Sixth DeMatha Graduate Set to Participate in Super Bowl

When the Seattle Seahawks run onto the field Sunday at Levi’s Stadium to face the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX, a DeMatha graduate will be among them.

Olu Oluwatimi a reserve center for the Seahawks, will become the sixth DeMatha alumnus to advance to the biggest game on the American sports calendar.

“The Super Bowl is a once in a lifetime opportunity,” Oluwatimi said by phone Tuesday. “Well, OK, maybe there will be another chance, but it's been crazy.”

Seattle (16-3) advanced to Super Bowl Sunday with a thrilling 31-27 victory over the Los Angeles Rams. The Patriots (17-3) qualified with a 10-7 win at Denver.

Oluwatimi will join fellow Stags Brian Westbrook (Philadelphia, 2005), Rodney McLeod (Philadelphia, 2018), Ja’Whaun Bentley (New England, 2019), John Lovett (Kansas City, 2020) and Chase Young (San Francisco, 2024) as Super Bowl participants. McLeod, Bentley and Lovett’s teams emerged victorious.

In addition to the players, 1986 DeMatha grad Greg Steed will be working his third Super Bowl as a back judge.

Oluwatimi, who started at center and on the offensive line for the Stags under head coach Elijah Brooks, was a key player on three straight Washington Catholic Athletic Conference championship teams (2014-16). As a senior, he helped the Stags go undefeated (12-0) and finish with a final ranking of No. 4 in the nation (USA Today).

“Olu was one of the most intelligent players I’ve ever coached,” said Brooks, who is now running backs coach at South Florida. “He ran the offensive line and was the unsung leader of those championship teams. He was always dependable and extremely tough.”

Oluwatimi, a 6-foot-3, 309-pounder, was the Seahawks’ second fifth-round selection in 2023. He played college football at Virginia before finishing with a season at Michigan in 2022. He appeared in the NCAA playoffs with the Wolverines and was honored with the Rimington Trophy as the best center in college football and the Outland Trophy as the nation’s top interior lineman.

It is easy to understand why he received such accolades that year: in 410 pass-block attempts, he did not allow a single sack. He made his first NFL career start against Arizona on Oct. 2, 2023 and started the final eight games of the ’24 season. As a youngster, he never dreamed of playing in the NFL championship game.

“I originally wanted to play in the NBA, but then my concentration shifted,” he said. “I just wanted to play professional football but never thought of the Super Bowl.”

Oluwatimi, who transferred to DeMatha as a sophomore, wasn’t highly recruited as a junior or senior. He originally went to the Air Force Academy but didn’t play football.

“I always felt he was a good player but didn’t understand why so many schools passed on him coming out of high school,” said Brooks, a 2002 DeMatha alum and member of the school’s Hall of Fame. “I knew he would be successful as a college player, but because of his unconventional path – Air Force, UVa., Michigan – I didn’t know if the NFL was in the plans.”

Seattle earned the top seed in the NFC playoffs and had a bye before dispatching division-rival San Francisco, 41-6. The Seahawks enter Sunday’s showdown (NBC, 6:30 p.m. EST) on a nine-game winning streak. Oluwatimi said the season has been “awesome.”

“Coach [Mike Macdonald] has had us well-prepared each week,” he said. “We work hard, we’re connected and it's been fun."

Oluwatimi credits many of the lessons he learned at DeMatha for boosting his career.

“My senior year, we were loaded with talented seniors. You get better by going against them every day,” he said. “The atmosphere at DeMatha is one of excellence even beyond sports; lots of talented individuals. It molds you to be driven. You don't want to fall behind.

“I loved going to school there. The camaraderie and the people – it's totally special.”

Brooks, who has also coached at Maryland and Virginia Tech, takes special pride in the accomplishments of his players.

“I’m extremely proud of Olu,” he said. “He always believed and bet on himself and won. You play this game to reach the pinnacle and he has done that. He’s in a very small percentage of players who can say they played in the NFL, but even smaller percentage of those who’ve played in the Super Bowl.”

As he continues prepping for the Super Bowl’s 60th edition, Oluwatimi realizes how fortunate he is to earn a living playing football.

“This game is a blessing, and I’m blessed to call it my job every day. I have been with the right players at the right time. Luck is the best way to describe it. I’ve been fortunate enough to be around a lot of talented people and have a chance myself.

"I’ve been very blessed.”

Chris McManes is DeMatha Catholic High School’s communication manager. DeMatha advancement director Tom Ponton interviewed Oluwatimi and contributed his quotations.