Super Bowl superstar comes to Limerick

THREE time Super Bowl Champion, Lonie Paxton, was in Engine Limerick for the One-Zero SportsTech conference on Friday.

On the day sports industry professionals delivered insights into the industry while 5 startup entrepreneurs from across Ireland and the UK pitched their ideas to multiple investors. 

Ahead of the event the NFL player said while he hasn’t had a chance to watch a game of hurling, he explained the fundamentals of being part of a team. 

“'I’m familiar with rugby, obviously soccer but some of these very localised sports, Gaelic football and hurling are all new. But it's all sport, it's so important, how you're raised and how you work after sport is done, any of these sports are a good foundation to start with,” he said. 

When hearing about the Limerick hurlers success and being the team to beat he added: “That's what I hear. So I'm rooting for you”.

While he has had a glittering career and played alongside NFL favourite, Tom Brady, he recalled one of his most memorable moments on the pitch.

Today FM presenter credits Limerick school's cover of popular song on air

“Although it wasn't a play because of my position, you can really only mess it up. You can do it a good a thousand times, but that one time you mess it up, you get highlighted. So I always try to stay under the radar, but the one play that people remember me for is a snow angel I made in the snow and then again in the Super Bowl I did it in the turf and the confetti,” he explained. 

This April Draft Season happens meaning players will know their fate as teams choose who they want across three days of selection. 

“You have your players who will probably get drafted. They've been training their whole life for this moment and some of them, they have expectations to go first, second, third, fourth round. There's a whole other list of athletes, which I fell in, we weren't getting drafted. We were essentially selected after the draft, if you get lucky and really weren't supposed to make it. So there's a wide range of what could happen.

“I don't think from my personal experience, it matters where you land in the draft. It's really that product you put on the field when you get that chance. So it's all about the chance regardless of where you're drafted,” Lonie told the Limerick Leader. 

The big news of this year's NFL season is Aaron Rogers. He is a four-time MPV Quarterback who is set to be 'traded' from the Green Bay Packers to the New York Jets. He is the highest-paid QB in the NFL ($60m a year) and decided he wanted to move after attending a four-day darkness retreat.

“I think Aaron's gonna make the best decision for him at this stage in his career, you. You want to play with a franchise your entire time, but the reality of it these days, like a 20 year marriage, kind of like Belichick and Tom (Brady), whatever happened happened, and you might want to go experience what another team on another franchise does.

“Another group of players, another city, another town, community, so him leaving, I think it's a good opportunity for everyone. He's going to leave eventually, so why not start your plan as a Packer's organisation. I don't know why he would choose New York, maybe go south where it's warm, go to a dome team where it's always nice but hey, you know, if he chooses New York, I think it'll be a successful year,” he concluded. 

Donning the Super Bowl ring, Lonie holds no airs or graces, he’s down to earth and hopes to return to Limerick again some day to experience all that this city has to offer.