49ers veterans experience Super Bowl week with their children

Super Bowl week is an exciting time for everybody. Whether you’re a player, coach, fan, or even the son or daughter of somebody involved, chances are you will have a blast.

For some 49ers veterans, this Super Bowl has been more fun for them than previous Super Bowls because their children are getting older, allowing them to understand and experience the excitement to the fullest.

SFBay 49ers beat writer Taylor Wirth will report all week from Miami including Super Bowl 54 at Hard Rock Stadium.

Just a few days ago, Richard Sherman talked about how his son wanted him to win the Super Bowl so that he can bring him home a Super Bowl ring as a birthday present. Sherman talked about why this Super Bowl is more fun this time around:

“It’s been unbelievable, that’s one of the best parts about this experience. That’s what makes it so much different, and it gives you so much more perspective because he’s so aware of it. It’s not like he’s an infant he’s just kind of getting dragged around and doesn’t really know what’s going on. He’s fully aware, he’s like ‘that’s a Super Bowl helmet.’ or ‘hey you guys are in the Super Bowl.’ and ‘if you guys win you get the Super Bowl trophy.’ He fully understands it, and that’s what is so cool to me. The second one, the one we lost, he was a few days from being born. Thankfully he stuck in there, because it’s a cool birthday, he’s born on two-five, which is kind of like I set it up that way. But it really gives you something to fight for, it gives you something to go out there and be a special memory and something he’ll remember forever if we’re able to get it done.”

Joe Staley has been to a Super Bowl before. The difference this time around is that he’s married and has a daughter. I asked him about his daughter’s excitement for the big game. He said:

“Yeah my daughter wasn’t born the first time it came. I wasn’t even married yet, I was dating my wife. It’s cool, they all get out here tomorrow and it’ll be cool to have them out here and experience this, and I know my oldest daughter has been counting down the days. She’s five, so she’s been counting down the days since we won against Green Bay basically. She keeps saying ‘seven more sleeps until Miami!’

Emmanuel Sanders has Super Bowl experience. He said his son follows football very closely and is excited about the experience as well:

“My kids haven’t got here yet, they get here tomorrow. Yeah for sure, my son understands. My son says he remembers the last time I played in a Super Bowl, he was only two years old. He says he remembers it, but he’s definitely going to remember this Super Bowl. My son watches Youtube football all day long. He’s well above his age in terms of football knowledge.”

The other veteran 49ers player who is excited to spend time with his family in Miami is kicker Robbie Gould. When I asked Gould about his family’s excitement, he discussed how his son is actually rooting for him to win Sunday, unlike previous weeks:

“Yeah for sure. I have a six, four, and one-year old and the last time my kids were at a Super Bowl, they weren’t even born. So as a father, this has been kind of a fun run for me to be on with them to see it and be apart of it. I’m really excited for them to get down here tomorrow. My middle son was asked by my wife whether or not you wanted dad to win or lose, and for the last couple of games he’s said that if we lost, dad gets to come home sooner. So his immediate answer was “I want daddy to lose so he can come home.” But the true answer is after he learned it was the last game of the season, dad comes home no matter what. Then he said “I want dad to win,” and I think they’ll start understanding when they get down here. It’s definitely going to be fun to spend time with them and share this moment with them.”

For the 49ers and their families, especially Richard Sherman’s son, they are hoping to kick off the offseason by celebrating a Super Bowl championship.

Taylor Wirth is SFBay’s San Francisco 49ers beat writer. Follow @SFBay and @WirthTM on Twitter and at SFBay.ca for full coverage of 49ers football.