Buffalo Bills linebacker Paul Posluszny will be more than 7,500 miles from Super Bowl XLII in Phoenix today, watching the game on television with U.S. troops stationed in Iraq.

Tom Modrak, vice president of college scouting for the Bills, expects Posluszny to analyze the game between the New England Patriots and New York Giants with the same intensity he exhibits on the field.

"If it's the same Paul I know, the troops are in for a real treat," Modrak said. "I think he'll dissect all aspects of the game. There won't be a lot of bells and whistles or coach-speak. He'll let them know more about the game than they probably want to know about it.

"He'll let them know what play is coming. He'll make defensive calls. He'll keep them on top of the game."

Modrak has some advice for any soldier who may be seated near Posluszny, a second-round draft pick of Buffalo last April.

"The only thing I would be worried about is if I was on either side of him," Modrak said. "He might knock you over going to his left or right trying to make a tackle."

Posluszny, the former Penn State All-American who led Hopewell High School to WPIAL and PIAA Class AAA championships in 2002, was approached about the idea of traveling to the Middle East several weeks ago.

He accepted the offer quickly, even though there is an eight-hour time difference between here and Iraq, where the game won't air until 2:17 a.m. tomorrow morning.

"It was his choice, something he wanted to do," said Posluszny's father, Paul. "He just wanted to go over there and say hello to the troops and tell them that he supports them. That was his main reason for going."

Posluszny and a handful of other NFL players and cheerleaders embarked on their 10-day trip last Monday. They were scheduled to spend the time leading up to the game visiting U.S. bases, signing autographs for the troops and posing for pictures.

"I'm sure Paul will have a lot to tell us, and there will be a lot to talk about when he gets back next week," his father said.

Posluszny could not be reached for comment. But he said before leaving Buffalo that he was eager to go to Iraq, although he admitted being nervous about entering a war zone.

"The military has always been close to my heart for as long as I can remember," Posluszny told buffalobills.com. "I've always had a special respect for the men and women that serve. So I couldn't pass this opportunity up to go overseas to Iraq and just visit with some of our troops and spend the Super Bowl with them."

Posluszny's agent, Mike McCartney, encouraged Posluszny to make the trip and take a break from offseason workouts. Posluszny suffered a broken arm in the Bills' 38-7 loss to the Patriots in the third game of the season, ending his rookie year prematurely in late September.

"Paul's not used to being injured, and he's been going crazy since he was hurt," McCartney said. "He's been in the weight room, working hard to get back and trying to get healthy. He's just so intense.

"I told him he should take a break and get away from football for a little while. This trip is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for him. This will be 10 days he'll never forget."

Modrak, a former pro scout and college scouting coordinator for the Steelers, believes Posluszny's mission to Iraq will be time well spent.

"Paul is the perfect kind of guy for a trip like this," Modrak said. "When I heard he was going to Iraq, I wasn't surprised. He is a very caring guy, a terrific football player and a terrific human being.

"He's always focused on the job at hand, while at the same time, trying to make everybody else around him better."