“The Super Bowl is a whole different animal,” said Masthay, 23. “My heart was beating pretty fast during the National Anthem, all the way until the first punt, and then it was like a regular game.”
Masthay, who’s also the Packers’ holder, said he was born in Pittsburgh, grew up partly in Des Moines, Iowa, where he played soccer, graduated high school in Murray, Ky., where he played multiple sports and earned a degree in economics at the University of Kentucky, where he played football.
“I’ve loved sports my entire life. Growing up I dreamed of playing in the World Cup, not the Super Bowl,” he said.
When asked how academics influenced his career in sports, Masthay encouraged the students to become disciplined.
“When you come to school, you’ll have assignments you don’t want to do. You’re going to have to be disciplined in class, which carries over in sports,” he said. “There are days when you don’t want to practice or do drills ... You have to be disciplined.”
For role models, Masthay listed his parents first. His father, Mark Masthay, is a professor at the University of Dayton; his mother, Jean Masthay, executive director of the Tristate Habitat for Humanity in Cincinnati.
The family relocated to Lebanon from Murray, Ky., about five years ago after Masthay graduated from high school. Jean Masthay said family members attended every playoff game and she canceled a trip to El Salvador, part of her Habitat work, to attend the Super Bowl.
Jean Masthay’s giving spirit was inherited by her son, who told the students he and his wife, Amanda, hope to join the Peace Corps after he retires.
Students lined up for autographs after the speech. After attending bowl games when her brother was in college, Tara said she’s used to all the excitement.
“It’s kind of cool,” she said. “This is more for the kids to experience.”
Contact this reporter at (513) 696-4542 or rwilson@coxohio.com.
About the Author