The great thing about the two weeks before a Super Bowl, and maybe the only thing, since there is what feels like an interminable wait otherwise, is that unexpected stars emerge. Seattle Seahawks fans assumed Marshawn Lynch would say something interesting during the team's two Super Bowl runs in the mid-2010s, but Nick Emmanwori's mon this year? Not really.
Still, Justina Emmanwori has been the breath of fresh air that humanity needs early in 2026. She isn't afraid to be herself, but, like her son, has an immediate likability. Justina also doesn't lack charisma; she exudes it.
She recently made news when she said she knew early in the season that as long as the Seahawks had Nick, the team wouldn't lose. So far, she is correct, though 12s might have felt a bit nervous after Nick went down with an ankle injury in practice before the Super Bowl.
Seattle Seahawks' Nick Emmanwori's mother has the perfect take on the Super Bowl
The positive part is that he has no injury designation and is good to go for the game. The hope is that he will be able to play at full speed because that is part of what makes his game special. He can disrupt from any part of the field because he can catch up to opponents extremely quickly.
But Justina Emmanwori wasn't done being fascinating with just her statement about Seattle not losing. Ahead of the Super Bowl against the New England Patriots, she confessed that she didn't understand what the big fuss was about the title game. It wasn't important in her native Nigeria, so she didn't grow up seeing it as an unofficial American holiday.
She told Noah Chast of ABC's Columbia affiliate when asked about what she was expecting from Super Bowl 60, "To be honest with you, I don't know. Everybody keep asking me, 'Do you know what you are going for?' I said, 'Super Bowl.' They said, 'Do you know how many people would die to go to the Super Bowl?' I'm like, 'How?'...Maybe this is something big that I don't know."
Nick Emmanwori's mom Justina, who is Nigerian, does not yet understand the hype around the Super Bowl 😅
— Noah Chast (@NoahChastTV) February 7, 2026
"Maybe this is something big that I don't know."
Her and the whole Emmanwori family are heading to San Francisco to watch Nick and the Seahawks.@abc_columbia pic.twitter.com/6urpt52SZ0
She definitely has the right approach. In fact, she is there to cheer for her son, the Seattle Seahawks defensive back, but clearly isn't stressed about the importance of the game. Maybe we should all be that way. Many put far too much importance on winning or losing the game instead of 1) simply enjoying the game, and 2) realizing it is just a football game.
Still, come Sunday evening, we will all be glued to our televisions or computer screens hoping for a Seahawks victory. At least, the moments of joy might make up for some more dire aspects of real life.