East Rutherford, N.J. - Tony Ugoh never saw it coming.

He was bouncing back and forth on the kickoff return team, confident and ready for what he believed would be the most memorable two quarters of his football life.

What happened next for Ugoh and the Colts in Super Bowl XLIV was unforgettable, and not in a good way.

Thursday, when Ugoh was asked what losing a Super Bowl feels like, the Giants' reserve offensive lineman took a deep breath and without hesitation went back to the moment that changed everything two years ago.

Indianapolis was leading, 10-6, at halftime before New Orleans coach Sean Payton rolled the dice, catching just about everyone by surprise by calling for an onside kick that rookie Thomas Morstead executed perfectly.

By the time Ugoh got to where the ball ended up, it was too late.

"I just remember pulling people off the pile, praying one of our guys had the ball," said Ugoh, whose team lost to the Saints, 31-17. "The memories from that game, man they're tough ... It's already been brought up, believe me. You don't want to be on that other side. You don't want to lose.

"You try to put it behind you, but it's always there."

Ugoh is one of four current Giants preparing for Super Bowl XLVI having previously come up just short in their quest for the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

You have heard by now and will continue to hear comparisons to Big Blue's stunning Super Bowl XLII victory over the Patriots heading into their highly-anticipated rematch in Indianapolis Feb. 5.

But what happens when you get all the way there, only to finish as the not-so-Super runner-up?

Antrel Rolle was in the end zone defending three years ago when Santonio Holmes and the Steelers broke the hearts of his Cardinals with a game-winning touchdown catch in Super Bowl XLIII.

Four seasons into his professional career, Deon Grant played in Super Bowl XXXVIII with the Panthers, who were beaten by New England. It's "been quite a while," but his long-awaited return trip is nine days from becoming reality.

Then there is Rocky Bernard, who closes his eyes and still sees the confetti falling inside Detroit's Ford Field as the Steelers celebrated their Super Bowl XL triumph over his Seahawks.

"It's just hard sitting on the bench and confetti's coming down, and they tell you to hurry up and get off the field," Bernard said. "You don't want to be there. It's not a good feeling. You work so hard during the year and the excitement of the year.

"And all of a sudden it's over."

Tom Coughlin indicated Thursday the Giants would draw from those experiences, mostly because of how the heartache is so easily lost in the post-game elation for the victors.

"Probably the worst feeling ever (and) it's different than any other loss because you have to sit on it," Ugoh said. "You don't have the next week to go out and correct mistakes, do it again with the same team. That's it. It's over for quite a while."

The memories for Grant are even more personal.

In his second chance at the Super Bowl, Grant gets a shot at redemption against the franchise that previously denied him and has a familiar face in high school rival and close friend, Deion Branch.

Branch is a two-time Super Bowl champion with one of those titles coming at the expense of Grant, who insists he promised the former when the two teams faced off in the regular season-a 24-20 Giants victory in Foxboro-they would meet again.

"I spanked him in high school, and won the state (championship)," Grant said with a laugh. "And it seems like ever since I got in the league, he's been paying me back.

"I told him this year, 'I'm going to pay you back.'"

Rolle claims he is not out for redemption, insisting Super Bowl XLIII is done and over with, although the play that cost him a Super Bowl ring remains plenty vivid in his mind.

"I was actually on the opposite side and the guy that Ben Roethlisberger was targeting first was actually the guy I was covering. I kind of bumped him and he fell down," Rolle recalled. "Ben Roethlisberger went to cut back and he was going there and I was like, 'This is a pick and I'm taking this to the house' because there was no one in front of me.

"He just turns the other way and chucks the ball. You can't be mad at that play. You have to take that one. You have to live with that one."

That doesn't lessen the pain of having lived on the losing side of a Super Bowl, however.

"There's no other loss that's greater than that one," Ugoh said. "You can come up short in the playoffs, and I know how that feels as well, but to make it all the way and lose the big game is really tough. To me, that's the hardest loss to take."

And the one these Giants will head to Indianapolis never wanting to experience again.