Scottsdale Community College Coach Remembers Super Bowl Punter

Scottsdale, AZ (January 31, 2008) -- When the New York Giants and New England Patriots face off Sunday, Feb. 3, 2008 in Super Bowl XLII, Giants punter Jeff Feagles will be returning to familiar territory.

The game may be played at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale--a facility not even a glimmer in anyone's eye when the 41-year-old Feagles was a high school and Scottsdale Community College performer. "Returning to the Valley for pro football's championship game is still surreal," Feagles told the press at this week's media day.

Former SCC Head Football Coach John Avianantos remembers Feagles fondly, saying he "was an outstanding punter for us."

"He was very serious about getting better each day and moved on to the University of Miami (Fla.) when he left SCC," Avianantos said. "Not only is he a great punter, but he is an outstanding person as well. He now adds another 'notch' to his stellar career."

This is Feagles' first Super Bowl appearance after a lengthy NFL career that included a four-year run with the Arizona Cardinals, which resulted in his only Pro Bowl and All-Pro honor in 1995. Signed as a rookie free agent by New England in 1987 where he won all-rookie honors, Feagles also played for Philadelphia and Seattle during his career. He will be 42 years of age in March, and is the oldest player to ever compete in a Super Bowl.

Feagles played high school football at Gerard High School in Phoenix, then went on to SCC for a year before earning a scholarship to attend college football power Miami, where he won a national collegiate championship as a senior.

"It?s been a long journey, and it's been quite a story as to how I've gotten here, with a lot of hard work, a little luck and a lot of organizations that believed in my talents over the years," Feagles told reporters earlier this week at the annual media day session. "My days as an Artichoke (SCC's mascot) were very few--I only played there one year and it was a long time ago, but I was glad I took up this game of football. Coming back to Arizona is so surreal right now. I'm just taking it all in."

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About Scottsdale Community College:
Scottsdale Community College offers over 1,500 academic and non-credit classes each semester. Located on the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, the campus is known for its serene atmosphere and beautiful plant and wildlife. With nearly 12,000 students, Scottsdale Community College is proud to offer high-quality, affordable programs in small class settings. From Motion Picture/Television Production and Culinary Arts to Nursing and American Indian Studies, students have a wide variety of programs from which to earn credits for university transfer, launch their careers, train for new ones, or pursue a special interest. The SCC Business Institute offers customized programs to meet the needs of local business. Scottsdale Community College is one of the ten Maricopa Community Colleges.

To learn about the many academic programs at Scottsdale Community College, call us at (480) 423-6000 or visit our website at www.scottsdalecc.edu.

Media contact:
Denise Kronsteiner
(480) 423-6567
denise.kronsteiner@sccmail.maricopa.edu

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