CHARLESTON, Ill. – Fans around East Central Illinois could be torn on their routing interests on Saturday as one of the regional teams, the Indianapolis Colts, takes on a team in the New Orleans Saints with many ties to Eastern Illinois University. Any way you spin it Super Bowl XLIV (44 for those that do not do Roman numerals), will have implications around the Charleston area.

The most notable connection starts with Saints head coach Sean Payton a former All-American quarterback at Eastern Illinois. Payton set and still holds many of EIU's school passing records as he helped lead the 1986 EIU team to the NCAA FCS playoff quarterfinal round. Payton passed for 10,655 yards completing 756-of-1,408 passes in his career. He had the school mark for touchdowns with 75 until Tony Romo broke that record in 2002.

The Saints special teams coach also comes from EIU as Greg McMahon was a defensive back on the Panthers 1978 NCAA Division II National Championship team. A coach on that same Panthers championship team, John Teerlinck, gives EIU its one connection to the Colts in the Super Bowl. Teerlinck was a member of Darrell Mudra's staff earning his masters degree from EIU.

The final connection to the game sits in the Saints front office as former Panther defensive end Ryan Pace, a 1999 graduate, is the New Orleans Director of Pro Scouting.

Listed below are links to stories surrounding the EIU connection to this year's Super Bowl. 

Super Bowl XLIV
ESPN.com Chicago - In His Blood (Sean Payton)
Chicago Tribune - Emotion Pays Off For Saints (Sean Payton)
JG-TC - Payton Was Super Here (Sean Payton)
WWL TV (New Orleans) - Payton, The College Years (Sean Payton)
Times Picayune - Q&A With Greg McMahon (Greg McMahon)
Palm Beach Post - Saints Coach Found A Mentor (Sean Payton)
Decatur Herald-Review - Look For EIU Connection (John Teerlinck)