Every youth football player dreams of playing in the Super Bowl.

That dream is consistently becoming reality for players from Manatee and Sarasota counties.

The latest is Riverview High product David Baas, the New York Giants center who will take center stage when his team battles the New England Patriots in front of a worldwide audience tonight in Indianapolis.

Last season, Sarasota’s Sam Shields won a Super Bowl ring with the Green Bay Packers. In 2010, former Southeast High player Rod Harper was on the New Orleans Saints roster when they beat the Indianapolis Colts. And former Lakewood Ranch High star Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie started at cornerback for the Arizona Cardinals when they lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the most recent Super Bowl held in Tampa back in 2009.

When Baas takes the field tonight, it will mark the fourth straight year a player from either Manatee or Sarasota is part of a Super Bowl team.

“I think you have to take pride in that,” Baas said during a telephone interview from Indianapolis early this past week. “You’re representing a lot of people, not only your family and your community. And it’s definitely something you need to stand up tall for and be proud of because it doesn’t happen that much. It’s super hard to get to the Super Bowl, let alone win it.”

Baas cut his teeth at Riverview before playing Big Ten football at the University of Michigan.

From there, he made the leap to the NFL with the San Francisco 49ers, during a rough stretch that ended with this season’s revival and a spot in the NFC Championship Game against Baas’ current employer.

Baas left San Francisco to join the Giants as a free agent, and this season has moved quickly. The NFL lockout resulted in an abbreviated offseason.

“Having people having to trust you after losing some guys that were here forever, that’s a tough thing,” Baas said. “And battling injuries all season long. It’s been a tough road in terms of that, but it’s been kind of up and down consistency-wise. But towards the end, we’ve had a good stretch here.”

The guys who left were center Shaun O’Hara and guard Rich Seubert, who played seven and nine seasons, respectively, with the Giants. Both players were on New York’s Super Bowl-winning team four seasons ago.

Nonetheless, Baas stepped in and turned in a strong game in neutralizing Dallas Cowboys nose tackle Jay Ratliff in New York’s do-or-die game to get into the playoffs.

Since then, the Giants have reeled off several impressive victories to book a spot in tonight’s Super Bowl.

The build up, though, has been littered with distractions. Baas said he received several phone calls and text messages, but is focused on beating the Patriots.

“There’s lots of Giants fans down there in the Sarasota/Bradenton area, so it’s proud to represent that area and to be here is a very unique experience,” Baas said. “I’m going to just try to soak it all in.”

Former Super Bowl champion and local icon Henry Lawrence offered Baas some advice about playing in a Super Bowl.

“Go and enjoy it,” said Lawrence, who won three Super Bowl rings with the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders. “After that first play, it’s just another game. And you just have to play your game.”

Baas also turned to a former Riverview star, Todd Johnson, for tips on what to expect. Johnson, now Riverview’s head football coach, played with the Chicago Bears when the Peyton Manning-led Colts beat them in 2007.

“Just try to stay focused,” said Baas about what Johnson told him. “Try to make it as routine as possible.”

Baas also said he owes a lot to legendary Riverview Rams coach John Sprague, who started his transition into football from the band so many years ago.

Baas said Sprague, who was in attendance for Johnson’s Super Bowl appearance, will be there tonight.

“He really started the whole thing when he pulled me out of being in the band,” Baas said. “I had no idea how far it would go. ... I really wanted to get him there. It means ... of lot to me.”

This year has been an adjustment for Baas, who has dealt with seven different offensive coordinators in his seven seasons.

Now he’ll make his first Super Bowl appearance, and he’s aiming to win a title.

“We’re the underdogs, or whatever you want to call us here, but our point is to go out there and win,” Baas said. “I mean, that’s why we’re here. I’m just one guy, but I’m going to do whatever I can to be able do that and bring it back and be able to show everybody the ring in the offseason.”