Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold and New England Patriots signal-caller Drake Maye each predictably received significant face time during Sunday’s broadcast of Super Bowl XL on NBC-TV.
So did Mater Dei Catholic High School alumnus Jason Myers and Mt. Carmel High School grad Rashid Shaheed.
And with good reason.
Myers set a Super Bowl record with five field goals and 17 kicking points in Seattle’s 29-13 win over the Patriots.
Shaheed, the Seahawks’ danger man on kick returns after being acquired in a midseason trade from the New Orleans Saints, set another Super Bowl record with six fair-catches on punt returns while amassing 36 return yards (20 yards on a kickoff return and 16 yards on two punts) and two catches for 27 yards as a receiver. He lost five yards on his only rushing attempt.
Getting his kicks
Some considered Myers worthy of the game’s MVP award that instead went to teammate Kenneth Walker III with 135 rushing yards on 27 carries (no touchdowns).
Myers, 34, was interviewed on Monday’s “Today Show” on NBC, admitting he felt “pretty tired” after a night of celebrating with the team.
“It was a great day, a great team win, that’s what we’ve been doing all year,” he told the viewing audience. “Nothing better than doing it in the Super Bowl, amazing feeling.
“Most Super Bowls are played indoors. Playing outdoors there is some wind. But we had a great week of prep here in San Jose. We were ready for it.”
Myers’s wife and two daughters were present among the sellout crowd of 70,823 fans. They were on the field helping him celebrate after the game amid all the swirling confetti.
“Being able to share this experience with them and friends has been amazing,” he said, admitting the full impact has yet to sink in. “Right now, we’re enjoying the moment.”
The Seahawks, who finished the season with a 15-3 record, were scheduled to be the object of a civic parade in the Northwest U.S. city on Wednesday. He said his immediate plans were to get ready for the parade and “enjoying this experience with our fans and the city of Seattle and all what this Super Bowl brings to the city.”
Myers’ Super Bowl performance has brought a lot of pride to Mater Dei Catholic High School and longtime Crusaders alumni.
“Jason Myers representing Mater Dei Catholic on the Super Bowl stage is something our entire community takes great pride in,” Mater Dei Catholic head football coach Rashard Cook said. “Jason is a perfect example of what we hope to develop here at Mater Dei Catholic: consistency, professionalism and excellence over time.
“To see a former Crusader perform on the biggest stage in football, set a Super Bowl scoring record, and hold the NFL regular-season scoring record, is truly special. It speaks not only to Jason’s talent, but to his discipline, preparation and mental toughness traits I heard he showed long before he reached the NFL.
“For our current players, Jason’s journey is powerful proof that where you start does not limit how far you can go. He continues to represent our program the right way with class and sustained performance at the highest level.”
“The entire Mater Dei Catholic community is so proud of one of our own shining on the biggest stage,” said former Crusader head coach John Joyner, who coached 16 years at the school while amassing 103 wins, four section championships and three state title, including back-to-back state championships in 2021 and 2022. “To set two records during the Super Bowl was unbelievable and we are so happy for Jason and the Myers family.”
There were inklings of greatness as a student-athlete at Mater Dei Catholic, but it wasn’t an instant road to success.
Myers was a four-year letterman in football and soccer and also played baseball at the eastern Chula Vista school. He was voted Metro-Mesa League Kicker of the Year as a senior during the 2008 season after being named Metro-South Bay League Kicker of the Year as a junior in 2007. He played on the state championship soccer team as a senior and was named San Diego Section Division IV Player of the Year in 2009.
He was a four-year letter-winner at Marist College in New York (2009-12). As a senior with the Red Foxes, he made five of 10 field goal attempts, including a long of 40 yards, and averaged 39.0 yards on 56 punts, downing 15 inside the 20-yard line.
He admitted he was a late bloomer.
Undrafted in the NFL, he worked as a valet while continuing to follow his dream with spot duty in the Arena Football League. But his time did come.
He had ice water flowing through his veins on Sunday in Santa Clara.
The Chula Vista native staked the National Football Conference champion Seahawks to a nascent 9-0 halftime lead on field goals of 33, 39 and 41 yards and tacked another 41-yard field goal midway through the third quarter to push Seattle ahead 12-0 on the scoreboard.
Myers added on two extra-point kicks for good measure – the first for a 19-0 lead early in the fourth quarter following a 16-yard touchdown reception by A.J. Barner from Darnold and the second for a 29-7 lead with 4:27 remaining in the game on a 45-yard interception return by Uchenna Nwosu.
Sandwiched between those two Seahawks touchdowns in the fourth quarter, the2009 Crusader grad made history with 5:35 to play with a 26-yard field goal for his Super Bowl fifth three-pointer in the game to increase the Seattle lead to 22-7. His Super Bowl record 17th kicking point came on Seattle’s final TD to give the NFC champs a 22-point lead.
An 11-year veteran with three teams (Jacksonville Jaguars in 2025-17, New York Jets in 2018 and Seattle from 2019 to present), Myers was no stranger to clutch performances with a career 85.6 percent conversion rate on field goal attempts, 93.0 percent conversion rate on extra-point attempts and a career long 61 yards.
He broke the Jets’ franchise record for most field goals in a game with seven against the Indianapolis Colts in a 42-34 victory.
An 11-year veteran with three teams (Jacksonville Jaguars in 2025-17, New York Jets in 2018 and Seattle from 2019 to present), Myers was no stranger to clutch performances with a career 85.6 percent conversion rate on field goal attempts and 93.0 percent on extra-point attempts.
He broke the Jets’ franchise record for most field goals in a game with seven against the Indianapolis Colts in a 42-34 victory.
A two-time Pro Bowl selection, Myers twice finished a season perfect on PAT attempts and logged a streak of 37 consecutive field goals made. He led the NFL with 143 points in 2022.
During the 2025-26 season, he set an NFL kicking record with 206 points (regular season and postseason combined). He is the only player to top 200 points in that regard.
Together with Myers’ record kicks and a ferocious defensive stand by the Seahawks, Seattle was essentially untouchable in Sunday’s Super Bowl blowout.
The NFC champs recorded six sacks, one fumble recovery and two interceptions (one for a TD return). The AFC champs suffered through three turnovers, two of which led to touchdowns.
Seattle out-gained New England 335-331 in total yards, but significantly 141-79 in rushing yards while the AFC champs racked up a modest 252-194 edge in passing yards.
Darnold, another Jets retread who has prospered with new surroundings, completed 19 of 38 passing attempts while Maye, a North Carolina native, completed 27 of 43 attempts.
Key stat: Darnold, a San Clemente native and USC alum, was sacked just once and was not intercepted in the game.
Besides back-breaking plays late in the game, the contest was a defensive standoff through three quarters. The Patriots punted eight times for a 44.5 average while the Seahawks punted seven times for a 47.5 average.
However, there hasn’t been a shutout recorded in Super Bowl history, and there wouldn’t be on this year.
The Patriots (14-4) finally got on the scoreboard on a 35-yard Mack Hollis touchdown grab and Venezuelan Andres Borregales split the uprights on the PAT to suddenly narrow the Seahawks lead to 12 points. Maye added an innocent seven-yard TD pass to Rhamondre Stevenson with 2:21 to play in the game. The two-point attempt failed, leaving the Pats with a 16-point deficit to make up as the two-minute warning rolled around.
The Super Bowl title was the second for Seattle in four appearances (wins in 2014 against the Broncos and Sunday against the Patriots tempered by losses to Pittsburgh in 2006 and 2015 against New England).
On the flip side, the Patriots were making their record 12th appearance in the Super Bowl and fell to a 6-6 record.
For Seattle, Cooper Kupp won his second Super Bowl ring (the first with the Rams in 2021 as the game’s MVP). For Darnold, it was sweet redemption after playing for his fifth team in eight seasons.
