Sophomore John Monke receives tickets day before Super Bowl LII

This year I held the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to attend the Super Bowl LII matchup between the New England Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles. I was speechless when I received the tickets for my 17th birthday the night before the game, Feb. 3.

Super Bowl LII took place in Minneapolis, Minnesota. My dad, uncle and I flew from Newport Beach, California, at 7 a.m., to a small airport in New Richmond, Wisconsin. We arrived at 12:50 p.m. and drove to U.S. Bank Stadium, home to the Minnesota Vikings, where the Super Bowl was to take place. The temperature outside at that time was -2°F but felt like -16°F with a wind chill.

However, this did not stop fans from partying on the streets before the game. There was entertainment everywhere, such as music and dancing as well as several giant ice statues posed in front of for photographs. It was at that moment walking down the streets I actually realized I was at the Super Bowl. This realization made me think how amazingly lucky I was to have this unbelievable experience.

The biggest moment of the game was during the Patriots last drive while down by five with under three minutes left in the fourth quater. On the second play of the drive, Tom Brady, the quarterback of the Patriots, was stripped sacked and the Eagles recovered the ball. The loudest cheer came after that play as every Eagles fan were jumping, screaming and high fiving each other, causing the stadium to vibrate and shake. — John Monke

Entering into the stadium was the hardest part of the whole day. Almost everyone needed to enter the stadium, funneling through one gate as it was the only one where fans were not waiting outside.

U.S. Bank Stadium is one of the newest stadium in the National Football League (NFL) first opening in the 2016-17 season. The stadium does not feature retractable roof because of the designs. The roof itself is covered with glass so sunlight can shine through but still blocks out the cold.

I sat with my dad around the 20-yard line. When I sat down and looked around, I was completely speechless. Between the noise and frantic fans everywhere, it will remain one of the craziest, yet amazing events I have witnessed. Watching the Patriots and Eagles warm up in front of my own eyes at the Super Bowl was something I never thought I would ever do in my life.

There were more Eagles fans than Patriots because the Eagles have never won a Super Bowl before. They were loud and high spirited throughout the entirety of the game. The game itself was one of the most exciting Super Bowls in recent history. Both team’s offense could not be stopped as there was one lone punt in the entire game– a Super Bowl record. The back and forth game kept everyone in the stadium on their feet.

The biggest moment of the game was during the Patriots last drive while down by five with under three minutes left in the fourth quarter. On the second play of the drive, Tom Brady, the quarterback of the Patriots, was stripped sacked and the Eagles recovered the ball. The loudest cheer came after that play as every Eagles fan were jumping, screaming and high fiving each other, causing the stadium to vibrate and shake.

The outcome of the game did not go in my favor as I have been a lifelong Patriots fan. But this was one of the coolest events of my life and I will always remember every single moment of that day.

With the Patriots down by eight points and only nine seconds left in the game, they had one last play. The final play of Super Bowl LII resulted in New England throwing an incomplete hail mary.

https://twitter.com/Eagles/status/960353484481601536

I am extremely thankful for my parents and my family for allowing me this experience. Go Patriots! The video below is the New England Patriots entering the stadium right before kickoff.

Footage shot by John Monke.

For more sports articles, read Challenges of balancing academics, athletics. For more columns, read International student adapts to American academic system.

This author can be reached via twitter @JohnMonke and via email: John Monke.