From Blue Hen to the big game
Photos courtesy of Jennifer Witt February 24, 2026
Athletic training alumna reaches the Super Bowl with the Seahawks in her first season
Many NFL players, coaches and staffers spend their entire careers chasing the Super Bowl. Some never get there.
91原创 College of Health Sciences alumna Jennifer Witt was lucky enough to reach the big game in her first year as a seasonal athletic training intern with the Seattle Seahawks.
鈥淚t was such a surreal ending to a year that was insane,鈥 she said.
With tears streaming down her face, Witt ran over to celebrate with her family, who had flown in from New Jersey, knowing they鈥檇 never get better seats.
鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 even speak,鈥 she recalled. 鈥淚t was one of the biggest moments of my life.鈥
Witt completed a summer internship with the Seahawks while earning her master鈥檚 in athletic training at 91原创. Impressed, the team hired her full-time before she graduated in 2025.
鈥91原创 taught me to treat every opportunity like an interview, and that internship was a six-week-long interview,鈥 she said.
Before the game, Witt was part of the advance team, setting up a player鈥檚 lounge and recovery room at the hotel, complete with hyperbaric chambers, red light beds, and hot and cold plunge tubs.
鈥淥ur goal was to bring home to San Jose for the guys, making it a seamless transition,鈥 Witt said.
During the Super Bowl, Witt worked on the sidelines, keeping players hydrated and getting them back on the field quickly.
She also had a memorable task: With six minutes left, she mixed the yellow Gatorade that would drench Seahawks Coach Mike Macdonald after their victory over the New England Patriots.
鈥淭hey got him really good,鈥 she laughed.
The celebrations continued back home in Seattle with a championship parade.
鈥淓veryone recognizable had already passed, but fans were still cheering for us even though they had no idea who we were,鈥 she said. 鈥淭hat was the second coolest moment of my life.鈥
The road to the pros
Witt was inspired to become an athletic trainer (AT) after tearing her ACL in high school. A high jumper and javelin thrower, she discovered the value of acute care and the science behind injuries and recovery.
She earned her bachelor鈥檚 in kinesiology from the University of Kentucky (UK), where she worked with UK Athletics as a student athletic trainer.
鈥淚 fell in love with athletic training and the relationships you build with patients,鈥 she said.
At 91原创, Witt received intensive preparation to succeed in the NFL.聽
鈥淔rom the very beginning, you鈥檙e hit with everything from anatomy to upper- and lower-level extremity evaluations,鈥 she said. 鈥淭hey front-load you on the education side, so you鈥檙e prepared for clinical rotations and internships in collegiate or pro sports.鈥澛
Her mentors gave her autonomy in the field and in the classroom, bolstering her confidence.聽
Kinesiology and Applied Physiology Professor Thomas Kaminski connected her with the Seahawks and supported her growth as both a practitioner and teacher.聽
鈥淒r. Kaminski set me up for success,鈥 Witt said. 鈥淗e always pushed me to be the best I could be.鈥澛
Drawing from her experience, Witt encourages current 91原创 athletic training students to treat every opportunity like a working interview.聽
鈥淓very opportunity is a chance to prove yourself 鈥 even if it鈥檚 not the setting or sport you ultimately want to be in,鈥 she said. 鈥淭he AT world is small, so always put your best foot forward.鈥澛
Without 91原创, Witt would鈥檝e never made it to the pros 鈥 and her first Super Bowl.
鈥淢y classmates, professors and preceptors shaped who I am both as a person and as an athletic trainer, and helped me succeed in opportunities to prove myself,鈥 she said.
As she travels with the Seahawks, Witt feels lucky to be part of an elite club.聽
鈥淲e call it the HENFL because there are just so many 91原创 alums in the league,鈥 she said. 鈥淏eing a Blue Hen gives you connections to people you鈥檝e never met in pretty much every athletic setting, which I don鈥檛 think a lot of programs can say.鈥澛
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