Mormons accounted for 158 regular-season starts, 16 postseason games played and one Pro Bowl appearance during the 2009 NFL season. Among the story lines:
Baltimore nose tackle Haloti Ngata was selected to play in his first Pro Bowl. The Salt Lake native (Highland High School) finished the regular season with 35 tackles and 1.5 sacks. He also recorded a sack during the Ravens' playoff run.
Sione Pouha (East High School) and Jonathan Fanene, teammates on the 2004 University of Utah Fiesta Bowl team, both stepped in for injured starters and flourished in 2009. Pouha made 45 tackles for the New York Jets, who advanced to the AFC championship game. Fanene made 10 starts at defensive end for the Cincinnati Bengals, recording two sacks and one interception. He also made four tackles in Cincinnati's playoff loss.
Returned missionary Austin Collie turned in an impressive rookie season with 60 catches for 676 yards and seven touchdowns. Collie and Aaron Francisco, both BYU products, played in Super Bowl XLIV for the Indianapolis Colts, who lost to the New Orleans Saints. Collie caught six passes for 66 yards in that game, while Francisco made a pair of tackles.
Nine players were cut by NFL teams but made their way onto a 53-man roster at some point in the season. They were Kirk Chambers (Bills), J.D. Folsom (Dolphins), Francisco (Colts), Marcus Mailei (Saints), Garrett Mills (Vikings), Shawn Murphy (Buccaneers), David Nixon (Raiders), Dallas Reynolds (Eagles) and Fui Vakapuna (Bengals).
Several players, including Philadelphia starting linebacker Stewart Bradley (Highland High School) and wideout Kevin Curtis (Bingham High School), were hampered by injuries. Bradley, the team's second-leading tackler in 2008, tore the anterior-cruciate ligament in his knee and missed the entire season. Curtis played only three games because of recurring knee problems. Utahns Ryon Bingham (Chargers) and Devin Frischknecht (Packers) spent the entire year on injured reserve.
For a complete list of Mormons in the NFL, go to MormonTimes.com and click on "News & People" and "sports."