A 'Friday Night Lights' Primer to the Super Bowl

We match the fictional players with their real-life NFL counterparts.

ByABC News
January 31, 2014, 11:54 AM
The cast and crew of "Friday Night Lights" attend the 2006 Summer Television Critics Association Press Tour for the The NBC Network at the Ritz-Carlton Huntington Hotel in Pasadena, Calif., July 22, 2006.
The cast and crew of "Friday Night Lights" attend the 2006 Summer Television Critics Association Press Tour for the The NBC Network at the Ritz-Carlton Huntington Hotel in Pasadena, Calif., July 22, 2006.
Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images

Jan. 31, 2014— -- intro: Everyone knows that the Super Bowl is on Sunday—but do you know the players? Denver fans are probably familiar with the Broncos' lineup (and the same thing goes for Seattleites and the Seahawks), but we have an easy way for those who may not know the players to remember who they are. We have matched up a few people you may see a lot of on Sunday with their "Friday Night Lights" counterparts, because the Panthers' motto is similar to that of any NFL star: "Clear eyes. Full hearts. Can't lose."

quicklist: 1title: Buddy Garrity and John Elwaytext: Buddy Garrity, a former Dylan Panther with a ton of team pride, is like Denver Broncos' executive vice president John Elway. After all, Elway played his entire professional career with the Broncos before taking on his behind-the-scenes role with the team, leading them to five Super Bowls. And, like Garrity, he earned a championship ring. (Make that two of them.)media: 22311237

quicklist: 2title: Lyla Garrity and Denver Broncos' Cheerleader Patriciatext: Both are not just beautiful brunette cheerleaders, but career-minded too. While Lyla Garrity left Texas to study at Vanderbilt University, Patricia attended Colorado State, according to the Broncos website.media: 22311129

quicklist: 3title: Brian "Smash" Williams and Marshawn Lynchtext: "Smash" is known for his loud mouth and ego (like Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman), while Marshawn Lynch is undeniably press-shy. However, both are star running backs known for going into "beast mode."media: 22311336

quicklist: 4title: Jason Street and Peyton Manningtext: Two words: elite quarterbacks. Broncos QB Peyton Manning is destined for the Hall of the Fame and holds a number of NFL records, including most passing yards in a single season. It's possible that Dylan's star quarterback, Jason Street, would have had a similar career, had he not been injured in high school.media: 22311445

quicklist: 5title: Vince Howard and Russell Wilsontext: Vince Howard always had great talent, but there were some people who doubted his abilities. The same goes for the Seahawks' star quarterback, Russell Wilson. According to his NFL draft profile, Wilson was touted as an accurate passer and a "born signal-caller," but still slipped to the third round in the draft. Why? His weaknesses were listed as follows: "Wilson's height will be his biggest inhibitor at the next level and the largest reason for his late-round value. It remains to be seen if he can throw effectively from the pocket at the next level." (He can.)media: 22311547

quicklist: 6title: Tim Riggins and Eric Deckertext: Both known for their great receiving abilities and striking good looks, Tim Riggins was a more reckless version of the real-life Broncos wide receiver. It's a good thing Decker has his act together: He's expecting a baby with country singer Jessie James. media: 22311637

quicklist: 7title: Landry Clarke and Steven Hauschkatext: Like nice-guy Landry Clarke, football wasn't always Steven Haschka's first love. In fact, the Seahawks kicker first started playing the sport after he stopped playing soccer. And, like Clarke, he had to work very hard to get to where he is, having already played football for five NFL teams. media: 22311737

quicklist: 8title: Matt Saracen and Zac Dyserttext: Don't know who Zac Dysert is? That's because he's a back-up for Broncos QB Peyton Manning and doesn't play much. The same thing happened to Dylan's back-up quarterback Matt Saracen, who only got playing time after Jason Street was sidelined with an injury. (Plus: Don't these two oddly resemble each other?!)media: 22314645