Super Bowl XLIV a Homecoming for New Orleans Saints Jeremy Shockey in Miami

For Jeremy Shockey, the New Orleans Saints tight end, returning to Miami is a homecoming.

Coral Gables was his home away from home when he donned the orange-and-green of the Miami Hurricanes in 2000 and 2001 when the team won the national championship.

The Saints visited Miami earlier in the season when they knocked off the Dolphins in week seven, taking a come-from-behind 46-34 win.

Shockey turned in a spectacular performance, making four receptions for 105 yards on that Sunday afternoon at Sun Life Stadium (formerly Land Shark when the game took place). With only four catches, the Ada, Oklahoma native showed signs of his prime when he is fully healthy.

In his second season in the French Quarter, Shockey amassed more yards in his sophomore season under head coach Sean Payton. He took in 48 catches for 569 yards averaging nearly 12 yards per reception.

The eight-year veteran suffered a season-ending injury in 2007 when he was with the New York Giants.

A broken fibula and an injured ankle kept the tight end on sidelined for the Giants unheralded run through the playoff and upset of the undefeated New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII.

He could be seen in the suite-level watching the title game, disappointed to be a spectator and not on the field being factor in the game.

"Things happen, but I'm not dwelling on that,'' Shockey told ESPN’s Gene Wojciechowski. "I'm dwelling on the fact that we'll be in Miami, my adopted city, so we're all excited about that.''

Following a fall-out with the franchise that drafted him, he and the Giants parted ways and Shockey landed with the Saints and former University of Miami teammate Jonathan Vilma.

In the first year with New Orleans Shockey was had his lowest producing year with sports hernia injury.

This season his career received a boost with his best single-season performance since ’07.

An injury once again played a factor in limiting him on the field for much of the second half of the season.

In the playoffs he saw limited action when he injured his right knee against the Arizona Cardinals. Even with the soreness, Shockey caught a 17-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Drew Brees.

An injured Shockey says he will be ready for the February 7 battle with the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV.

"I'll be playing in this game, unlike the last one,'' said Shockey. "It still hasn't hit me. God works in mysterious ways, man. It's a blessing to be part of this organization and this team.''

Miami is his adoptive home. A city known for its beaches, nightlife and great weather, it is in South Florida where Shockey made his name famous.

It is a storybook tale for this Saints team. For many years they were nicknamed the ‘Aints, but in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the city, the state and the gulf region is a proud bunch of what their team has accomplished.

Shockey looks to end the story with a victory not only for redemption but also for a region that really needs it.

It is fitting that Shockey has a chance to play in the big game in Miami, the city that helped make him a big star.