By MATT PIKE
Super Bowl LX on Sunday won't have the Kansas City Chiefs, but it will still have some local flare.
Seattle Seahawks starting center Jalen Sundell has gone from undrafted to starting on the biggest stage in the National Football League.
A native of Maryville, the former Spoofhound earned the starting job this season and has helped lead one of the NFL's most high-powered offenses into the Super Bowl against the New England Patriots.
"It’s made my job really easy I feel like, sometimes I barely touch anybody and we’ve scored a touchdown it feels like sometimes,” Sundell tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “So yeah, it’s been super fun and the guys have been awesome, we’ve been a really close team this year.”
Sundell says through this season he's seen a lot of support from the Maryville community
"A million texts after games and my mom sent me a picture of a sign in our neighborhood,” Sudell says. “Yeah, there’s been a bunch of support, and it’s been great to represent Maryville that way.”
Maryville Spoofhounds head coach Matt Webb, who coached Sundell in high school, says while many around the region may not be as excited for the Super Bowl without the presence of the Chiefs
"Well Maryville is pumped,” Webb explains. “I mean we are excited for the Super Bowl this year, probably more so than when the Kansas City Chiefs are in it just because we’ve got one of our own that’s going to be on the big stage, so yeah a lot of support, a lot of encouragement.”
Sundell has won a championship at every level he's been at; the Seahawks have not won a Super Bowl since 2013. It's also the organization's first appearance in the big game since 2014.
While Sundell knows there's excitement for this game, he says he tries not to let himself get to focused on the big picture of the Super Bowl
"As far as like what it means and the weight behind the game, I just try to focus on one day at a time and focusing on what’s right in front of you,” Sundell says. “And then after the season we’ll look back and really look at what we’ve been done and been able to do and how far I’ve really come.”
The Seahawks face the New England Patriots, two teams that faced the longest shot odds to be in the Super Bowl in the preseason. Kickoff is at 5:30 Sunday on NBC.
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