Roswell, Georgia was experiencing a surreal moment during the Super Bowl 60 postgame ceremony, as Centennial High School's own Mike Macdonald and Maria Taylor shared the stage during the Lombardi Trophy presentation. The Seattle Seahawks head coach and NBC Sports host graduated a year apart from each other and both earned degrees from the University of Georgia. They shared a warm embrace before the proceedings, one that nicely underscores how beautifully unpredictable life can be sometimes.
Their former classmates and teachers can take pride in knowing that the Knights were well represented during America's biggest sporting event. Macdonald and Taylor faced their own unique challenges on their way to Levi's Stadium, but a good portion of those respective journeys were forged under the same roof and campus. Forever linked by The Peach State, these two individuals were probably brimming with nostalgia when they left the field on Sunday night.
Macdonald majored in finance at Georgia and interviewed for a job as an accountant over a decade ago. Now, he is a Super Bowl champion and one of the most lauded coaches in the sport today. The 38-year-old rejuvenated a stagnating franchise that had not advanced to the NFC Championship since the 2014-15 campaign. Under his helm, the Seahawks' defense reached terrifying heights, Sam Darnold blossomed into a big-game quarterback and Jaxon Smith-Njigba established himself as an elite wide receiver.
Macdonald's decision to choose football was validated long before Seattle's 29-13 championship victory over New England, but the outcome is incontrovertible proof of his excellence.
When NFL teams look for their next head coach, they may now say something like “this guy could be the next Mike Macdonald.” Perhaps a studio executive will the same in regards to Maria Taylor. And there was a time they were each lugging their books through the halls of Centennial High.
