NEW ORLEANS — When Trent McDuffie positioned himself close to the road of scrimmage on a season-defining fourth-and-five, Jason Negro had an concept of what his former star might do. It’s what the Bellflower St. John Bosco alumnus has executed for years.
Make the play.
McDuffie’s crimson No. 22 jersey flashed within the backfield on a superbly timed, fourth-down blitz within the AFC championship recreation 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 attain that stage of success and have that form of efficiency,” mentioned Negro, McDuffie’s highschool coach. “I’m form of perplexed.”
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 recreation for the second time within the final three years.
Smith-Schuster and McDuffie each performed essential roles within the Chiefs’ 2022 Tremendous Bowl win over the Eagles as McDuffie, then a rookie, had 5 tackles and a pressured fumble. Smith-Schuster, who starred at USC after his Lengthy Seaside 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 provided a snug homecoming this season.
“Once I left this group, that they had a terrific tradition,” Smith-Schuster mentioned, “after which coming again two years later, it’s the identical.”
When the Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Smith-Schuster within the second spherical out of USC, he was simply 20 years outdated.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 in the course of 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 Seaside 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 in the course of the common season. The Chiefs additionally added 12-year veteran DeAndre Hopkins in October, and the five-time Professional Bowl participant was the group’s third-leading go catcher, behind tight finish Travis Kelce and Worthy.
As an alternative of fretting a couple of diminished position 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 numerous skillsets and backgrounds of his teammates.
Former Lengthy Seaside 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 recreation suspension for failing to speak with coaches about an absence from follow. He voluntarily coached a youthful teammate to organize for a playoff recreation.
“Folks all the time ask me who was in all probability the very best soccer participant you ever coached at Lengthy Seaside Poly,” mentioned Lara, who’s now the pinnacle coach at Santa Ana Mater Dei. “I inform them that I can’t choose one as a result of every child is just a little completely different, however one factor I’ll inform you is one child that I actually, actually loved probably 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 3 Tremendous Bowls in three seasons as an expert.
“I don’t suppose phrases can actually seize what it seems like,” McDuffie mentioned of the Tremendous Bowl streak, “however simply humbling and grateful.”
With back-to-back All-Professional seasons, McDuffie has asserted himself as one of many NFL’s prime corners. He was Professional Soccer Focus’ second-best rated cornerback this season amongst gamers with greater than two recreation appearances. He’s particularly efficient in blitz packages, tying the league document 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 — in the course of the common season enjoying virtually solely out extensive after he earned first-team All-Professional honors final season enjoying 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 by each drill at follow as a result of his coach is aware of the nook will present the right instance.
“I name him the blueprint,” Merritt mentioned. “I inform all the blokes, ‘Hey, if you wish to discover ways to play a method, 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 discovered the Chiefs’ difficult protection but in addition might recite it again to coaches.
It was like McDuffie was “22 happening 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 kids, Tyler died after a respiratory sickness led to coronary heart failure. Feb. 10, sooner or later after the Tremendous Bowl, shall be 10 years since Tyler’s passing.
“I needed to be taught that life wasn’t what I believed it will be,” McDuffie mentioned. “The largest blessing is simply it introduced the household actually shut. Our bond and the way particular we’re confirmed me simply what real love was like.”
The No. 22 that flashes throughout the sphere when McDuffie will get a sack or breaks up a go is in Tyler’s honor. He wore the identical quantity.