The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

A PROUD Bahamian mother watched as her son completed a fairytale journey on Sunday - becoming a Super Bowl winner at the same stadium where he used to serve beers and pizzas.

Laurie Fenton watched as her son, Rashad Fenton, played as a cornerback for the Kansas City Chiefs in their come-from-behind 31-20 victory over the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LIV at Miami Gardens in Florida.

Mrs Fenton was at the Hard Rock Stadium as the Chiefs overcame a ten-point deficit and scored the final 21 points to win the Lombardi Trophy for the first time in 50 years.

"It was a dog fight," was how she summed it up. "It was good."

She noted that except for meeting her son on the field at the end of the game for a brief interview, they didn't have any time to celebrate as he was ushered off to join his team-mates at their hotel.

She noted that she went home and had a good night's sleep knowing that the Chiefs had completed the mission.

Rashad Fenton, who seven years ago worked at the concession stand at the Hard Rock Stadium to become an NFL champion, told USA Today Sports after the match that the feeling was "surreal". He said: "I used to work here every weekend. I was making beers, making pizzas from scratch. Now I'm a world champion here. It's surreal."

His former high school coach, Aubrey Hill, told the Associated Press: "Guys like Rashad, we need his stories because he represents hope. Kids need hope here because of their daily hardships. There can be gun violence in your neighbourhood, but someone is going to the Super Bowl, that's hope. If mom or dad isn't there and they're being raised by a grandparent, they need hope. They need hope from people like Rashad. He's a constant reminder for the kid who's been beaten down and needs positive reinforcement."

Fenton, the Chiefs' sixth-round pick in the 2019 draft, attended Miami Carol City High School in Miami and then went on to play for South Carolina.

The 22-year-old 5-feet, 1-inches, and 188-pounder is the son of Laurie Fenton, a Bahamian graduate from RM Bailey High School who went on to attend St Thomas and Barry University where she met his father, Rohan Fenton.

Also celebrating was Bahamian Devard Darling, a former NFL player with Kansas City.

Darling, who was in Seattle, Washington, where he is preparing for the funeral service of his mother, Wendy Ann Daring on Saturday, said it was a fantastic win.

"It's been about 50 years since they last won, so it was good to see an organisation like that bring home the Lombardi Trophy," Darling said. "It was special.

"The group of receivers and the quarterback they have, they can be the team to watch for a long time. Their defence stepped up and they played well when they had too."

Patrick Mahomes was named the Super Bowl MVP, adding to his league MVP from last year as he became just the third player, joining Ben Roethlisberger and Tom Bardy as the only quarterbacks to hoist the Lombardi Trophy before their 25th birthday.

Darling, who played for two seasons with the Chiefs from 2008-09, said he glad to have played for Kansas City after spending his four seasons in the NFL with the Baltimore Ravens from 2004-2007 after being drafted in the third round in 2004.

"I'm happy to say that I played for that organisation," said Darling, who ended his career with the Houston Texans in 2011. "The Hunt family (owners of the Chiefs) is one of the foundational families in the NFL and to play in front of those fands in Arrowhead Arena was a great experience.

"I'm more than happy and elated that they brought the Lombardi back. So it was definitely a great win. I was pulling for them the whole time. I glad it didn't come back to the Chiefs versus the Ravens match-up because that would have been a tough one for me."

On Fenton's appearance on the team, while Darling said he didn't know that he was a Bahamian, he was glad to know that he made his presence felt for his former team.