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CNN Live Event/Special
Seahawks Get Revenge On Patriots With Super Bowl Win; Latin Superstar Bad Bunny Headlines Super Bowl Halftime Show; Bad Bunny Celebrates Puerto Rican Culture During His Halftime Show. Aired 11-12p ET
Aired February 08, 2026 - 23:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[23:00:41]
ANDY SCHOLES, CNN HOST: And welcome to the CNN Super Bowl post-game special brought to you by Vanda Pharmaceuticals. And wow, what a performance from the Seattle Seahawks, Elex.
ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN HOST: Elex Michelson here with Andy Scholes.
SCHOLES: Yes.
MICHAELSON: And Super Bowl champion. How are you feeling right now?
SCHOLES: A.J. Barner, how about it?
A.J. BARNER, SEATTLE SEAHAWKS TIGHT END: Feeling great. I just feel like the journey is everything and to be world champs and do it with this team is just super special.
SCHOLES: Yes. One touchdown reception in the game. You got it, right here in the corner of this end zone. I mean, how did that feel?
BARNER: When you prepare and your opportunity comes, I think you just make the play and that's what I did. So big shout out to my teammates and all my coaches for putting me in that position.
MICHAELSON: Walk us through that play.
BARNER: We have a run scheme that we've been running all year and had a pass off of it and was able to get open and our quarterback Sammy found me and just made a play for my team.
MICHAELSON: Talk to us about Sam and his journey and his arc, which seems complete with this win tonight.
BARNER: America loves an underdog story. Everything Sammy's been through, all the ups and downs and to be here in this moment as a world champ, it's everything.
SCHOLES: I mean, the score was 12 to 0, all the way into the fourth quarter. I mean, talk about just the performance from your defense. That was an all timer. BARNER: We expect that from them. Our defense has played incredible
all year. The amount of great players that we have on our defense, that's the expectation. And they did it again.
MICHAELSON: The twelves have also been incredible all year.
BARNER: Yes.
MICHAELSON: We were surrounded by Seattle Seahawks fans. You have a message to that Nation tonight.
BARNER: The 12s are the best in the world. They're a weapon for us. They're an advantage for us and we love them so much and can't wait to celebrate with them.
SCHOLES: I mean, has it soaked in yet? I mean, are you realizing I am a Super Bowl champion now? No one ever going to take that away from me.
BARNER: It's special. I just want to enjoy it with my teammates, all my coaches and just all the work that we put in and the relationships that we've created, that's what it's all about.
MICHAELSON: All right, what are you going to do to celebrate?
BARNER: Man, I'm going to go back in the locker room and enjoy with my teammates.
MICHAELSON: Are you ready to drink? What -- I mean, what are you drinking?
BARNER: Few drinks. Cold beer. Cold beer.
SCHOLES: All right.
MICHAELSON: Congratulations.
SCHOLES: Congratulations
MICHAELSON: World champion.
SCHOLES: Great performance.
BARNER: That's it. God bless.
MICHAELSON: Yes. Thank --
SCHOLES: Thank you for joining us.
MICHAELSON: Thank you so much for joining us. What a way to start the show.
SCHOLES: Oh, my goodness. Of course. I mean, he took a break from celebrating out there on the field with his team. I mean, Elex, what more is there to say about that performance from the Seahawks? I mean, start to finish, all around, it was -- it was dominant. MICHAELSON: Well, they say the defense wins championships, and that
was certainly the case. The Seattle Seahawks have been one of the most dominant defenses all year long. That continued into tonight. You felt like Drake Maye just could not get away. Every time the pressure on him was extraordinary.
SCHOLES: Yes. And look, I mean, sometimes in a Super Bowl, you'll get a high scoring, thrilling game. That was not the case here because the Seahawks just exerted their dominance from the start. You know, we can take a look at some highlights to show you how it all went down.
Early on, you know, they just -- they just imposed their will.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
SCHOLES: -- on the Patriots. And it wasn't even like that the Patriots could get anything going the entire time. Drake Maye was just getting suffocated. They had a shutout going through three quarters. We've never had a shutout in a whole game in the Super Bowl. We almost have one here.
But Jason Myers, what -- or what could you say about him? He was just -- it was his world and were all living in it. He had a Super Bowl record, five field goals in the game. Huge play near the end of the third quarter.
Derick Hall sacking Maye forced the fumble. Seahawks recovered it there. And then we would finally get a touchdown in the game. The person who just joined us, A.J. Barner catching it right here where we are standing --
MICHAELSON: There it is.
SCHOLES: -- from Sam Darnold. And you know, that made it 19-0, Elex. Felt like 100 to 0 at that point, right?
MICHAELSON: Yes. I mean, and then there were -- there were moments where it looked like maybe, possibly they'd come back. But then you see this play right here, and it was just -- it was lights out.
SCHOLES: The interception, 44 yards, returned it for a touchdown.
MICHAELSON: And the yellow Gatorade comes out.
SCHOLES: Yes, Yellow -- hey, Yellow Gatorade for a second straight year. That was a front prop bet if you had it. That was the favorite. But Seattle wins the Super Bowl, 29-13.
You see Mike MacDonald right there. You know, a lot of casual football fans not very familiar with Mike MacDonald, but I tell you what, they are now. what a rising star he is in the NFL.
And let's hear from some of the Seahawks after the win. I think we'll go to Sam Darnold first.
[23:05:06]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SAM DARNOLD, SEATTLE SEAHAWKS QUARTERBACK: It's unbelievable. You know, just everything that's -- that's happened in my career. But to do it with this team, I wouldn't want in any other way. So proud of our guys, our defense. I mean, I can't say enough great things about our defense, our special teams.
All my teammates, all my coaches I've ever had. Always believing in me. I've always believed in myself because of my family and my friends. So it's as simple as that. As long as you believe in yourself, anything's possible.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAELSON: And right after that, I was actually able to talk to some. Well, now we're looking at live pictures from Seattle, where the party is on tonight. People are feeling good up in the Pacific Northwest tonight.
That fan base you talk to NFL players from other teams will tell you that is the hardest place to play in the entire league. It is perhaps the most dedicated fan base in the entire league. And they've got something to celebrate tonight.
SCHOLES: And Elex, extra special feeling with this one, right? Because this is revenge for Super Bowl 49, where they were one yard away from winning the Super Bowl. And then, of course, Malcolm Butler, that epic interception devastated them.
MICHAELSON: Well, and not only that. The Patriots brought out Malcolm Butler tonight to start off the game to remind all the Seahawks fan. He's like literally waving a flag in their face. So then to be able to win, this is especially sweet for all those people who are celebrating right now in Seattle.
SCHOLES: And you talk about the 12s, you know, where were sitting up in the second level, I would -- there was definitely more Seahawks fans. They were definitely louder. They had much more --
MICHAELSON: One more to cheer for, too.
SCHOLES: Yes, much more. A lot more to cheer for. But I think they were out in full force in this one because they could feel that this team was special.
MICHAELSON: Yes. And -- and it was -- it was special. And it's really also special. What's happening right now, folks, is that all of the family members, we saw them all come out onto the field, and they're now having a time to celebrate with their loved ones. And you think about them. Like, I was able to talk briefly to Sam Darnold, who was there with his parents, grew up in Orange County, went to USC, and they've seen him through every step of this and to see the pride in their face. And I asked him, what does it mean to celebrate with your parents? And
he says, it means everything. We'll play that a little bit later on. But just the point is that this isn't just them. These are -- you know, they started as kids in Little League, and these kids and their parents have seen them through, and you see the pride in their faces right now.
SCHOLES: Yes. Now, this was an offensive struggle for the first half. Not a lot of highlights other than Kenneth Walker. He was the only guy really getting anything going. The running back for the Seahawks. He was your Super Bowl MVP. He just had big chunks after big chunks after chunks. Over 100 yards in the Super Bowl.
You know, not many running backs can say they've run for more than 100 yards in a Super Bowl. He was your MVP, and here's what he had to say about the big win after.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KENNETH WALKER III, SEATTLE SEAHAWKS RUNNING BACK: Oh, no, I'm just -- it's just a dream come true, you know, because a lot of people, they'll play their whole career and never make it this far in their career, so it's a blessing. You know, I thank Coach MacDonald and the team, you know, for sticking together.
You know, went through adversity throughout the season, but we stayed together. You know, that adversity showed who were as a team, and, you know, we -- we got a brotherhood going on right now, and it's special.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHOLES: And that -- I mean, that performance from Kenneth Walker, Elex, was even more important because Zach Charbonnet towards, he got injured earlier in the playoffs, was out for the season. You know, they had been like a dynamic duo all season long.
MICHAELSON: Right.
SCHOLES: It was all on his shoulders, and he came through.
MICHAELSON: Well, and it was. And then you think about.
SCHOLES: Look at my guy. Blitz. Come here, Blitz.
MICHAELSON: Okay, look at this.
SCHOLES: Look at this. One of the other stars in the game.
MICHAELSON: What -- what up? What up?
SCHOLES: What do you think about that defensive performance? Blitz.
BLITZ: Yes. Yes. Unbelievable.
SCHOLES: You basically silenced the Patriots like you are right now. So how you -- what's your dance move to celebrate the Super Bowl? You give it a little shimmy?
SCHOLES: I think he's twerking.
MICHAELSON: A little -- a little shimmy o is that a twerk? Yes. Yes. No. No. All right.
SCHOLES: Hey, Blitz. Go enjoy yourself. Go party.
MICHAELSON: Thank you, Blitz. That's a lot of fun.
SCHOLES: Blitz, man, he's going to -- he's going to have a lot of fun celebrating, huh?
MICHAELSON: Yes, he is going to have a lot of fun. We're going to have a lot of fun celebrating with you throughout the night as well. We're going to have more from here after a quick break. Stay with us. You're watching Kickoff by the Bay.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Kick off by the Bay. Brought to you by Vanda Pharmaceuticals. Innovate in the service of people's pursuit of happiness.
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[23:13:30]
MICHAELSON: Welcome back to Kickoff by the Bay. We are live on the field at Levi's Stadium as the Seattle Seahawks celebrate as world champions tonight.
SCHOLES: Yes, Elex, I mean, what a game. What a performance by the team, really all around. You know, they -- early on they knew the defense had their A game, right? And it seemed like the game plan from there was like, let them bring this home.
We'll let the offense make the play when they need to. But make no mistake, this is good. This game is going to be won by the defense and the special teams.
MICHAELSON: And the kicker.
SCHOLES: Yes.
MICHAELSON: So think about this. We saw history tonight, folks. Five field goals by one kicker. That's Jason Myers. We saw him right after the game. Here's some highlights of the -- the many highlights for Jason Myers tonight. As he kept kicking and kept kicking.
Afterwards, I spotted him with his family, with his two young kids. He just looked elated. I asked him what it felt like to make history. He said, who would have thought. He would have thought that we would be able to do this? This is some video that I shot a little earlier.
You see his daughters with the confetti there. Just a really proud moment for that family. And a night where the kicker got to be the star. SCHOLES: Exactly. And what a story for Jason Myers. You know, he was
actually on the jets in 2018 with Sam Darnold, his rookie year. So he's well aware of the career arc for Sam Darnold. He was there at the beginning and now to be here at this moment, that's really cool.
MICHAELSON: The other thing that perhaps got more attention than the game itself was the halftime show. Bad Bunny was the performer. It was really something here. We know it's controversial. A lot of people have different reactions.
[23:15:06]
One place where they have strong reactions is in the Bronx. Maria Santana joins us live from a bar there with a whole lot of Puerto Rican Bad Bunny fans. How did that go there?
MARIA SANTANA, CNN ESPANOL ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: I mean, let me tell you, there was no controversy here. There was only emotion and electricity and energy. Let me tell you, there was. You see my shirt? It says, "I'm just here for Benito Bowl." Of course, Benito is Bad Bunny's birth name. And I can tell you, a lot of people here did not come for the game. They came for Benito.
I mean, there were people singing. There were people dancing. There were people crying. I saw people with tears in their eyes. They told me that this was the greatest display of Latino and Puerto Rican pride they had ever seen on a global stage. And we are here at Barrio BX, a sports bar in the Bronx in the heart of the Puerto Rican community. Most Puerto Ricans in New York live right here in the Bronx.
And if you see the murals, these are all the heroes of the Puerto Rican independence movement. So let's hear what some fans here had to say about this historic halftime show.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was just so emotional. I couldn't believe how important this moment was for us as Latinos. It was such a moment to bring the pop culture into our culture, how we have our presence in this day and age when we are just so uncertain of everything that's happening. And to have such a positive moment and have such a positive force as Bad Bunny, who's really representing all of us, all of our cultures, all of our feelings and everything that's happening.
And now it's just a moment when we feel so proud to be Latin and so proud to be here in America where we are making a stance for our own people. And he's doing that for us. So it was a emotional time for all of us here, and were just so proud of him. And the time that we're in to say, like, we're here, we're human, and we are here to stay.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My reaction, I thought I was going to be crying, but instead I was jumping. It was electrifying every bone in my body. I'm just really proud to be Puerto Rican.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Best night of my life. I felt like it's the best time to just celebrate being Latino and celebrating with the world. (END VIDEOTAPE)
SANTANA: And of course, the song that just brought the entire house down (FOREIGN LANGUAGE). Your Bad Bunny dedicated an entire song to New York in this Grammy winning album. And that means if you want to have fun with charm and delight. All you have to do is live a summer in New York. And I grew up in New York.
I'm Dominican, not Puerto Rican. I felt it too. But I can tell you it has to be done at least once in your lifetime. A summer in New York. The best. That's how special New York is to this community.
New York is actually known as the largest city in Puerto Rico. We're having fun. Still going the party here.
MICHAELSON: All right, Maria, she reports, she translates, she sings, she dances, she does it all. Maria, thank you so much for that. We've got more player fun right here.
SCHOLES: Yes. We're joined right now by Seahawks defensive lineman Jarran Reed. Jarran, I mean, how does it feel to be a Super Bowl champ?
JARRAN REED, SEATTLE SEAHAWKS DEFENSIVE TACKLE: Hey, man, it feels great. You know, I don't think I had time just to take it all in and get pulse.
MICHAELSON: I mean, the dominant performance from the defensive line, that was the story of this Super Bowl.
REED: Absolutely, man. Look, we just said all we had to do was be us. You know, we watch film so much, man. We watch all the tech, all the tendencies they have, you know, all the tails in their offense. And at the end of the day, by the time he got that Thursday, we was ready to play, man. We had to slow down, man.
Guys was ready to hunt. We just ready to come out here and just to let it all out, man, to come win this ring.
MICHAELSON: Yes. When I talked to you earlier this week, you know, I asked you what makes this defense so special, and you said you guys are just a tight knit unit. How, you know, how does it feel to just complete this journey as this unit now?
REED: Oh, it feels good, man. You know, look, shout out to all my guys. We all deserve this, man. We work so hard, we push each other every day to be great. You know, we came out here, you know, we wanted to leave the goose egg on the board, but, you know, we got to finish drives, you know, we got to make up for our mistakes, man. But at the end of the day, we won. You know, we're really mad about that so.
MICHAELSON: So was there a moment where you felt like they're suffocated? We got them, like this thing is over.
REED: You could tell, especially I think after Dereick caused that last sack fumble, that you know, respect to them. But there's no disrespect. There's a little depleted, you know. Another, you know, but look, we work for this, you know what I'm saying? Like, we work hard and now we respect everybody, but we wanted this really bad, you know, and we wanted to make a statement.
[23:20:09]
SCHOLES: What was going through your head when you mostly was taking off with that ball right there?
REED: I was deployed. I don't run. I don't run to the end zone. I knew we had to get ready to get back up and play, man, you know? But, hey, shout out to Chinna, man. He deserves that, man. Everybody here has a journey.
They have -- they have their own story, man. To see him go score that touchdown was great, man. I'm just happy for all my guys.
MICHAELSON: Talk about your journey, though. Starting as a little kid, I'm sure dreaming of being here at the Super Bowl. Now you're here under all the lights as the champion.
REED: Man, look, it's been a long road for me, man. You know, going from Hargrave Military Academy to East Mississippi, Alabama, and 10 years in the league, man. Look, it's something we dreamed about, man. Look, my -- my family right here.
SCHOLES: Yes, I see the kiddos.
REED: My mom, my brother.
MICHAELSON: You guys want to come in, yes.
REED: All right, man. Come on.
SCHOLES: How proud are you of dad? How proud?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Very proud.
SCHOLES: Were you screaming the whole game. Talk about what it was like.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Huh?
MICHAELSON: I mean, was this the most fun you've ever had at a football game?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
REED: Alright. You all back up. You all back up. Back up. B ut yes, man. (Inaudible) early.
SCHOLES: Yes. Coach MacDonald, clearly a rising star in -- in the coaching world. I mean, he showed what he could do on the defensive staff for the Baltimore Ravens. Now with you guys getting you to a Super Bowl championship in two years. What -- what does Coach bring to the table every day? REED: Man, look, he's the best coach in the world. We all respect the
out of Mike. Excuse my language, but okay, look, he deserves -- he deserves all the accolades, man. Look, the work he puts in to prepare us each and every day to have the details down pat for us to be in the right cause. He's a football fanatic.
I'm pretty sure he's about to go watch film and see what we messed up on right now instead of joining the moment. But, man, he's an amazing coach, man, and I'm just thankful to play for him.
SCHOLES: Yes. Let -- I was just going to say -- yes.
MICHAELSON: What is it about this defense that was so different? I mean, because it wasn't just tonight. It was the whole season. What made you different than all the rest of the teams in the league?
REED: You know, I think we felt disrespected, you know, throughout the whole season, you know, just -- just period. Man, we got a great front. We got great guys. We got great linebackers, we got great DBs and we're close, man. We're just more than teammates. We're brothers and that's going to be this way for a long time, man.
Just the memories that we created this season, everything that we've been through, you know, we've been through some good stuff, some bad stuff, but we be in but never break, you know, and that just shows who we are.
SCHOLES: Now it's time to party. What are you going to do to celebrate?
REED: I'm going to be.
SCHOLES: Alright, Jarran, congratulations.
MICHAELSON: You're going to tell your family over there.
SCHOLES: Thank you so much for joining us. Appreciate it. That was Jarran, Jarran Reed.
MICHAELSON: All right.
SCHOLES: Just a part of the epic performance by this Seahawks defense, an all timer here at Super Bowl 60.
MICHAELSON: We're going to sneak in a commercial break. We'll be back with more fun from the field right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[23:26:06]
MICHAELSON: Back live on the field here at Levi's Stadium, partying with the Seahawks, including Connor O'Toole here. And what you got with you here?
CONNOR O'TOOLE, SEATTLE SEAHAWKS LINEBACKER: Hello. A little victory cigar. Victory cigar.
MICHAELSON: Yes. You want to take a puff.
SCHOLES: I don't know if you're allowed to smoke on the field, but you are if you win the Super Bowl.
MICHAELSON: How's that feel?
O'TOOLE: Man, it feels great. No better feeling than that.
MICHAELSON: And smells good.
O'TOOLE: I know it does. A good one, huh?
MICHAELSON: It does. Yes, that's a good one. You deserve it tonight.
SCHOLES: Connor, I mean, just dominant performance from -- from the defense. I mean, you had a pitch in a shutout through three quarters. Just what were you all saying as this game was going on and what was in your head? Like, we're -- we're pulling this out. We've got this.
O'TOOLE: Yes, yes. It was just be us. Like Coach Mike said last week, it's always been about us since OTA, since training camp, since week one to the Super Bowl. You know, we just do what we do every single week. We treat every week like it was a Super Bowl. Going to the weekend, it was just another game for us.
MICHAELSON: How do you define your identity? What is us? What does that mean to you?
O'TOOLE: Yes, it's the culture that Coach Mike's built. It's the relationships that we have. It's the connection that we have. You know, when you have a brotherhood like we do in the locker room, you go to war with your brothers every single weekend. And there's no better feeling than that.
MICHAELSON: Talk about then being able to celebrate with your brothers. What those hugs are like today?
O'TOOLE: Man, it's crazy. You know, you go through such a long season. We've been at it since July, and OTA is even earlier than that, you know, so to be able to end up on top, it's amazing.
SCHOLES: We just spoke to Jaren and He said Coach McDonald's the best coach in the world. What do you think of Coach McDonald and what he brings every day?
O'TOOLE: Yes, I absolutely agree. He's one of the best football coaches I've ever had the opportunity to play under. The way he approaches the game, who he is as a man. You know, obviously he's a football genius, but the culture that he's built, second to none.
MICHAELSON: What have you learned as a man from him that's changed maybe your life away from football?
O'TOOLE: Yes, I think it's just be the same guy every single day. You know, he's the same guy every single day. No matter, like I said, whatever the time is, whatever the circumstances, is coming off a loss, winning the Super Bowl. He's the same guy.
SCHOLES: Yes. A lot of the talk this whole week was, you know, Sam Darnold and him coming from where he was as rookie, you know, a few years with the jets, to where he is now. You know, you're on the sidelines watching him when he's out there. How impressed are you with what he's been able to overcome?
O'TOOLE: Yes, it's such an awesome story. Sam's an awesome guy. I'll go to war with Sam any day. It's been such an opportunity to play with him this year and look forward to seasons to come.
MICHAELSON: And so describe the party tonight, tomorrow, the next few weeks. What's a celebration for you like, man?
O'TOOLE: We're just going to enjoy tonight, enjoy the time with the guys. Go celebrate.
MICHAELSON: Is there a drink of choice?
O'TOOLE: It's going to be fun.
MICHAELSON: Is there a particular thing that you do that you're specially --
O'TOOLE: I had one beer, so, you know, we won't have very many, but we'll have -- we'll have a couple.
SCHOLES: Oh, go enjoy yourself. Don't soak too many of those, though. All right, Connor. Congratulations. Don't forget your phone.
O'TOOLE: Thank you.
MICHAELSON: Thank you. Congratulations.
SCHOLES: There we go.
MICHAELSON: Thank you. That cigar smells great.
SCHOLES: But epic performance, Elex, from the Seahawks defense. Yes. Let's -- let's show you again how it all went down tonight. They made a statement from the start that they were going to be a force to reckon with in this game.
They gave up the least amount of points, you know, in this regular season. They were pitching a shutout through three quarters in this one. They sacked Derick Maye six times, and for a while, you know, Seahawks kicker Jason Myers, it was his world. We were all just living in it. He made a Super Bowl record five field goals in this game.
Huge play near the end of the third quarter, Derick Hall sacks Maye forced to fumble the Seahawks recovery. Then we got finally got the first touchdown of Super Bowl 60, Darnold to A.J. Barner right where we are standing, basically right here.
MICHAELSON: Our guess, our opener. Yes.
SCHOLES: Yes. And that made it 19 to 0. And Elex, it might as well have been 100 to 0 at that point because this Seahawks defense just suffocating Darnold the whole time. Uchenna Nwosu picking that one up. They called that an interception. 44 yards to the house and this one was over at that point.
[23:30:02]
MICHAELSON: Yes. I mean, you thought -- you thought that maybe, maybe the Patriots could score one, maybe two, but you did not think that they were going to be scoring three times on this team. And they. They had some nice distance there. So if --
SCHOLES: You see Mike McDonald just soaking it in after the 29 to 13 win.
MICHAELSON: We've talked a lot about Sam Darnold tonight. Let's listen to more of Sam Darnold after the game.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DARNOLD: What's that? They were not still there? No. The janitor crew here does a great job of cleaning up. So there were no cigars? No.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thanks, man. Last question, guys.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Former jets fan.
DARNOLD: Oh, man.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I interviewed back in 2018 right when you got (inaudible). What would you tell (inaudible) 2018 (inaudible).
DARNOLD: Just keep going. Keep believing in yourself. That's it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you, Sam.
DARNOLD: Say that one more time. I think there's some parallels, for sure. To be honest, I haven't seen that movie or heard about that story in a long time, but I definitely think there's some parallels. Yes. Thanks, guys.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Who -- Sam Darnold, who is now on his fifth NFL team and the first to really stick. You think about. He came out of the University of Southern California as the number one draft pick in a draft that included guys like Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson. And he was a bust.
He's played for five teams, 31 wins as a starter in the last two seasons. He played for four different teams in the last four seasons. Had a good season with the Vikings, not great last year, and ended up here in Seattle and takes Seattle all the way to become Super Bowl champions. SCHOLES: And Elex, it's something -- it's something we've never seen
before in the NFL. Someone going from, you know, he left the jets, the whole fan base considered him a bust. They were angry, weren't fans anymore of Sam Darnold. Goes to the Carolina Panthers. It doesn't go well for him there either.
He actually came here to San Francisco in 2023 to back up Brock Purdy. Learn more from Kyle Shanahan. He credits that year here in San Francisco for really helping him turn his career around.
MICHAELSON: And you talked to Brock Purdy about that? He gave a lot of credit to Sam Darnold, too.
SCHOLES: I did. He did. He said he was a consummate professional. He was always here just grinding every day, trying to learn, trying to get better every single. And that's what Sam has said over and over again.
He said, I just -- I stuck to the grind. I tried to keep doing, getting better and doing my best. You see that moment there with his family.
MICHAELSON: Yes. This is the video that I shot on the field. This is Sam with his parents and who have been with him every step of the way since he was a kid, and to just see the joy on their faces on the field and be around that was really spectacular. I asked him, what does it mean to have your family here? He says it means absolutely everything.
And what a night for Sam Darnold. And what a lesson to kind of all of us to not give up. Sometimes when a one situation isn't great, you keep going. You know, Christian McCaffrey, somebody else who was around here this week, who played with him in Carolina, played with him in San Francisco, said that he's one of his best friends and he's just amazed by him and was rooting for him.
And so he also becomes the first USC quarterback to ever start a Super Bowl game as a USC alum and the first USC quarterback now to ever win a Super Bowl as well.
SCHOLES: And, Elex, what I was getting to is that we'd never seen this before, because no one's ever gone from a bust to leading a team to a Super Bowl championship. You know, Trent Dilfer, he -- he won the title for the Ravens, but he -- he was managing right. Like, you know, they didn't ever count it on Trent Dilfer to really have to go do anything. That defense was so dominant.
So Sam Darnold, this entire season, you know, you were witnessing, too, as a Rams fan, you know, if Sam needed to just manage the game for more or less like he did here in this game.
MICHAELSON: Today.
SCHOLES: Or he needed to go score 30 points, he could do either.
MICHAELSON: Right. SCHOLES: And he proved that over and over again this season and really just proved that, you know, he is that high prospect that was worthy of a third overall pick in the draft.
MICHAELSON: And there's no way that they're here without him, because they would not have beaten the Rams without Sam Darnold's really extraordinary performance. Here's more of Sam Darnold from just moments ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DARNOLD: I'm here because of their belief in me, and they believed in me throughout my entire career. And I think that's why I was able to believe in myself almost ad nauseam. Like, I -- some people called me crazy throughout my career for believing in myself so much and having so much confidence. But, you know, it was because of my parents, because of the way that they believed in me throughout my entire career, and it allowed me to go out there and play free and have a ton of confidence.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[23:35:11]
MICHAELSON: And confidence of source so important when so many people were mocking him for so many years. Having that family there, having that sort of strength and support, regardless, that unconditional love really has made a difference. I think we've got another guest joining us right now.
Congratulations. Looking great.
SCHOLES: Congratulations.
GEORGE HOLANI, SEATTLE SEAHAWKS RUNNING BACK: Thank you. Thank you.
MICHAELSON: George Holani here joining us. World champion. How's that sound?
HOLANI: Sounds great, man. It's still starstruck. So surreal right now, but it's a blessing, man. For sure.
MICHAELSON: Yes. And is this a celebration of your culture?
HOLANI: Yes, for sure. One of the strength staff, he's just (inaudible) straight staff on, and he just was handing out all these lays.
SCHOLES: I mean, talk about what you saw tonight from Kenneth Walker. I mean, just an incredible performance, 135 yards. He's the Super Bowl MVP. How proud are you of what he was able to do tonight?
HOLANI: Man, I'm really proud of that guy. Just seeing what, you know, how much he did for his team and, you know, we see in practice every day the type of guy he is and he continues to show everybody why, you know, he's RB1 and, you know, a star for this team. MICHAELSON: And talk about the chemistry in the running backs room.
You and Zach Charbonnet as well. And just the group and all year long have you sort of grown together?
HOLANI: Yes, it's a real -- it's a real tight knit group for sure. Everything. Whatever happens, you know, we always talk about everything. You know, we talk about on a team, like going through, not around and, you know, we have like real conversations with each other and be able to, you know, keep it 100 each other and just help each other, you know, grow in that room and yes.
SCHOLES: Yes. And we've got some scenes for what's going on right now in Seattle. How big you think the party's going to be there?
HOLANI: Oh, yes. Shout out to 12. You know, we're bringing Lombardi back. It's going to be exciting.
MICHAELSON: Yes. What's that parade going to be like for you?
HOLANI: I'll say it's going to be pretty cool. Just, you know, whatever happens, happens. But yes.
MICHAELSON: Tell me, what's the party like? Talk about what the party's like before you get to the parade. What are you doing tonight? What are you drinking? Where are you going? What are you doing?
HOLANI: Honestly, I don't know. We going to see. I haven't planned anything, but, you know, everybody's already turned in the locker room.
MICHAELSON: Yes, yes.
SCHOLES: There's so much talk about Sam this week and just his career arc and what this game would, you know, really mean to him. You know, you've around him so much this season. What -- what about him just impresses you the most?
HOLANI: He's just, you know, how he carries himself. He's a leader. You know, he stays composed. Whatever happens on the field, he's able to just, you know, knock it off and go to the next play. And, you know, you see that guy, he comes in every day, works his tail off and he's a real leader.
MICHAELSON: When people look back at the legacy of the Seattle Seahawks in a sentence or two, what do you think is the legacy of this year's team?
HOLANI: Honestly, that's a hard question. That's a hard question. You know -- you know, everyone when they talk about the Seahawks, they talk about, you know, that 2013 team, 2014 team. Yes, they talk about a defense. But I think this team is a unique team with, you know, the foundation we built and everybody, the relationships on the team. It's different for sure.
SCHOLES: And it just seemed no matter what the situation was, the team adapted. You know, you've got two great receivers in JSN and Cooper Kupp. You know, they were not the biggest part of this game, but it seemed like whenever you needed a play, they were out there to make it. Can you talk about, like, the dynamic of this team where it's like, whatever's needed, someone will step up and make it happen.
HOLANI: That's what I love about this team. You know, it's always next, you know, next man up mentality where, you know, you have guys who can step up out of nowhere and, you know, do their job to the best of their ability. And I think this offense, you know, they. We have a neutral mindset on offense where, you know, if something goes bad, we're able to just dust it off and, you know, lean on our defense because, you know, our defense really good. They showed us today.
MICHAELSON: Well, it's easy to do that with that defense.
HOLANI: Yes, yes, for sure.
SCHOLES: Was that kind of a little bit of the feeling in the halftime. Let's not mess this up for the defense. They're on a roll.
HOLANI: I mean, yes, you know, we want to do the best we can out there and, you know, go out there and operate, but our defense always has our back and, you know, we're grateful for those guys. Yes.
MICHAELSON: Well, congratulations, man. Looking great, too.
HOLANI: Yes. We're celebrating.
MICHAELSON: Have fun tonight. Thank you very much.
SCHOLES: All right.
MICHAELSON: All right. We are going to sneak in another commercial break, pay some bills, and we'll be back here on the field with more from the Seattle Seahawks world champions.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[23:42:40]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIKE MACDONALD, SEATTLE SEAHAWKS HEAD COACH: I can't believe it. It's like insane.
SCHOLES: What can you say about the performance from your defense?
MACDONALD: Not surprised what they do. Guys pick each other up every time. That's what we've been doing since last year. It's awesome to do at this stage.
SCHOLES: How happy are you for Sam?
MACDONALD: I couldn't be happier for a person. He's such a great guy. He's a world champ. The rest of his life can't take away from him.
(END VIDEO CLIP) SCHOLES: Yes. I caught up with Mike McDonald as he was. As he was
going into the locker room to celebrate with this team. I mean, what a -- what a story for him as well. You know, One of the youngest coaches in the entire NFL.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
SCHOLES: He was a rising star on that Ravens staff. He became the defensive coordinator. Then he was one of the hottest coaching names in the game in his second year, Elex. Super Bowl championship, I mean.
MICHAELSON: And a big reason why he was able to get here was a star wide receiver, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who had the best season of any wide receiver this year. He's speaking now to the media.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
Jaxon SMITH-NJIGBA, SEATTLE SEAHAWKS WIDE RECEIVER: Seahawks, and what in the 12s, what they bring. They bring -- it's something special. They're the best fans in the world. And I'm happy that the world get to see it.
And, you know, we've used their energy all year long, and, you know, we're just ready to keep this thing rolling. Yes, sir.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You tell everybody the needle behind your full name, Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
SMITH-NJIGBA: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, put respect on it. You heard me. You know, Sierra Leonean. You know, my grandfather came to the United States in the 70s, had to work for everything that he had. You know, brought a lot of people over here, brought a lot of family over here, and he was a leader and, you know, took pride in who he was and what he had to give back to.
And I represent -- I represent him. I represent my family. I represent Sierra Leonean, Bo, Freetown. You know, it's an honor just to even say that. I appreciate you asking that question. It's honored to say that up here in front of you all, and I take great pride in it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[23:45:00]
MICHAELSON: Love to see that. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, actually one of his quietest games of the season today. But they didn't really need him because that defense was so strong.
SCHOLES: Yes, and I think, you know, obviously the Patriots were paying a lot of attention over there because even the Seahawks, they had a little bit of a game plan. We're going to go to Cooper Kupp a little more because of how much attention JSN was getting. And you know, Ohio State's had a lot of great receivers. You talk to many of them, they say JSN is the best of them all.
MICHAELSON: I mean, what a season. Really amazing talent and congratulations to him. All right, we are going to sneak in one more break and we're going to bring it home right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MICHAELSON: That's Bad Bunny's halftime show that featured lots of celebrity cameos, including Lady Gaga, Ricky Martin. Part of it, a tribute to his native Puerto Rico. A tribute to all of the countries in north and South America. His message saying, the only thing stronger than hate is love.
[23:50:05]
Maria Santana, somebody who really enjoyed that performance, joining us live from the Bronx once again, where the party is going late into the night. Maria.
SANTANA: I mean, this party started at about noon. That's how long people have been here. And how are you guys feeling? You guys still pumped?
Nobody wants to go home. They're still pumped. They're still singing. They're still dancing. Still feeling that halftime show. We are in the Bronx known as El Condado de la Salsa. The borough where salsa grew and lives, where legends were made in that genre.
And of course, that Bunny has that song, Baile Inolvidable. It's been the most popular salsa song in the world ever. So, I mean, people here, they just had a good time. People were crying. I saw tears in their eyes. They said it was such a great display of Latino and Puerto Rican pride on that global stage.
And I have Tony Martinez with me. He's one of the owners of Barrio BX. This is Barrio BX in the heart of the Puerto Rican community. What was it like for you having all these people come here today and enjoy this moment, Bad Bunny on the global stage, representing Puerto Rico?
TONY MARTINEZ, OWNER, BARRIO BX: It was emotional. It was full of pride. It was a once like an experience shared. We have a common experience that we witness history. You just feel felt it was electrifying.
SANTANA: Yes, absolutely. And I want to thank Tony for letting us be here today. Like I said, nobody wants to go home. I don't know if I'm going to be able to show up to work tomorrow. I mean, (FOREIGN LANGUAGE) photos, you know, that's. I should have taken more pictures. This was a picture-perfect moment. And especially when that song, Nuevayol.
MICHAELSON: Thank you.
SANTANA: Came on. Nuevayol, not with an R, with an L because that's how Puerto Ricans say it, with an L.
MICHAELSON: Okay.
SANTANA: I mean, the house absolutely came down, guys.
SCHOLES: All right, thank you so much, Maria.
MICHAELSON: The only place having more fun than that bar right there in the Bronx is that locker room right now for the Seattle Seahawks. And we're joined right now with the head coach, Mike MacDonald. Coach, congratulations on just completing this journey and winning a Super Bowl. I mean, how do you feel right now?
MACDONALD: Couldn't be any better. I mean, it's honestly, it's surreal right now. You look at the jumbotron, we just -- it was, you know, their quarterback just with our team. Can't wait to go celebrate with them. It's pretty unbelievable.
MICHAELSON: We've talked to a bunch of your players already who really credit you and not only the way that you have changed them on the football field, but the way you've changed them as men, and that the culture that you've created. Describe the -- the Seahawks culture, what you want in terms of these guys, not only on the field, but off.
MACDONALD: Well, I'll tell you what it's not -- it takes -- it takes -- it's a team effort. So we have an incredible staff, coaches, people that really care about our players, and it's an incredible building. It's an incredible organization.
John Schneider deserves a ton of credit for putting all these people together. A lot of these people were here before I showed up.
MICHAELSON: You deserve some credit, too.
MACDONALD: I appreciate that. But, like, my job is to make it come to life and bring it together and also go in the same direction. And I'll just tell you how much fun it is to do it. And it takes a lot of faith from our players to be bought in and kind of say, okay, let's give this thing a shot. And, man, it's just been such a -- such a special group.
So much fun, really proud of them. I mean, it's just incredible. I'm just so happy for the guy because you realize what they do every day and the amount of work that it takes to get to this point, and, man, it's just -- it's just incredible.
SCHOLES: And, Coach, you know, you're only 38 years old. For all the people watching that don't know that. The third youngest coach. Yes, third youngest coach to ever win a Super Bowl. I mean, when you were on the Ravens staff and, you know, getting, you know, promotions and, you know, make the defensive coordinator and then here, did you think you would able to be able to do this so fast?
MACDONALD: No. You know, it's hard to have expectations. And I think what we did a great job, was to say, look, we had a vision of what we want to want, what we wanted to create, and we just went to work. And there's some things that didn't go our way sometimes, and we had a lot of support to help us. And you learn along the way. You just keep growing, get around the right people, and this is the type of stuff you can do. So it's -- it's pretty awesome.
MICHAELSON: And lastly, what can we learn about leadership from this team, especially this defense?
MACDONALD: 12 is one, synergy, man. It really matters when you're connected like that. The way that our guys are connected, the way they love each other, it's a part -- the football teams are the coolest things ever. I mean, you got guys from all over the place that came together for a common goal, all different backgrounds. You learn off each other. I mean, it doesn't get any better than that.
MICHAELSON: Speaking of the 12, though, the 12 was here tonight.
MACDONALD: That's right.
MICHAELSON: Getting loud. The fans for the Seattle Seahawks, described as the best fans in the league.
MACDONALD: Well, they backed it up today. I don't know how much more evidence you need, but if you saw our playoff atmosphere and our games this season, they absolutely backed it up. They're the best. They need to get ready, though, because we're going to be partying this week.
SCHOLES: What are you looking forward to the most?
[23:55:01]
MACDONALD: I made the parade, seeing my wife first, you know, seeing my son, who's pissed off and tired right now. He's about a year old. Love the confetti, everything, man. Just enjoy the experience. It's going to be awesome.
SCHOLES: Congrats again, coach.
MICHAELSON: Congratulations. And I love that necklace. What's that about?
MACDONALD: Says mob. You guys will learn about it. Mob ties.
MICHAELSON: There we go.
SCHOLES: Coach Mike MacDonald. I mean, just an epic coaching run by him in an epic coaching clinic because, you know, that was an all-time great defensive performance he put on. Just one of the biggest rising stars coaching Elex and you know, 38 years old, already got a Super Bowl. I'm guessing we haven't heard the last of that.
MICHAELSON: I mean, it's really amazing how many young coaches there are now. You know, Sean McVay sort of starting that era and we see all this new generation that's taking over the NFL and they have incredible schemes. So as we sort of wrap things up for this show that we're on, although we'll be in our next show as well, a big shout out to the Seattle Seahawks for making so many of their players available. This has been great.
SCHOLES: You can, you know, you could tell how happy they are they're out here. They want to just keep talking about this team. It just goes to show you how much they all love each other. They all just want to keep talking about this win, this performance, this group. So many great stories from Sam Darnold to Coach McDonald, who we just talked to Cooper Kupp.
MICHAELSON: Cooper Kupp.
SCHOLES: Coming up. Cooper's got another --
MICHAELSON: -- who was so disrespected by the Rams and the way he left.
SCHOLES: Yet another Super Bowl title.
MICHAELSON: And now to be able to be out here, it's really great for him.
SCHOLES: Yes. And you know, again, the Seahawks team, a lot of young pieces, great defense. You know, what was the saying, Elex?
MICHAELSON: Defense wins championships.
SCHOLES: Defense wins championships.
MICHAELSON: And that was certainly evidenced here tonight.
SCHOLES: It was on display in Super Bowl 60. Final score was 29 to 13 here at Levi's Stadium. It was a, you know, an awesome night, definitely for all the Seahawks fans and one they'll never forget.
MICHAELSON: So we want to thank you for watching this special presentation Kickoff by the Bay. We'll both be back in our next hour with Polo Sandoval as the news continues here on CNN. And I'll have more tomorrow night on the Story Is, which airs at 9:00 o'clock Pacific every night here on CNN.
Thanks for watching. Congrats to the Seahawks. We'll see you for more after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
