Johnson siblings join father at the big game

Billy Johnson decided he wanted to play football at Georgia when he attended the Bulldogs' 2007 "Blackout" win against Auburn at Sanford Stadium - which to that point was the most exhilarating game he'd ever seen in person.

The Bulldogs' 45-20 victory that night no longer holds that distinction for the sophomore walk-on snapper, however.

Not after witnessing first-hand the electricity that surrounded New Orleans when the city's beloved Saints beat the Arizona Cardinals 45-14 three weeks ago in the NFL playoffs.

"The town was alive," Johnson said. "I've been around all this college football, but I've never been around a place like that - just focused on one team, really."

The atmosphere obviously influenced Johnson's opinion. A bigger factor was that Johnson's father, Bill, is the Saints' first-year defensive line coach.

Billy and his sister Abby, a freshman on Georgia's golf team, planned to travel to Miami on Friday to again cheer on their dad's team - this time in today's Super Bowl.

"It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," Billy Johnson said. "Dad's been in the NFL for nine years and I'm really more happy for him that he finally gets a chance to play for one."

A Louisiana native, Bill Johnson picked the perfect year to join Sean Payton's staff with the long-suffering franchise. The Saints had never won a playoff game before this year, but they have sent New Orleans into a state of delirium with a 15-3 record and run to today's showdown with the Indianapolis Colts.

After loyally following their dad's teams throughout his nine seasons in the league - six with the Atlanta Falcons and two with the Denver Broncos before this year - Abby and Billy Johnson might be as excited as their father is that the Saints have reached the big game.

"My dad will just call me out of the blue and say, 'We're going to the Super Bowl!' Our family hasn't experienced this yet," Abby Johnson said with a laugh. "My dad's gotten to the NFC championship once before this (with the Falcons

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