Former Lakewood High product Marquez Valdez-Scantling to make first Super Bowl start

TAMPA, Fla. - Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Marquez Valdez-Scantling grew up cheering for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The team that blocked him from the Super Bowl in 2021 when was playing for the Packers. 

Tampa Bay beat Green Bay in the NFC Championship game that season. 

Two years later Valdez-Scantling will be making his first Super Bowl start with his parents nervously watching from the stands in Glendale, Arizona.

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For the Scantling's watching their son on Sunday's is nerve racking, but rewarding. In his 5 years in the NFL, the Lakewood High product and USF Bulls has already played in two championship games. Two years after witnessing his hometown Bucs beat him in Green Bay.  

MVS's parents had some Super Bowl doubt with Marquez's new team the Chiefs battling injuries heading into the AFC Title game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

"Unbelievable, said his mother Tahisia Scantling. "I was thinking when you saw all of the different players getting hurt I'm like are they going to have a chance to even get through the first half. Then when we saw him [Marquez] catch that ball. It was like 'Wow'. He's got a chance. This is going to be a good game for him. It turned out to be a really amazing game for him."

It was Marquez's best performance of the season. He led the team with 6 receptions for 116 yards and a touchdown and more importantly earned a trip to his first ever Super Bowl. 

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He did in it his first year with the Chiefs after signing a 3-year contract as a free agent last March.

"I was thinking he goes from one great quarterback to another great quarterback, said Tahisia. "What more could you ask for?"

"I'm thinking one cold place to another cold place, laughed his father Marcellus. "It was the best opportunity. We knew they would be in the playoffs. Like actually getting to the Super Bowl we know how tough that is. So did I see it? I wouldn't say I did see it, but I knew they would make it far."

Now Marquez has made it to the pinnacle game, adding his name to a record long list. 

He's the 6th player from Lakewood High to make it to the Super Bowl and would be the 4th to win a ring. 

It has been an exciting journey for his parents watching him from his days in youth football to the NFL. 

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At what point during his career did it hit them that he had made it?

"When she said you have a son going to the Super Bowl, smiled Marcellus. "Oh, yeah you're right. I guess it was about 10-minutes after the game. Like processing it, and she kept saying you've got a son going to the Super Bowl. I'm thinking you've got one too. So I'm thinking about 10-15 minutes after the game it hit in, but the full part hasn't really hit yet. I still seems so surreal for me."