Four-time Super Bowl-winning defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, who won his first with the 2007 Giants, takes a timeout to huddle with Steve Serby for some Super Bowl 2025 Q&A before his Chiefs face the Eagles
Q: What are your favorite New York Giants memories, other than winning Super Bowl 2008?
A: Yeah, that’s a big one. I just enjoy the moments with the players, like on the sideline when Antonio Pierce when he would come over. You know, it’d be in the middle of a game, and Michael Strahan getting the guys all riled up, and the fun that the D-line used to have with each other, and Sam Madison and the guys (chuckle) in the secondary. I remember the relationships with the players more than anything, and quite frankly, still have with them today. I enjoy texting them, seeing them, because of what we shared together.
Q: That first Super Bowl championship was not the sweetest for you?
A: Listen, they’re all pretty sweet. I’m just glad I’ve been in a few of ’em. That one was special because it was the first, and listen, it was the whole Patriot undefeated season, so that’ll always be pretty special.
Q: Is Eli Manning a Hall of Famer?
A: I think he’ll eventually be in there. Two-time Super Bowl champ, a lot of winning there in New York — yeah he’s got my vote.
Q: What did you think of Bill Belichick going to North Carolina?
A: I thought it was pretty cool. I think it’s great for college football to have the best coach in all of football, in the history of football, coaching in college. I’ll have my eye in tune to how they do, I’ll be anxious to see.
Q: Would that ever appeal to you, coaching in college?
A: I don’t know, I’m not sure about that. I’d like to keep the job I got right now (laugh).
Q: How would you describe Patrick Mahomes’ mindset in the fourth quarter and overtime?
A: Listen, Patrick is an elite competitor. Be’s like all these elite guys, Tom Brady was the same way, Peyton Manning. My guess is if they were in another sport, they’d be the same way, they’d be winning things at whatever it is — ping pong — because when they get down to crunch time, they’ve just got this knack of coming through.
Q: What is unique about coach Andy Reid’s relationship with Patrick?
A: Listen, they’re connected at the hip. I love the fact that Patrick respects Andy so much as a coach and as a mentor. And I think Andy in return respects Patrick as well. I watch him on Fridays, they go in Andy’s office together and kind of do a last-minute overview of the game plan. I always see Patrick walk out, he goes right by my office. It’s just a great thing to see.
Q: How do you explain their bond?
A: I think they see the game very similar, both of them are creative offensively, so I think there’s some synergy there. I think Andy puts a lot of trust in Patrick, and vice versa.
Q: What do you remember about the young Andy?
A: It was almost like when we got together there [Philadelphia] in 1999, he had been at Green Bay, had won a Super Bowl. I remember always saying this about Andy that he knew exactly how to get us to where we wanted to go. Like he had a plan, he had a process, but he already had been there so we all trusted in what he was doing.
Q: How did winning your second Super Bowl, the 2019 Chiefs beating the 49ers, compare to winning your first?
A: When they happen, in the moment they’re happening, that’s the most special one, and that’s what you remember. The one thing I do know about these Super Bowls is it’s only an enjoyable, memorable event if you win the game, because in ’04 when I was with the Eagles, we went and got beat by the Patriots, and it’s a different feeling.
Q: What were the emotions like walking off the field?
A: It’s a huge downer. More than anything you feel really, really bad for the players that put all the effort throughout the season and certainly in that game. As a coach and a leader, that’s when you got to step in there and try to pump them up and let them know, “Don’t forget, you’re still a champion, and you won a conference championship,” but it’s not easy.
Q: You won your third Super Bowl with the 2022 Chiefs, over the Eagles.
A: You know what I remember about the third one is we gave up too many points. Because that was the 38-35 one. I felt great about winning the game, would have felt a lot better about our performance if we had not given up that last touchdown to allow them to tie it. Gave up the 2-point conversion, and then of course Patrick led us down there to win, thank God. But we would have liked to have performed better defensively.
Q: Winning your fourth one last year, over the 49ers again.
A: I remember the challenge being stopping [Christian] McCaffrey and that offense and [Brock] Purdy, and then we went to overtime, so you’re never going to forget about overtime. I didn’t want Patrick to have to come back and score a touchdown, so fortunately for us, we held them to a field goal.
Q: What do you want the on-field personality of your defense to be in this Super Bowl?
A: Listen, we pride ourselves in being aggressive and multiple, but the key ingredient for our guys is that we’re on point mentally. In these games, it really always usually comes back to some mental errors, or things that you didn’t do that you could have done better.
Q: Saquon Barkley, who does he remind you of?
A: Guys like Thurman Thomas, Emmitt Smith … great vision running backs because I think this kid’s got great vision. Wrap that into his physical body and his physicalness and his speed, that’s a pretty good running back.
Q: So what do you tell your defense?
A: It comes back to fundamental defensive football. We talk about building a wall, setting an edge and tracking the hip, and that takes 11 guys to do it, because the building the wall, we’re trying not to let him go right down the middle of the defense. When he bounces it outside, you got to set the edge and turn him back. And when he does cut it back, that’s our tracking the hip theme that we use, somebody’s gotta be there to meet him when he does cut it back.
Q: As a defensive coordinator, do you enjoy moments like the Bills game, when Josh Allen has the ball at the end? What goes through your gut at that point?
A: We try to prep for those moments, and then there’s a menu and a list. And hopefully you’ve prepared the guys well enough, but when that happens quite honestly, no matter what you call, it comes down to the execution by the players, and on that particular play you’re talking about [a Nick Bolton sack of Allen on fourth down to seal the win], they executed it perfectly.
Q: Aren’t you nervous at all?
A: It’s anxious. … I tell you what, in a number of moments with Nick Bolton, I usually have a couple of thoughts in mind, ’cause I can talk to him and I’ll say, “What do you think about this?” And, “Which one of these?” And he can signal to me. I use him for input in that, too. Did the same thing on this one, and did it a year ago in the San Francisco game. And when he nods and says, “Yeah go with that one,” I feel better about calling it.
Q: What separates Chris Jones?
A: He’s got God-gifted talent that a lot of other people don’t have. He’s a really intelligent football player, I don’t think people know that enough about him — like he sees things, he picks up on things. He doesn’t come across that way, and he’s a fun guy to be around. All that wrapped up in one makes him who he is.
Q: George Karlaftis?
A: We got George at 21 years old and he’s just a puppy. To just see him grow into the man that he has and he’s playing better … he’s terrific at taking coaching. He’ll sit there and listen, he’s intrigued and embraces everything we do.
Q: Trent McDuffie?
A: We got him at 22 years old, and he was like 22 going on 35. He was the most mature 22-year-old I’ve been around. It shows up in his play. We ask him to do a lot of different things and he does them all really well.
Q: Describe facing Jalen Hurts in the 2023 Super Bowl.
A: I thought he was phenomenal against us. I mean, he made two or three clutch throws, two I can remember to the tight end. He demanded our respect on that day, and I’ve given it to him ever since. It’ll be the same way in this game. He’s legit. … People say that he can’t do this, can’t do that. Anytime I’ve gone against him, he operates that offense really efficiently, and when he’s throwing the football, he’s throwing the ball on a dime.
Q: How do you deal with the Tush Push?
A: I don’t have an answer for that one (laugh). I can’t figure that out. Hope they go offside, I guess, Or don’t get in third-and-1.
Q: Thoughts on Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio?
A: I got a lot of respect for Vic. We never worked together, we’ve talked on the phone and seen each other at combines and whatnot. We have mutual friends, and they speak highly of Vic because they worked with him. I just think he does a terrific job.
Q: What is one intangible trait this team possesses that has enabled it to do what it’s done?
A: Steadfast. Right through Andy Reid, it filters through the whole coaching staff and players. They’re unwavering in those moments where it gets really intense, which that’s what this game is, and they find a way to win led by Patrick and a bunch of those other veteran leaders.
Q: How does Travis Kelce get open so often?
A: I just think he’s got a nifty knack for sliding and bobbing and weaving, and Patrick knows exactly what he’s gong to do because they’ve been together for so long.
Q: What was your favorite Super Bowl to watch as a kid?
A: Well, I grew up a Patriots fan. The ones (laugh) they were in when I was fan, they didn’t do well in. [The 1985 Patriots] played Chicago and got beat bad in that one [46-10 in Super Bowl XX]. They kind of all clump together. I remember when Buffalo went on their run, I know they didn’t win it. And always the teams like the San Franciscos and the dynasties like Dallas, I just enjoyed watching the game.
Q: What is your Super Bowl game-day routine?
A: We’ve played a lot of later games on Sundays (laugh), when you have Patrick Mahomes, you get those time slots. But we have a walkthrough in the morning, which is good to get the players off their feet, and then it’s get on the first bus and get over to the stadium.
Q: What will you be thinking on that first bus?
A: I try to embrace it a little bit … try to take a deep breath, enjoy what’s going on around you. And then when I get there, I usually take one quick walk around the field before I change. I kind of hunker down, get in my little world, and I’m just continually reviewing the game plan, come up with some initial thoughts. And then before you know it, the three hours are gone.
Q: How about when you walk out into the stadium for the first time?
A: There’s a lot of time from the time you walk out there till we actually kick the ball off, so don’t use up too much energy. We tell the players that, too. We probably go over and sit down on the bench because there’s a lot of activity before a Super Bowl, with the songs they sing and all the introductions, so you kind of take a deep breath and don’t gear yourself up too soon, players and coaches. So there’s a lot of deep breaths taken there at that time.
Q: Do you look around during the national anthem?
A: I’d be honest with you, I’m usually praying during the national anthem (laugh), so that’s my thing. I’m not here if it’s not for God, and I’m always thanking him, I’m talking to him always throughout the game, so that’s kind of my ritual.
Q: What do you pray for?
A: I pray for the health of the players more than anything. I’m usually thankful in the middle of that prayer for being in that moment, for the good Lord bringing me there, because I never forget that.
Q: It never gets old coming to the Super Bowl and winning it, does it?
A: No, I don’t think anybody would ever say it gets old. Just blessed to be in it. I mean, it’s a phenomenal thing, and I’ve been blessed to be around good people, and we have a good quarterback.
Q: When you first started in football, could you ever have imagined a career like this?
A: My dreams never went this far. I went to Springfield College to be a phys. ed. teacher to go back to Grafton [Mass.] High School, coach high school football and teach … science or phys. ed. or whatever (chuckle), and my dreams didn’t go this far. I’m just blessed to be in the middle of it.
Q: What would you like your football legacy to be?
A: I got in it to be a teacher, to be a mentor, so I’m hoping when it’s all said and done that you’ve affected some guys positively, not just as players but as men, too. I certainly try to do that as much as I can in meetings and with players. They need that, this younger generation needs that. Quite frankly, I think the world and the country needs good, strong character men.
Q: Steve Spagnuolo Hall of Fame?
A: That’s beyond even my thinking. I’m just trying to win this game right here (laugh).
This story originally appeared on NY Post
