The college program with the most alums in Super Bowl LI might surprise you

Published Jan. 23, 2017 1:55 p.m. ET

Lindsey Foltin

This year's Super Bowl rosters are filled with players from some of the best college football programs in the country.

Alabama, LSU and Stanford will all be well-represented in Houston, with each school claiming four players who will play in the big game. Auburn, Washington, Georgia and Virginia will all have three players suiting up at NRG Stadium.

However, the program with the most Super Bowl-bound players comes courtesy of one Big Ten powerhouse. No, not Ohio State, or Michigan, or even Penn State. It's Rutgers.

So maybe the Scarlet Knights aren't really a Big Ten powerhouse, but they will have five former players active in Super Bowl LI -- four who will suit up for either the Patriots or Falcons and one coach.

- Mohamed Sanu, WR, Falcons

- Duron Harmon, DB, Patriots

- Devin McCourty, DB, Patriots

- Ryan Logan, DB, Patriots

- Steve Belichick - Safeties Coach, Patriots

If you count Patriots' injured linebacker Jonathan Freeny, who was placed on IR with a shoulder injury in October, the Scarlet Knights actually have six total players on the combined Super Bowl rosters.

Falcons WR Mohamed Sanu played for Rutgers from 2009-11. (Getty Images)

Rutgers head coach Chris Ash didn't coach any of the Rutgers players who will participate in the big game, but he knows most of the players and think it will help put his program on the map.

"I think it shows that you don't necessarily have to chase a logo to make it in the NFL," Rutgers head coach Chris Ash told NJ Advance Media. "I'm very excited for those players and proud of the way they represent Rutgers."

"Everyone goes into college with a dream and a goal of having a chance to play in the NFL," Ash said. "And everyone thinks you have to play at this school or that school to make it."