INDIANAPOLIS -- You probably didn't know much about Rob Ninkovich two years ago. What was there to say? He got nowhere as a New Orleans long snapper, floundered further on the Miami practice squad.
But it all came together in New England.
In his second season with the Patriots, his sixth in the NFL, Ninkovich is now an invaluable member of the defense. He'll start in Super Bowl XLVI this Sunday. During Tuesday's media melee, Ninkovich had his own island of availability at Lucas Oil Stadium. A sign announcing his name stuck up from the end zone seats where he held court.
This year's rush of national attention doesn't bother him.
"Could be the beard," Ninkovich laughed. "I haven't cut it in three months."
It doesn't really interest him, either.
"It's something that I haven't really experienced throughout -- I wouldn't even say just the NFL -- my whole career: high school, college. I've never really cared," he shrugged.
"Recognition is cool, but I really don't care as long as I'm playing well. I'm kind of weird in that, personally, I want to be the best that I can for myself. I don't want to live with any regrets. Sacrifice is a lot better than regret."
Indifference to how well he's loved in print makes it easier for Ninkovich ignore the Super Bowl circus. And it's not that he's ungrateful -- he scratched and clawed his way from Joliet Junior College until the right team could give him a chance. But that's exactly why Ninkovich doesn't care. Football means the world to him; he doesn't need it to matter to anybody else.
"Come Sunday, it's the biggest game of everybody's life. For me it means everything for me to win this game. It's easy for me to block everything out, you know? It's taken me so long to get to this point in my life, everything else just disappears."
Except the beard, anyway.