By Mark Eckel, Player Engagement Insider
There was a lot going on for Chris Maragos in early 2014, the week before Super Bowl XLVIII, and for the Seattle Seahawks safety and special teams’ ace it wasn’t just about stopping the Denver Broncos.
Maragos’ wife, Serah, was expecting their second child any day that week, and after missing the birth of their first child, well you get the problem he faced.
“It was kind of wild,’’ Maragos, who now serves the same role as a safety and special teams standout with the Philadelphia Eagles, said. “The crazy thing was, my second year in the league, 2011, we had our first child and he was born on a Sunday, so I missed his birth. She was back in Michigan and I was in Seattle playing a game. She was distraught, you know, it was our first child.’’
So after now four-year-old Micah was born, Maragos made a pact with his wife.
“I promised her when I finally got to Michigan after the game, I would never miss another birth unless we were playing in the Super Bowl. And sure enough our second son was going to be born the week of the Super Bowl.’’
Did he miss it again?
“We didn’t know when he was going to be born, during the game, maybe, who knows?’’ Maragos said of now two-year-old Mason. “But he held out for us. The game was Sunday the 2nd, and he was born the following Thursday, the 6th. I made it there. We played Sunday, got back Monday, had the parade Wednesday and he was born Thursday.’
Baby waiting aside, the week before the Super Bowl is wild enough for a player, especially those going for the first time.
“It’s pretty surreal,’’ Maragos said. “You grow up dreaming when you’re playing ball with your buddies in the backyard, that you’re running down the field scoring a touchdown in the Super Bowl. And now here you are in the Super Bowl.
“Then, the week leading up to the game is just so different than any other week. There’s a Media Day. And the media was so blown up, because we’re in New York on top of it. And the practice schedule and the obligations that you have are just so different than what you’re used to doing every week.
“But it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity.’’
And so is walking onto the field before the game. It’s not the same feeling a player experiences the other 16 weeks, or even in the playoffs.
“You feel the difference,’’ Maragos said. “I always try to approach every game the same, same mentality, same mindset, but from all the external things going on around you it is different. You’re out on the field and every Hall of Famer, all the celebrities surround you, lining the outside of the field. The energy you feel is just electric. You feel the weight of all the people who are there, all the people who are watching the game.
“Then there are the ramifications of someone is going to win the world championship and someone has gotten all the way to this point and is going to lose and come up a game short.’’
Seattle crushed Denver, 43-8, the game was decided early in the third quarter.
“It’s kind of funny,’’ Maragos said. “The game before, the NFC Championship Game, we beat the 49ers on the final play, the final kick. And it’s a really dramatic moment in our stadium and all that stuff and then in the Super Bowl we scored right out of the half and it was 28-0. We got to celebrate almost for an entire quarter, knowing that we were going to win.’’
Maragos parlayed his Super Bowl experience into a free agent contract with Philadelphia and it’s an experience that will live forever.
“Having experienced a championship, you have so much more in-depth knowledge on how to lead guys, how not to cut corners,’’ he said. “Knowing what it takes to win a championship, you can clue guys in to what to expect, that’s what been most beneficial to me.’’