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GOLD & BLACK ILLUSTRATED VOLUME 25, ISSUE 4 49 BY KYLE CHARTERS AND BRIAN NEUBERT R ob Ninkovich finally found a place to stay. After bouncing around the NFL from New Or- leans, where he was a fifth-round draft pick in 2006, to Miami and back to the Saints, the defensive end landed in New England. And in his sixth year there, the former Boiler- maker has hardware to show that hard work pays off. Ninkovich and his Patriot teammates won Super XLIX over Seattle on Feb. 1, a nice present on his 31st birthday. "He's got a great motor and that's what allowed him to excel at Purdue but also sustained him in his early going in the NFL, trying with two or three teams," said Joe Tiller, his former coach at Purdue. "People kept taking a chance on him because he had such a great motor." That proved to be a perfect fit in New England, where Coach Bill Belichick has shown a knack for piecing similar- ly hard-working players into championship teams. Ninkov- ich has been in New England for six years now — he's said before that the organization was his last shot, after inju- ry-plagued failed attempts at New Orleans (times two) and Miami — turning himself into a solid, near-Pro Bowl-cali- ber player. In his six seasons, the 6-foot-2, 260-pounder has 35.5 sacks, with eight in each of the last three years, and five interceptions and eight forced fumbles. Ninkovich's production isn't surprising to those who know him best. "He's a tough, hard-nosed guy, what our football teams have been like here at Illinois State, just guys who love foot- ball," said former defensive coordina- tor Brock Spack , now the head coach of the Redbirds. "He has a great, great motor and is so tough. We had more talented guys, but he was so tough and so physical and I thought if he got with the right people he'd make it. "I'm happy for him, because he is In his second Super Bowl appearance with New England, defensive end Rob Ninkovich brought home his first ring, when the Patriots beat the Seahawks on Feb. 1. New England Patriots Journey Results In Ring Ninkovich, Patriots win Super Bowl N F L B O I L E R S