After former Washington State defensive backs Jaden Hicks and Jaylen Watson took the field for Super Bowl LIX last Sunday, a new chapter has been written in WSU’s NFL legacy.
Robbie Tobeck, a former WSU center (1991-93), knows firsthand what it takes to reach the Super Bowl—not once, but twice.
Tobeck would sign with the Atlanta Falcons in 1993 as an undrafted free agent after his time in Pullman and spent 14 years in the league. He joined the Seattle Seahawks in the 2000 season, where he would retire after 2006.
Over his NFL career, he played in two Super Bowls: first with the Falcons in Super Bowl XXXIII on January 31, 1999, and later with the Seahawks in Super Bowl XL on February 5, 2006.
“The first Super Bowl, I was wanting to take it all in, take in the experience,” Tobeck said. “Then seven years later, I got to another Super Bowl with another team. At that point, I didn’t want to take it all in—I knew how hard it is to get there, and I was fortunate to get there twice.”
Beyond the game itself, Tobeck emphasized the unifying power of the Super Bowl.
“The Super Bowl is the one thing that brings a city together, a community together. There’s nothing else, that brings people together like that,” said Tobeck. “Man, I mean, everyone was wearing Seahawks jerseys.”
As for Hicks and Watson, Tobeck offered them some advice as they prepared for their moment on the sport’s biggest stage.
“I would just tell them to enjoy the moments, but remember why you’re there—because you want to win this game,” said Tobeck. “It takes a while to recover from a Super Bowl loss, so enjoy the moment, because it’s so hard to get there.”
Jason David, a former WSU defensive back (2000-03) has also been to the big game and came home with a ring. The Indianapolis Colts drafted David in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL draft and he would spend five years in the league, three with the Colts and two with the New Orleans Saints. He was a part of the Indianapolis Colts’ Super Bowl XLI Championship team on February 4, 2007, in Miami.
“Every step walking through the tunnel, every sound you hear, all the way up at the top, looking at the camera, people moving around, doing their job,” said David. “Those are the things that they are going to remember more than a time clock or more than a big play.”
“The game is so big that in practice you try to emulate that kind of energy and that feeling in the stadium and so obviously, winning the game in the end is super special, said David. “ I still have my cleats at home with the confetti underneath them.”
David also emphasized how fleeting the Super Bowl experience is and also gave some advice to Hicks and Watson.
“Those moments where you’re preparing for the game, I think we take for granted because we’ve been doing it our whole life. But the Super Bowl doesn’t come day in and day out, or from the age of 14,” said David. “So if I had any advice for those guys, it’s take it all in.”
