Knights alumni achieve football's ultimate prize. Two former UCF players triumph, one rookie and one veteran, hoisting the Lombardi Trophy.
As the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots took the field Sunday for Super Bowl LX, three Knights alumni prepared for the biggest game of their lives.
Offensive tackle Amari Kight and defensive back Shaquill Griffin represented Seattle, while safety Richie Grant was the lone Patriots representative. Kight and Griffin were on the winning side, hoisting the Lombardi Trophy after a 29-13 championship victory.
For Kight, he couldn't have asked for a better rookie season. The former standout UCF offensive tackle went undrafted last year after two years with the Knights.
Kight spoke to Sports Spectrum before the big game about what this moment meant to him.
"Its a surreal feeling. Its really just a blessing," Kight said. "Its just something that I've dreamed of as a kid."
Unfortunately, Kight was unable to suit up in the Super Bowl as he was placed on injured reserve last Tuesday with a knee injury, but his team rallied without him.
Kight started his career at Alabama after being rated the No. 8 offensive tackle and No. 30 player on ESPN300 for the 2019 class. He joined UCF for his final two seasons, becoming a reliable piece of the trenches. Kight started 22 of the 25 possible games, providing consistent protection numerous UCF quarterbacks.
Kight appeared in four games this season for the Seahawks with each game he played in resulting in a win.
Griffin, a former All-American Athletic Conference Second Teamer, finished his ninth season with a Super Bowl victory, returning to the franchise that drafted him back in 2017.
His best season was in 2016, when Griffin caught a team-high four interceptions and had a team-best fifteen pass breakups en route to second team honors.
Griffin was originally picked 90th overall by the Seahawks almost a decade ago, before spending four seasons with the team. In 2019, Griffin was named a Pro-Bowler thanks to his 65 total tackles and 13 passes defended.
He then bounced around a bit, spending time with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Houston Texans, Carolina Panthers, and Minnesota Vikings. However, Griffin returned to the Seahawks this past season on a one-year deal, playing limited minutes on one of the NFL's top defensive units.
Griffin's best game of the season came against the Jaguars, his old team. Griffin was all over the field, scoring seven tackles and helping hold the Jaguars to just 12 points and a 20-12 defeat.
Now, both of these former UCF standouts have achieved the pinnacle of success within their sports. One rookie and one veteran now share something they will never forget - winning the Super Bowl