Quarless gives Uniondale its own champion

ARLINGTON, Texas - Green Bay may be Titletown again, but Uniondale has a champion to call its own.

Packers rookie tight end Andrew Quarless couldn't help but think back to growing up in the Long Island suburb as he basked in the glow of his team's 31-25 win over the Steelers in Super Bowl XLV.

"This is what I've dreamed of since I was a little kid," he said from the winning locker room Sunday night. "I was out there in Uniondale playing on the fields and just running around; this is what I always thought of. I'm at a loss for words, I can't even speak . . . The stadium, to see that crowd, the whole game, just to experience that is just, just amazing."

Quarless, who played for Penn State, was one of the young Packers who stepped up and took on an increased role as the Packers were beset by injuries. In Sunday's game, he caught one pass for 5 yards, but it was the other pass thrown in his direction that could have been really special. He ran a slant route late in the third quarter and had a step on his defender, but Aaron Rodgers' throw was a little behind him.

"I just saw a whole bunch of green grass," Quarless said of what was in front of him had he caught the ball. "But that's part of the game. A-Rod doesn't miss too many of those. It's fine. I don't even care. I wouldn't care if I didn't catch any passes. I wouldn't care if I didn't play. I don't care about nothing. As long as that ring came."

Quarless won't get the actual ring until later in the offseason - teams usually cash in sometime during the spring - but he will return to Uniondale later this month as a Super Bowl champ. He said he hopes to get back to the New York area as soon as next week after wrapping up the season with some celebrations in Green Bay.

"Uniondale, all of Long Island, they've been so supportive," he said. "I just want to thank Long Island and thank New York and everybody who supported me. It's just amazing that I can be out there for my community in such a positive way, for all those little kids. Because I was once a little kid playing in the yards there and I just want to let them know that dreams can come true."