Super Bowl Champions from the Mohawk Valley

As far back as I can remember…I always wanted to be a football player.

Unlike the late Henry Hill, I never wanted to be a gangster – my childhood dream was to play in the National Football League. Of course, I was just one of millions of kids across America who shared that dream; however, my physical gifts, or lack thereof, made my wish more like a fantasy.

As I grew into adolescence it became obvious to me that I would never become one of the gridiron legends I’d watched on TV my entire life. These figures were larger than life - it seemed to my friends and I that no one from the Mohawk Valley could ever make it to the NFL. Still, it didn’t diminish my love for football, and I remained somewhat of a student of the game.

One of my favorite annual traditions each year took place on Super Bowl Sunday. I would get up early that morning around 6 a.m. and watch the “NFL Films Presents” marathon aired on ESPN. For hours leading up to the game, they would show highlights of every Super Bowl ever played in chronological order. But these were no ordinary highlights – these episodes, produced by the great Steve Sabol were masterpieces.

The incredible voices of John Facenda, Harry Kalas and others would narrate the most important moments of the game. There were incredible camera angles that no NFL broadcast would ever show, many of which were played in slow motion. Some of the players and coaches wore microphones so you could hear the real sounds of football on the field. These films gave the NFL a certain mystique that could not be duplicated. The players and coaches became almost mythological to young viewers such as myself – there’s no doubt it’s one of the main reasons professional football players are often referred to as “modern day gladiators”.

With that in mind it’s no wonder those of us who grew up in the 90s and 2000s felt that there was no way someone from this area could reach the professional level. But we were wrong – in fact, as it stands today, the Mohawk Valley has had multiple Super Bowl champions, and they’ve played various roles within their respective franchises.

Ernest Jones

Certainly, Utica Senior Academy graduate Ernest Jones had a much more successful college career than he did in the NFL. During the early 90s, Jones was a formidable player at the University of Oregon, earning All-Pac-10 honors as a senior and graduating as the school’s all-time sacks leader.  He was drafted in the 3rd round by the Los Angeles Rams in the 1994 Draft and enjoyed a five-year career with the New Orleans Saints, Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers. Although he did not see much action on the field with the Broncos, he nonetheless was a member of their two Super Bowl winning teams in 1997 and 1998.

Will Smith

Proctor High School graduate Will Smith was an absolute stud at every level he played. After an outstanding career at Proctor, he earned a scholarship to play for arguably the best football program in the entire country – the Ohio State Buckeyes. After becoming a 1st round pick to the New Orleans Saints in the 2004 Draft, Smith earned Pro Bowl honors in 2006 and in 2009, he became Utica’s second Super Bowl champion when the Saints defeated Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV.

AJ Durso

An interception thrown by Peyton Manning late in Super Bowl XLIV helped one Mohawk Valley native win a Super Bowl in 2009; however, Manning’s winning effort against the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50 helped another Mohawk Valley native earn a championship ring. Although he was never a player at the NFL level, AJ Durso had a significant impact on the 2015 Denver Broncos as a member of the front office. Durso, a Utica native, started as Assistant Director of Pro Personnel for the Broncos during their Super Bowl run and about eight years ago was promoted to Director of Pro Personnel. Durso’s efforts helped build a championship roster and because of that, his name is forever etched in NFL history.

These Mohawk Valley men proved that it’s not about the size of the region you come from, it’s about the size of your heart. They understood the pain and sacrifice it required to reach the professional level and ultimately achieved their dream.