When Chad Brinker accepted an offer to intern in the scouting department of the Green Bay Packers, he really didn’t know where it would lead.

However, as he spent basically the entire summer of 2009 in Wisconsin working with arguably the NFL’s most storied franchise, he realized that the passion he had for football ever since he was a little kid growing up in Martins Ferry still burnt inside of him.

As the internship finished up, Brinker set a goal for himself that he wanted to be an NFL General Manager at some point.

After returning to Columbus where he was living, working and coaching high school football at Westerville Central, Brinker got a call from the Packers’ General Manager Ted Thompson, offering a job in their front office as a scouting assistant.

“It was a shock to me,” Brinker said during a phone interview. “I guess timing is everything. I was taken back by the opportunity, but definitely thankful that I got it.”

Brinker was formally hired by Green Bay on Jan. 31 of 2010.

“I was humbled that the Packers thought enough of me to hire me fulltime,” Brinker said. “When I finished up my internship, I had thought I’d done a good job, but I had to hope (the Packers) thought I did.”

From his internship, Brinker knew the Packers had the ability to be special in the coming years.

However, he’s not even sure he could have dreamt a Super Bowl trip during his first season.

“I could see the talent in this organization, and I felt like we had a quarterback (Aaron Rodgers) who could lead us there,” Brinker said. “We’ve got a great coaching staff and it’s testament to our front office for grinding tapes and evaluating guys and identifying guys who can come in and compete for positions.”

Brinker and his wife Rachelle will travel to North Texas Thursday and return home on the team charter Monday.

“I have to stay back (in Green Bay) for a few days and help our college coordinator get our draft room ready,” Brinker said. “Because as soon as we get back (from the Super Bowl), we get right into our pre-combine meetings.”

The former Ohio University Bobcat travelled with the team to its Wild Card game at Philadelphia and its Divisional Round game at Atlanta, but missed the NFC Championship Game in Chicago for good reason.

“I was at Heinz Field to scout the Steelers and Jets,” Brinker said.

As the Packers were celebrating their NFC title in the lockerroom, Brinker and Elliott Wolfe, who is the son of former Packers’ GM Ron Wolfe, had no time to bask in the glory of a Super Bowl trip which is forthcoming.

“We won and Elliott and I immediately went to work on the next game,” Brinker said.

The reality of the Super Bowl trip hit the next morning when Brinker and Wolfe headed to Pittsburgh International Airport not to fly back to Green Bay, but to head to Mobile, Ala. for Senior Bowl practices.

“On the flight to Mobile, I was just sitting there looking out the window and it really hit me,” Brinker admitted. “It was slowly becoming reality that something that I’d always dreamed of was coming true. It’s just an honor to be a part of an organization that’s first class in everything it does.”

Brinker will see some familiar faces this week in Dallas. While each participating player is allowed 15 tickets, Brinker wouldn’t disclose the total amount he was entitled to, but he was extremely excited that he was able to help a few people close to him.

“Ted Thompson is an outstanding person and human being,” Brinker said. “He’s a great person to work for and he really took care of us. I am humbled for the opportunity to go to the Super Bowl and things we’re able to do as far as taking our families.”

Along with his wife, Brinker’s father, father-in-law and his best friend from high school, Tommy Zinn, who is a life-long Packers’ fan, will all be making the trip this week.

Brinker grew up a Steelers’ fan in the Ohio Valley, but he’s definitely changed his colors to Green and Gold now.

“I was born around the time when the Steelers were winning a lot and I’d always heard about the ‘Steel Curtain’ and all of the Hall of Famers and then to live in Martins Ferry, which is steel country, it wasn’t hard to root for the Steelers,” Brinker said. “However, things have changed. It really is surreal to think about all of the times I played football in my backyard with a Steelers’ jersey on and now here I am a grown man going to the Super Bowl and the organization I work for is playing against my childhood team.”

As for the game itself, Brinker sees a possible classic developing.

“I feel really good about our team, but I know we’re playing a team that does things well, too,” Brinker said. “The Steelers are also first-class in everything they do. They’re physical, play hard-nosed, tough footbal and represent the city of Pittsburgh the way it should be. I am hopeful it’s a good matchup and obviously, I hope (the Packers) come out on top.

“It would be unreal to win a Super Bowl ring in my first year.”

SETH’S SCOOPS

• BRINKER ISN’T the only OVAC product working for the Packers. Dom Capers is the Green Bay defensive coordinator. Capers, the former Houston Texans head coach, is a Meadowbrook High School graduate.

• THE TIMES Leader’s Rich Gibson will be on hand at Super Bowl XLV. Be sure to look for his reports next weekend from Dallas.

• NARY a local player was selected for the prestigious Ohio North-South Game. The rosters were released late last week. The game, which is slated for Friday, April 22 at Ohio Stadium, will feature two OVAC products. Steubenville’s Shaq Petteway and William Pruitt were both chosen. Also chosen was Massillon Washington’s Justin Olak, who’s dad, Mike, is a Shadyside graduate.

• STEUBENVILLE High product Liz Repella has been named a national finalist for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award. She’s one of 10 finalists for the award, which is given to the senior athlete, who is exemplary on and off the court. CLASS stands for “Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School.”

• EAST LIVERPOOL’S football coaching position has been a much talked-about position since Mark Asher resigned the post to accept the same position at Struthers. This past week, an arbitor ruled that the position must be given to Ron Paul, who was passed over for the job when Asher got it. Paul is a former head coach at Bridgeport , Toronto and Wellsville.

Staskey can be reached at sstaskey@timesleaderonline.com