Standing teary-eyed under a shower of confetti as she hugged her dad on the field after the Super Bowl, it was just like what Megan Rosburg had seen on TV growing up.
Except this time it was happening to her, after the Baltimore Ravens beat the San Francisco 49ers and her lifelong wish of being a Super Bowl champ came true.
“It was everything I’ve ever dreamed of,” Rosburg said. “Every birthday wish, every coin you throw in the well since my dad made it to the NFL in third grade; that has been my wish forever. To see that all come true and see all of my dad’s hard work finally payoff is unbelievable. It was the best day ever.”
Rosburg’s dad, Jerry, is the Ravens assistant head coach/special teams coordinator and is the one who coached a unit that recorded the longest kick return for a touchdown in Super Bowl history. He also thought of the idea for punter Sam Koch to run down the clock at the end of the game and take a safety instead of kicking it away and giving the 49ers’ offense a chance to win the game.
“At first we’re all like oh my gosh, oh my gosh, what is he doing?” Rosburg remembered thinking when the Ravens took that safety. “And then we were like, ‘This is genius! Way to go dad!”
For Rosburg, as someone who refers to the Harbaugh brothers as Jimmy and John and calls Ravens linebacker and special teams ace Brendon Ayanbadejo “B.A.”, the script was flipped. A sophomore outside hitter/defensive specialist on the AU volleyball team, she’s used to having complete control over the outcome of games. But this time, all she could do was sit and watch.
“It’s weird because all you can do is cheer, and I have no impact on the game,” she said. “But it’s awesome. I wouldn’t trade it for anything. It’s funny because there’s nothing you can do but I really enjoy it.”
Rosburg spent nearly five days in New Orleans and said she was nervous for practically the whole time. In the days leading up to the game, Rosburg and her family walked around the city and saw sites like the Saint Louis Cemetery. They also enjoyed a Super Bowl FanFest inside the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center where Rosburg participated in different competitions that involved kicking field goals and throwing footballs through targets.
However, the most memorable moment was the game experience. Although certain moments like the blackout, Jacoby Jones returning the second half kickoff for a touchdown and the final play stand out, there’s one memory in particular that Rosburg will always cherish.
“The thing I’ll carry with me forever was when I hugged my dad,” she said. “Seeing him and hugging him for a long time, I’ll hold that moment forever. He just told me how much he loved me and how everything we’ve sacrificed to get to this point was all worth it now. It was really, really amazing.”
jpaunil@theeagleonline.com
