The season may be long over at the Upper School (US), but that doesn’t mean Varsity Football is taking any days off. From attending team lifts on weekday mornings to scouting possible future opponents in the Super Bowl, football is a year-round sport for these athletes. For insights on this year’s faceoff between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles at the Super Bowl, The Vanguard brought together the US’s own pros: Offensive Lineman Timmy Church, Linebacker Ellery Olson (both ’26), and Cornerback and Running Back Owen DeSalvo ’28. —Matthew Walsh ’26

Who did you want to win? Who did you expect to win?

Owen: I definitely wanted the Eagles to win, but I’m not going to lie, I expected the Chiefs to win, but obviously they didn’t.

Timmy: I wanted the Eagles to win just because the Chiefs have been getting away with so many calls, and I was getting tired of it, so I thought the Eagles would be the perfect team to end this kind of streak.

Ellery: Couldn’t let Mahomes have a three-peat, so I went with the Eagles, making sure he’s not as good as Brady.

What do you think of the Eagles’ tush push?*

Owen: I’m not opposed to the tush push—it’s pretty dominant. People are saying it should be banned, and I don’t really think it should be banned because if other teams can also do it, it’s their choice not to do it and their fault. I think we should add that to our playbook for sure.

Timmy: From an offensive lineman perspective, you have to understand how much that hurts because you’re essentially getting on all fours and just ramming yourself into another person. It’s just head-first, full contact. I’ve seen three or four interviews where the center calls that play “pain.” It’s a very successful play, but it’s built off of how much it hurts for the offensive line.

Ellery: I’m with Owen here. I wouldn’t get rid of the tush push. For us to install it might be a little difficult, but if we can get it done—obviously not at the professional level because it’s high school football—but if we could do something like it, I think it could work.

*Defining terms: Originating in the 2017-2018 season, “tush push” is a play where the quarterback lines up directly behind the center, and a running back and tight end push him forward as the offensive line (O-line) surges into the defensive line. Originally coined ‘the Brotherly Shove,’ the play is typically called when short yardage is needed and was first done by the Eagles.

What stood out to you during the game from the NFL players who play your position?

Owen: I think I have the same play style as Cooper DeJean, so watching him get a pick-six was pretty cool.

Timmy: For the offensive line, the Eagles did a fantastic job in the pass game. They struggled in the run game because Saquon Barkley only got under sixty yards, but the Chiefs’ offensive line didn’t know who they were supposed to block most of the time.

Ellery: Halfway through the second quarter, we had a linebacker with an interception: Tristin McCollum. He dropped back into perfect coverage. It was a bad throw from Patrick Mahomes, but it was still pretty impressive.

Do you think Jalen Hurts deserved to win Super Bowl MVP?

Owen: I think Jalen Hurts is a really good quarterback. I think any quarterback that’s on a really good team is going to get those types of stereotypes where people say he’s only a system quarterback—where he only plays well because he has good players around him—but I think overall Jalen Hurts would be a good quarterback on any team, and his stats back that up, especially in the Super Bowl.

Timmy: I think he’s a good quarterback on his own, but I think the O-line is definitely helping his case. I saw that they were the heaviest O-line on average in Superbowl history—they’re strong enough that they can hold people back for enough time for any skill player to get open.

Ellery: I think he’s great at passing, has great ball placement, and he can definitely hit up his receivers, and they can definitely catch. It’s overall a good team, and Jalen Hurts is definitely a good quarterback.

Do you think you could play your position against the best on the Chiefs and Eagles?

Owen: Hundred percent chance I’m not getting a 10-yard run in an NFL game, but I think that would be pretty fun to try. I think I’d get killed, but I think I could definitely bust a three or four-yard gain, but that’s probably max.

Timmy: Chris Jones is a top-five defensive tackle. I’m getting cooked by Chris Jones.

Ellery: A.J. Brown is one of the fastest receivers in the league. Hell no. He’s also huge.

How does this Super Bowl loss affect Patrick Mahomes’ legacy?

Owen: I think the potential of Patrick Mahomes rivaling Tom Brady was definitely a possibility before this game, but I think his performance and the way he played in the Super Bowl definitely broke down the case, so I would say no, I don’t think Patrick Mahomes is anywhere near Tom Brady in that aspect.

Ellery: Yeah, absolutely not. Tom Brady is definitely a much better quarterback. Patrick Mahomes has to win a lot more Super Bowls, be a better passer.

Timmy: Any time that someone brings up Patrick Mahomes’ legacy versus Tom Brady again, this game is going to be brought up and it’s going to ruin his argument. It’s going to be the one thing that is going to weigh his career down.

What did you think of the halftime show?

Owen: I actually kind of enjoyed it. I’m not a Kendrick hater—I actually enjoy his music. I do think, however, it was more meant for the TV viewers and perspective. Watching it live would have been terrible because of the way it was set up. Overall, I think the music was good. I liked it.

Timmy: For me, I listen to a lot of Kendrick Lamar, but the song choice could have been better. I mean his own cousin, Baby Keem, they have a bunch of popular songs together that could have been used that would have been a great vibe for a halftime show. “Family Ties” is that good of a song to hype people up. So, I think the song choice was kind of subpar, considering the type of music Kendrick makes.

Ellery: I didn’t really enjoy it. I don’t really listen to Kendrick.

What are your thoughts on Taylor Swift and her media attention at NFL games?

Owen: I really dislike the attention Taylor Swift gets on TV. I think Taylor Swift will make an album for Travis Kelce at some point, but as of now, I just really despise Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce and how they get portrayed on social media and on television.

Timmy: I mean, for me, I do not care. Every time I see an Instagram post like, “Oh Travis Kelce, Taylor Swift,” I scroll past it. I ignore it. I couldn’t care less.

Ellery: I stay focused on football, and I don’t really care if there’s a singer there. Just keep the focus on football, and it doesn’t have much to do with it, so why would you show it on national television?