By Bianca Bryant
Medill Reports
SAN JOSE, Calif. – Before Devon Witherspoon was preparing for Super Bowl LX as a lockdown cornerback for the Seattle Seahawks, he was a kid in Pensacola, Florida, who wasn’t even playing football.
Pensacola, known for its white-sand beaches and sunny weather on the panhandle of Florida, is where Witherspoon developed his athletic prowess. He already stood out in basketball and track at Pine Forest High School. During his junior year, his persistent mother and a lifelong mentor convinced him to give football a try.
“I knew from the way he handled the ball (in basketball), he’d be intangible as a (defensive back),” said Marquette Oliver, his coach and mentor.
Oliver coached Witherspoon in Amateur Athetlic Union basketball and saw his NFL potential.
After receiving his first Division I scholarship offer in football, Witherspoon said he knew he needed to stick with the sport. That decision changed Witherspoon’s life and gave the Pensacola community a hometown hero who hasn’t forgotten where he started.
“It means everything. It’s where I grew up, it’s my natural home,” Witherspoon said. “Without that community, I wouldn’t be who I am today.”
Despite his athleticism, Witherspoon’s path to the NFL and Super Bowl Sunday almost required a detour.
Andrew Krause, who recruited the Pensacola area for Hutchinson Community College, recalls Witherspoon practicing for a week at the Kansas junior college while waiting on a final standardized test score. That score would determine if Witherspoon could officially commit to and attend the University of Illinois.
“Did I know he was good enough to go to a Power Five (school)? No question about it,” Krause said. “Those are the only guys we recruit. The physical part isn’t hard to tell.”
The score eventually cleared, allowing Witherspoon to bypass the junior college route and join the Fighting Illini. There, he blossomed into a consensus All-American and the highest-drafted defensive back in the school’s history, being selected fifth overall by the Seahawks in 2023.
Oliver, who has known Witherspoon since he was an infant, says success hasn’t changed the man.
“He’s that guy, and we knew it from the first day,” Oliver said. “He’s been a leader, always been a leader.”
Oliver is organizing a community watch party for the Super Bowl, an event that will feature Seahawks merchandise and a raffle for an autographed jersey. It’s a reflection of a community Oliver says is fully behind their star.
Witherspoon has quietly reciprocated that support. He recently donated money and backpacks filled with school supplies to local students, often insisting on doing so anonymously.
“He loves the kids and the community,” Oliver said. “He’s never too busy.”
On the field, Witherspoon is known for a high-octane playing style and occasional trash talking. For him, the vocal energy is simply a byproduct of his passion.
“I love what I do, and I like to express that on the field,” Witherspoon said.
As he prepares for his next challenge on Sunday, Witherspoon’s message to young athletes is to stay present, even as the world of sports becomes increasingly monetized.
“Enjoy your process on the way up,” Witherspoon said. “I know it moves pretty fast nowadays … but don’t forget to enjoy the moments you have being a kid.”
For Pensacola, Witherspoon is more than just a top-five NFL draft pick; he is a testament to what happens when talent meets a community that refuses to let it go to waste.
“As long as you put your mind to it, anything you wanna do, you can do it,” Witherspoon said. “And we accomplished that.”
Bianca Bryant is a sports media specialization graduate student at Medill.