What Super Bowl LV Means to Me

As I sat and watched the clock hit :00 with my hands folded in prayer, I thought to myself “Is this really happening? Are we really going back to the Super Bowl?!”

I feel blessed to be a part of this, even if it’s from a distance. To understand exactly what this means to me, you have to go back to my childhood.

I started watching football around 1998. My first memories of the game are watching Mike Alstott run through defenders at Raymond James Stadium in red and pewter and Warren Sapp “killing” QBs. My father, a Jets fan, couldn’t get me to cheer for his team. When I saw those colors, those players, those cannons firing, those fans cheering...I was hooked.

From there, I was the black sheep. In a family full of New Yorkers, I was alone in cheering on the pewter pirates of Tampa Bay. My dad knew how much I liked them and made an effort to take me to one Bucs game a year (usually when the Jets had a bye week). And while I felt accepted and supported, I was still offered chance after chance to change my support over to Gang Green. Even in the years where the Jets enjoyed success, I held strong. It led to some ridicule at family gatherings, but I could handle it.

Fast forward a bit to 2002. I saw a defense that dreams were made of. Mr. Derrick Brooks scoring touchdowns, Sapp still “killing” QBs, John Lynch manning the secondary and Rondé Barber acting as a jack-of-all trades. I didn’t know it then, but what a rare team that truly was once-in-a-generation. Jon Gruden came to town and took us to the promise land, where we dominated the Raiders. 12-year-old Nick was on cloud nine.

It was one of the best moments of my life, but I didn’t realize how difficult those moments were to obtain.

I was all in on a team that had so many struggles before my lifetime, and in the years ahead, I would learn about the team’s struggles first hand. It took us a few more years to win a division title again, which we did in 2005 and 2007. My dad attended our 2007 playoff game with me to see us lose to Eli Manning and the Giants. I didn’t know it then, but it would be a long time until I got to witness the playoffs again.

From here, the story becomes a blur. We fire Gruden in 2009 and hire Raheem Morris. We have one winning season in 2010, but miss the playoffs. We go from Morris to Greg Schiano, and from Schiano to Lovie Smith.

We’ll pick up my story in 2015. The year prior, I was covering the Bucs for some online publications for literally no money. I had all this team knowledge, but didn’t know the first thing about getting started in the industry. So I wrote, wrote and wrote some more while working retail to earn some cash. The second year of Lovie’s stint as head coach, I applied for the Buccaneer Street Team. I had a great interview, got the job and met some wonderful people. I just remember sitting in the lobby of One Buccaneer Place thinking “I can’t believe I’m here.” For the first time in my life, I felt a resounding sense of belonging. I knew I was meant to be there.

My first assignment with the Street Team was the 2015 Draft Party. I was on the field, setting up and running game booths for young fans. It was such a great feeling getting to interact with kids that could become lifelong fans like me. We had the first overall pick, and I watched the video boards with a rowdy group of fans as we selected Jameis Winston, QB, FSU.

That season was great. The team wasn’t very successful, but I got to work some incredible events around Tampa Bay as an ambassador of team—something I still take much pride in. From playing football with kids at churches to giving away free gear at a military family fun day at MacDill Air Force Base on my 25th birthday, I wouldn’t trade those experiences for anything.

As the last game of the season was ending, I walked up to my boss Steve Fidura. He was running Street Team at the time, and I knew that this organization is where I wanted to be in my career. I told him my goals and aspirations, and he replied with something that helped me immensely: figure out the one skill you can bring to the table, find the role that fits, and keep applying over and over.

I left feeling discouraged, but kept his words in mind. I was not retained for Street Team the following year. I felt rejected, like the team saw me, and knew they didn’t want me. Would I still be a fan? Of course, but I was hurt.

Still working retail, the store I worked at was closing down for good and I needed to find work. An old acquaintance of mine hooked me up with marketing job for car manufacturers and brands. I’d be proofreading and editing copy for their email campaigns. It’s not what I wanted, but it was a job.

Eventually, I got really good at it. After about two years, I worked my way up to a new position with more responsibility and pressure. It was a newly-created position in the company, and the pressure of having to perform, as well as my lack of passion for the job overall, made me incredibly depressed. I felt lost—like I wasn’t living out my true purpose.

That’s when I saw the job opening. TeamworkOnline sent me a notification for the Buccaneers’ Copywriter position opening. Still hurting from my past rejections from the team, I didn’t feel confident, and I didn’t apply. I figured that I wasn’t meant for that life anymore.

A month goes by. The job listing disappeared, then reappeared as new. The day I saw it again was a particularly bad one at work. That’s when I decided I was going to make it happen. I read the job description again and again and again. I went through each line and realized that in my time in marketing, I developed and honed all the skills I needed. I checked every box of what they were looking for. Steve Fidura was right. I now knew what I brought to the table, and this was the role that fit.

I landed a video interview, took a super long lunch to go to the public library blocks away from the company I was at to use the unstable-but-free wi-fi. The only seats were outside in the Florida heat, and I was sweating in a suit.

I got past that stage and was brought in for two more interviews. Each was short, and I doubted myself after both. But in November 2018, they offered me the job and I accepted on the spot.

Since then, not only am I an official part of the Buccaneers organization, the team has become my family. The job has become my life’s work. The atmosphere is ingrained my being. I’ve helped market to fans like me, met incredible professionals that are now my lifelong friends, and have experienced the rush of seeing and hearing my work in public spaces for all to take in. It’s not just me—it’s our creative team, sales, guest relations...from top to bottom, I care so much about what we’re doing, and the whole team of co-workers I get to enjoy this with.

In my second full season, during a global pandemic, I’ve been dealing with unrelated health issues. These obstacles have affected every aspect of my daily life, including not being there with my Bucs family on gamedays. And not being there physically means doubting if I belong again mentally. I don’t get to see or talk to my co-workers regularly, so this season has been enjoyed from a distance. I wish we could have welcomed Tom, Gronk and Tristan in person like we would have in past years. I really wanted to see what Gronk is like in the cafeteria at lunch time 😂.

But for all my daily struggles—physically or mentally—the doctor appointments, the lack of mobility and social interaction, the imposter syndrome that makes me feel like just a fan who doesn’t belong, this season has been a blessing.

It taught me to believe again. It taught me miracles can happen. It taught me that good things happen to those who wait.

And boy, Tampa Bay—we have waited! You couldn’t have dreamed up this team in a lab, but alas, it’s real and so much fun to watch. The season had its ups and downs, but now we’re here...home for the Super Bowl!

For all of us fans that stood by through the bad times, it’s validation. For the kid who dreamed up a career working for the team he loves, it’s everything. For the man who is struggling to keep his health, it’s much-needed happiness for a year that has, otherwise, beat him down.

As we wait for Super Bowl LV to kickoff, I reflect on all this so I can remember to enjoy the ride. My dad saw his Jets play in Super Bowl III and win. They haven’t returned since.

I get to see my team play for a second championship in just 18 years, and I get to do it as a direct contributor to the organization. That is so damn special, and I hope the team can win it all so I can share the joy with my whole family.

This upcoming game means everything. It’s for my family, my co-workers, my city, and to create more fans like me that go on to live out their wildest dreams.

Go Bucs.