: Rookie
How Acquired: FA – ‘12
Hometown: Omaha, Neb.

Fitting in: A player who might have seemed buried deep on the depth chart when camp began, Gunn will be receiving ample opportunities due to numerous injuries to the offensive line. Centers Bill Nagy and Kevin Kowalski are both nursing injuries, along with guard, Mackenzy Bernadeau. Gunn will have to impress in his increased reps in order to earn a permanent spot on the roster.

So Far: Gunn has impressed some with his ability to play a few reps at center after playing his entire college career at guard. He has not lacked aggression on the field.

Best Asset: Gunn is considered a powerful guard who always finishes his blocks. While he may face trouble recovering if a player is able to get around him, once he locks up with a rusher he typically finishes strong.

You Should Know: Gunn believes that the transition from college to the NFL takes a significant amount of mental preparation. “Football is a very mental sport,” Gunn said. “A lot of the older guys are taking me in and giving me advice and helping me along the way. It’s been a collective effort so that we can all be prepared.”

A Mouthful: Gunn came into Wednesday excited to start the first day of practice with full pads. “My shoulders are banged up. I’m ready to go to work with some pads on.”


(dallascowboys.com)

Harland Gunn is a rookie offensive lineman trying to make the Cowboys as a guard or center. He has been running third-team center and some second-team guard while three other guards ahead of him are injured. He is a Nebraskan who played college football at the University of Miami. Five things he liked about the city of Miami while he was down there:

1. The weather. "I loved the weather. Being a Midwest boy, it was always snowing. No snow. Got to the winter time, it was the perfect weather."
2. The culture.
3. The people. "More open and outgoing. It's a good place to have a good time."
4. The food. "I'm from the Midwest. I was raised off that beef. But since I got down there, I got into the sushi, the Cuban food, stuff like that."
5. The water. "I have a lot of friends with boats." Deep-sea fishing? "Never did that. That's one of the things on my bucket list. I need to get that checked off."


(star-telegram.com)

Dallas Cowboys center Phil Costa (67), left, and guard Harland Gunn (63) go through blocking drills during their first afternoon practice at training camp in Oxnard, CA, on Monday, July 30, 2012. 

Now that's the name of a Dallas Cowboy. Harland Gunn received a $5,000 signing bonus from the club to participate in the rookie mini-camp and he made it past the first round of cuts. Now the guard out of the University of Miami will have to navigate through the remainder of the offseason to try and work his way to the 53 man roster or practice squad.

Gunn was the second best guard prospect the Hurricane's had to offer this draft season; behind Brandon Washington who was a sixth-round draft pick of the rival Philadelphia Eagles. Gunn would seem to be another body that Dallas is throwing at the interior line. He stands at 6'2" and weighs 320 lbs, but he did not participate in the scouting combine.

Gunn started in 30 games during his career at "The U" at the guard position, and there was some discussion that he could get the opportunity to play some center with the team.

The intriguing thing about Gunn is that he was offered a scholarship by the University of Nebraska; whose head coach at the time happened to be Bill Callahan, the Cowboys current Offensive Coordinator and Line Coach. Instead, he chose to attend the U and had to fight through four different head coaches and plenty of turmoil. Despite this, he didn't allow a sack in his final two years. Amazingly, he didn't have any penalties called on him either. His athleticism is a bit of a question, but he is an extremely strong player and that should serve him well on the interior.

His coaches at The U speak highly of Gunn.

Offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch said. "He's a solid, strong, high character, high work ethic, lunch pail guy. He's a true blue collar approach to offensive line play. He'll fit in great for the rest of his life playing offensive line. They love those type guys in the NFL." - Miami Herald
Well the Cowboys sure seem high on him for now. Let's see if he earns the right to have these types of accolades given to him at the professional level.


(sbnation.com)

Olivier Vernon (Junior) was the first proCane drafted in the 2012 NFL Draft going to the Miami Dolphins with the 9th pick of the 3rd Round 72nd pick overall.

Sean Spence (Senior) followed Olivier Vernon by getting picked with the 23rd pick of the 3rd Round and 86th pick overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Lamar Miller (Redshirt Sophomore) was then picked in the 4th Round by the Miami Dolphins with the 2nd pick in the 4th round, 97th pick overall.

Travis Benjamin (Senior) was selected by the Cleveland Browns three spots later with the 5 pick in the 4th round, 100 overall.

We then had to wait till the 6th round for Tommy Streeter (Junior) to be selected by the Baltimore Ravens with the 198th pick overall, 28th pick in the 6th Round.

Brandon Washington (Junior) followed Streeter by getting picked by the Philadelphia Eagles 2 picks later with the 30th pick in the 6th round, 200th pick overall.

Below are the free agent signing which will be constantly updated:

Chase Ford TE (Senior) - Undrafted Free Agent - Philadelphia Eagles
Marcus Forston DL (Junior) - Undrafted Free Agent - New England Patriots
Micanor Regis DL (Senior) - Undrafted Free Agent - Atlanta Falcons
LaRon Byrd WR (Senior) - Undrafted Free Agent - Arizona Cardinals
Adewale Ojomo DE (Senior) - Undrafted Free Agent - New York Giants
Jacory Harris QB (Senior) - Undrafted Free Agent - Miami Dolphins (TRYOUT) & Arizona Cardinals (TRYOUT)
Tyler Horn C (Senior) - Undrafted Free Agent - Atlanta Falcons
Aldarius Johnson WR (Senior) - Undrafted Free Agent -
JoJo Nicolas DB/S (Senior) - Undrafted Free Agent - New York Giants
Joel Figueroa OL (Senior) - Undrafted Free Agent - Miami Dolphins (TRYOUT)
Lee Chambers DB (Senior) - Undrafted Free Agent -
Chris Ivory LS (Senior) - Undrafted Free Agent -
Harland Gunn OL (Senior) - Undrafted Free Agent - Dallas Cowboys
Mike Williams DB (Senior) - Undrafted Free Agent -
Andrew Smith DE (Senior) - Undrafted Free Agent -
Jordan Futch LB (Senior) - Undrafted Free Agent - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Marcus Robinson DE/LB (Senior) - Undrafted Free Agent -

CORAL GABLES— It's been a mini-Miami reunion at Florida Atlantic University this week, where eight former Hurricanes players have practiced in preparation for Saturday's Battle of Florida All-Star Game.

Six of them — cornerback/safety JoJo Nicolas, defensive ends Adewale Ojomo and Andrew Smith, offensive lineman Joel Figueroa, cornerback Lee Chambers and snapper Chris Ivory — are on the South roster while offensive lineman Harland Gunn and cornerback Mike Williams are on the North squad.

"It's a great experience, a big opportunity. You have to take advantage of each opportunity you get because that window into the league is only so big," Chambers said.

Of practicing in front of NFL scouts analyzing every snap, he added, "I've got to admit, the first day I was a little nervous. But then you tend to block it out."

Nicolas said the week leading up to the game is "a way to showcase your talents." Since UM self-imposed a bowl ban for this season, "for us to have one more game to play is great."

Ojomo said after the game, he plans to head to Dallas and train at former sprinter Michael Johnson's Performance Training Center as former UM CB Brandon Harris did before the draft last year.


(sun-sentinel.com)