The mother of Seattle Seahawks safety Nick Emmanwori has become an overnight viral sensation for hilariously admitting she does not quite understand what all the fuss is about regarding America’s biggest sporting event.
Despite traveling to Santa Clara, California, to watch her son play in his first championship game against the New England Patriots, Justina is navigating the intense pageantry with refreshing indifference.
In a now-viral interview with Noah Chast of Columbia, South Carolina’s ABC 25, Justina candidly shared her perspective on the cultural phenomenon surrounding the game. “Everybody keeps asking me, ‘Do you know what you’re going for?’ I said, ‘Super Bowl’,” she told the reporter.
“They said, ‘Do you know how many people would die to go to the Super Bowl?’ I’m like, ‘How?’ Maybe this is something big that I don’t know. It’s big. I don’t know what I’m expecting.”
When asked what she plans to do once she arrives at Levi’s Stadium, she simply shrugged and laid out her game plan. “All I’m going there for is to shout, ‘Yay, Super Bowl! Touchdown! We win!’ That’s it,” she said with a chuckle.
The Seahawks went 14-3 and won the NFC Championship. And Nick Emmanwori, the 21-year-old rookie safety out of South Carolina, has been central to that success. A second-round draft pick with a perfect 10.0 Relative Athletic Score from his combine performance, he recorded 81 tackles, 11 passes defended, and 2.5 sacks during the regular season. His availability for the Super Bowl was briefly in question after he rolled his ankle during Wednesday’s practice, prompting a wave of concern in Seattle. But he returned as a full participant on Friday, drawing a deadpan update from head coach Mike Macdonald
Earlier this season, Justina showed she understands football more than she lets on. In a previous interview, she broke down her son’s role and even predicted the Seahawks would make a championship run. So while she may not be dazzled by the confetti cannons and corporate spectacle, she clearly knows what’s at stake on the field.
