Super Bowl LII had a distinct state of Michigan flavor

What a terrific Super Bowl, eh? As usual, the state of Michigan had a high-profile and big impact on the game. The Philadelphia Eagles defeated the New England Patriots 41-33 in Super Bowl LII Sunday night. With minutes remaining in the contest and the Eagles leading 35-33, Philadelphia defensive end Brandon Graham knocked the ball out of Patriot quarterback Tom Brady's hands creating a turnover which was recovered by Philadelphia deep in New England territory. The Eagles then promptly went down the field scoring a touchdown, essentially sealing the Patriots' fate. A last-second Hail Mary pass by Brady was knocked down on New England's ensuing possession, giving Philadelphia its first-ever Super Bowl title.

PHOTO -- Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham (Detroit Crockett Tech/East English Village, U-M) sacks New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady forcing a fumble which was recovered by the Eagles late in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl LII. Photo by Getty Images.

Making the play that turned the tide late in the game was Graham. Graham (6-3, 265) is a Detroit PSL product who attended Detroit Crockett Tech (now Detroit East English Village). Graham later suited up for his home state college, starring at the University of Michigan. Interesting that both Graham and Brady are former Wolverines. Nice to also see Graham being the first Eagle player interviewed after the game. What a well-spoken and humble young man who is a wonderful example of the caliber of person and the level of talent produced each and every year in high school football in the state of Michigan.

Also displaying a dominant state of Michigan presence was the Super Bowl halftime analyst crew. Two of the four commentators on the set were Michiganders, with Jackson Parkside's Tony Dungy and Ann Arbor Pioneer's John Harbaugh sharing the halftime stage with host Dan Patrick and fellow analyst Rodney Harrison. Dungy (Minnesota, NFL) enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, was the first African-American head coach to win a Super Bowl when he guided the Indianapolis Colts to a 29-17 victory over the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XLI. As a player, Dungy helped the Pittsburgh Steelers win Super Bowl XIII defeating the Dallas Cowboys 35-31 in 1979. Harbaugh (Miami (OH), NFL), current head coach of the Baltimore Ravens, led the Ravens to victory in Super Bowl XLVII defeating the San Francisco 49ers 34-31 in 2013. Dubbed the "Har-Bowl," it was the first and, up to now, the only Super Bowl in which brothers squared off against each other as head coaches in the NFL's biggest game. Head coach of the 49ers was Jim Harbaugh (Ann Arbor Pioneer, Michigan, NFL, current head coach at U-M). Interestingly enough, Dungy and Harbaugh grew up approximately 20-25 minutes away from each other, as Jackson is a short jaunt west of Ann Arbor on I-94.

Though rarely mentioned or spoken about nationally, the state of Michigan can lay claim to two of the most memorable and landmark moments in Super Bowl history.