No surprise: Another huge SEC presence in the Super Bowl this year

It’s SEC versus SEC when Peyton Manning leads the Denver Broncos into Super Bowl 50 against the Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday night.

On one side, you have Newton, the Auburn alum who is making his Super Bowl debut. Opposing him is Manning, the Tennessee alum who is making his fourth Super Bowl appearance, most among any former SEC player competing in this year’s title game.

But the new and old guard of the NFL – Newton is 26, Manning 39 – are just two of the players representing the SEC in Santa Clara. And, ultimately, they’re just a drop in the ocean when it comes to the history of the conference on football’s ultimate stage.

There are 22 former SEC players taking the field at Levi’s Stadium for both the Broncos and Panthers combined. In fact, it’s an even split, with 11 each.

What kind of impact has the SEC actually had on the Super Bowl? Thanks to CBS Sports, we can paint a picture via appearances in the big game.

All told, SEC players have made a whopping 775 appearances in the five-decade history of the game. That means every Super Bowl has featured an average of about 15 SEC players.

That Tennessee has the most former SEC players in this year’s game should come with little surprise. The Vols lead the SEC in all-time Super Bowl appearances with 95. That ranks them ahead of Georgia (87 appearances), LSU (81) and Alabama (79).

Among those representing Rocky Top is Britton Colquitt, who is both an ex-Volunteer and Super Bowl legacy. The punter is kicking in his second Super Bowl with the Broncos, equaling the two big games his father, and fellow Tennessee alum, Craig Colquitt punted in for the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowls XIV and XIII.

Vanderbilt, tragically, has only seen its former players take the big stage 15 times — fewer than South Dakota State’s 16 former player appearances and the 23 by Wyoming alums.

At least the Commodores aren’t sitting home alone again this year as Arkansas and LSU don’t have any ex-players in this year’s Super Bowl.

Here are the SEC teams ranked by the number of former players that have appeared in a Super Bowl, according to CBS Sports. The list of players in this year’s game includes the Broncos in regular type and italics represent Carolina Panthers players.