Matt Ware has come a long way since his days at Calvary Christian School in Pacific Palisades. In fact, his winding road has led all the way to Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa this Sunday. A backup defensive back now in his third season with the Arizona Cardinals, the 26-year-old played in 13 games this season and made 14 solo tackles to help lead his Cinderella team to its first Super Bowl ever. Ware, who was born in Santa Monica and grew up just outside the Palisades in Malibu, was a multi-sport star at Loyola High, where he played quarterback and safety for the Cubs, and went on to start at cornerback for three seasons at UCLA under Coach Karl Dorrell. He was picked in the 21st round of the 2001 Major League draft by the Seattle Mariners and played center field for two seasons in Arizona rookie league. Ware began his pro football career with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2004. Ware will be donning jersey #22 on Sunday and hopes his number is called numerous times in this, the biggest game of his young career.
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