'We go at it': For military veterans and NFL alumni, annual pre-Super Bowl game is one of honor and inspiration

— -- Before the Philadelphia Eagles reigned over the New England Patriots Sunday, another football game took place, including some titans of a different kind.

On Wednesday, the Wounded Warrior Amputee Football Team defended its undefeated record against some NFL alumni at Concordia University's Sea Foam Stadium in St. Paul, Minnesota. It was the team's seventh annual pre-Super Bowl charity flag football game.

"We go at it," said the Marine Corps' BJ Ganem about the game's intensity. "One time, I ran completely out of my [prosthetic] leg. My leg fell off. ... We've had other other guys break prosthetics. ... We've had NFL guys hurt their hamstrings. ... It's a game of honor and a game of inspiration."

While on patrol Thanksgiving 2004 in Iraq, the vehicle Ganem was driving was hit by a roadside bomb. He lost his left leg and suffered other injuries.

In an interview Wednesday, Ganem showed off his prosthesis, saying, "On my leg, I wear the initials of the five guys we lost from our company, our platoon. ... That way, they get to live forever."

He told ABC News that for the game's two hours, he and the other veterans feel like NFL players.

Marine Corps veteran Kelly Smith said initially, she'd found the game intimidating. Now, she said, it's "inspiring."

"They're exactly like us," she said of the NFL players. "They have the same trials, the same tribulations. ... Whether it's a head injury or injuries that stopped their careers."

Smith, a Navy foreman attached to the Marine Corps, lost her left arm after an explosion in northern Iraq in 2007. She told ABC News that she had a bit of a secret weapon when it comes to this game.

"Those guys may be faster and taller but I'm short and sneaky," she said.

On its website, the Wounded Warrior Amputee Football Team said the team was "made of service members who have served and are now using a prosthetic device to engage in everyday life activities."

"By showcasing our team on the football field, the WWAFT seeks to inspire our fans and highlight the perseverance of our service members (both active and former) who continue to face life's challenges without excuses," the team said.

The Wounded Warrior Amputee Football Team defeated the NFL team, 63-42, improving its record to 7-0 against the NFL team in pre-Super Bowl bouts.