NEW ORLEANS — When Trent McDuffie positioned himself close to the road of scrimmage on a season-defining fourth-and-five, Jason Negro had an thought of what his former star may do. It’s what the Bellflower St. John Bosco alumnus has carried out for years.
Make the play.
McDuffie’s crimson No. 22 jersey flashed within the backfield on a wonderfully timed, fourth-down blitz within the AFC championship sport to ship the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs to their third consecutive Tremendous Bowl. Any nerves Negro felt from watching one in all his former gamers light immediately, changed solely by euphoria.
“To see him reach that level of success and have that kind of performance,” mentioned Negro, McDuffie’s highschool coach. “I’m kind of at a loss for words.”
McDuffie and Chiefs receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster are two gamers with Southern California ties poised for key roles in Tremendous Bowl LIX as Kansas Metropolis faces the Philadelphia Eagles within the title sport for the second time within the final three years.
Smith-Schuster and McDuffie each performed crucial roles within the Chiefs’ 2022 Tremendous Bowl win over the Eagles as McDuffie, then a rookie, had 5 tackles and a compelled fumble. Smith-Schuster, who starred at USC after his Lengthy Seashore Poly profession, had a team-high seven catches for 53 yards.
Smith-Schuster then signed a three-year contract with the New England Patriots, however lasted only one season with the franchise that was resetting after Invoice Belichick’s departure. Kansas Metropolis supplied a snug homecoming this season.
“When I left this team, they had a great culture,” Smith-Schuster mentioned, “and then coming back two years later, it’s the same.”
When the Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Smith-Schuster within the second spherical out of USC, he was simply 20 years outdated. From being the youngest participant within the league to now a 28-year-old veteran, Smith-Schuster is in awe about how shortly time has handed.
Smith-Schuster had simply 18 catches for 231 yards through the common season, his quietest statistical season since 2021 when he performed in solely 5 video games due to a shoulder damage.
JuJu Smith-Schuster, who performed highschool soccer at Lengthy Seashore Poly in Southern California, is completely satisfied to be again with the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs.
(Reed Hoffmann / Related Press)
The Chiefs have used a breakout season from receiver Xavier Worthy to buoy the passing offense. The rookie had 639 yards receiving and 59 catches through the common season. The Chiefs additionally added 12-year veteran DeAndre Hopkins in October, and the five-time Professional Bowl participant was the staff’s third-leading cross catcher, behind tight finish Travis Kelce and Worthy.
As a substitute of fretting a couple of diminished function in a receivers group that’s reaching full well being with the current return of Hollywood Brown from a shoulder damage, Smith-Schuster as a substitute lauds the various skillsets and backgrounds of his teammates.
Former Lengthy Seashore Poly coach Raul Lara wouldn’t be shocked to listen to Smith-Schuster’s humble strategy. Lara nonetheless remembers how Smith-Schuster responded to a one-half sport suspension for failing to speak with coaches about an absence from follow. He voluntarily coached a youthful teammate to organize for a playoff sport.
“People always ask me who was probably the best football player you ever coached at Long Beach Poly,” mentioned Lara, who’s now the top coach at Santa Ana Mater Dei. “I tell them that I cannot pick one because each kid is a little different, but one thing I’ll tell you is one kid that I really, really enjoyed the most that I coached was Juju Smith.”
With Smith-Schuster hoping to win his second Tremendous Bowl, McDuffie can do one higher. The cornerback has superior to a few Tremendous Bowls in three seasons as an expert.
“I don’t think words can really capture what it feels like,” McDuffie mentioned of the Tremendous Bowl streak, “but just humbling and grateful.”
With back-to-back All-Professional seasons, McDuffie has asserted himself as one of many NFL’s high corners. He was Professional Soccer Focus’ second-best rated cornerback this season amongst gamers with greater than two sport appearances. He’s particularly efficient in blitz packages, tying the league file for many sacks by a cornerback of their first two seasons with 4.
McDuffie had 59 tackles, 4 quarterback hits and two interceptions — first of his profession — through the common season taking part in nearly completely out huge after he earned first-team All-Professional honors final season taking part in nickel.
The St. John Bosco alumnus who transferred from Servite earlier than his senior season was “pro-ready” when he arrived in Kansas Metropolis, Chiefs defensive backs coach Dave Merritt mentioned. At 24 years outdated, McDuffie is the primary participant via each drill at follow as a result of his coach is aware of the nook will present the right instance.
“I call him the blueprint,” Merritt mentioned. “I tell all the guys, ‘Hey, if you want to learn how to play a technique, watch Trent.’”
When the Chiefs traded up within the 2017 draft to snag McDuffie with the twenty first choose, Merritt knew how clean of an athlete he was getting. Then he shortly noticed how cerebral the younger participant was. McDuffie not solely realized the Chiefs’ sophisticated protection but additionally may recite it again to coaches.
It was like McDuffie was “22 going on 37,” defensive coordinator Steve Spagunolo would joke with McDuffie’s mom.
The star cornerback is mature past his years as a result of he needed to develop up shortly, he mentioned, after his older brother Tyler died in 2015. The second-oldest of the 5 McDuffie youngsters, Tyler died after a respiratory sickness led to coronary heart failure. Feb. 10, sooner or later after the Tremendous Bowl, can be 10 years since Tyler’s passing.
“I had to learn that life wasn’t what I believed it would be,” McDuffie mentioned. “The biggest blessing is just it brought the family really close. Our bond and how special we are showed me just what true love was like.”
The No. 22 that flashes throughout the sector when McDuffie will get a sack or breaks up a cross is in Tyler’s honor. He wore the identical quantity.
