Wayzata High School Student Overcomes Cancer, Attends Super Bowl
A Wayzata High School football player experienced the trip of a lifetime over the weekend.
Last October, Jack Simon was honored by the Minnesota Vikings during a timeout of their game against the Chicago Bears for overcoming stage 2 Hodgkin’s lymphoma and subsequently raising money for cancer research.
His family and teammates joined him on the field that day, but this “Hometown Hero” honor also came with a special surprise
“Jack, you are going to the Super Bowl,” exclaimed Vikings public address announcer Alan Roach.
Wayzata junior Jack Simon (left) was presented with free tickets to the Super Bowl during the Vikings’ game against the Chicago Bears on Oct. 9.
Simon received two tickets to Super Bowl LVII in Arizona that day. Simon’s football coach, Lambert Brown, knew about this surprise ahead of time.
“I found out just a little bit before he did, so it was really hard to keep that a secret, you don’t want to be able to share that,” Brown said. “It’s an incredible honor and I’m just really thankful for the NFL and the Vikings — and everybody who recognized the fact that we have a tremendous young kid — and he deserves something like this.”
‘Felt like a dream’
Fast forward four months, and Simon now has a full head of hair and a Super Bowl experience in his rear view mirror.
“It kind of felt like a dream,” Simon said. “Like I never really thought I’d ever be able to go to a Super Bowl.”
The Vikings helped pay for Simon and his family to fly out to Phoenix. They took in the sights and enjoyed some of the football activities at the NFL experience.
As for the game itself, Simon took his brother, Will.
“We were up in one of the top corners, but the seats were really nice,” Simon said. “We could see the whole field. Our section was kind of split between Chiefs and Eagles fans, which made it exciting.”
Jack Simon (left), and his brother, Will, at Super Bowl LVII in Arizona.
Their father, Jesse Simon, made the tough decision to watch the game in a sports bar.
“It was VERY hard to pass up the opportunity to go to the Super Bowl!” said Jesse Simon. “That said, it was an amazing opportunity for Jack to go with Will, and they will always have that shared memory. I still had an amazing time with them in Phoenix, even though I didn’t go to the game.”
As exciting as the entire experience was, Simon said his work is far from over.
“Obviously this experience was cool, but my goal is still to inspire people and raise a lot of money and do good things inside the cancer community,” Simon said. “I also just want to thank the Vikings for this amazing opportunity.”
Related: Wayzata Student Named ‘Hometown Hero’ at Vikings Game, Receives Super Bowl Tickets
Wayzata High School
