Sure, most people watched the Super Bowl for the game, the commercials, and the star-studded halftime show (we see, you Kendrick). But if you weren’t into any of that stuff, there was also lots of great style off the field, as the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles arrived to face off for the Vince Lombardi trophy – including one sharped-dressed Chiefs player, who showed up to the big game wearing a vintage piece with special family meaning.
Kansas City’s always-stylish wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins arrived at New Orleans’ Caesars Superdome wearing a mink coat that belonged to his father – a well-known drug dealer in their South Carolina hometown who was tragically killed in a car accident when Hopkins was a baby. Hopkins’ mother, Sabrina Greenlee, writes about her relationship with DeAndre’s dad, Steve, and the moment he was killed in her inspiring 2024 memoir, “Grant Me Vision.”
Hopkins, who was traded to the Chiefs from the Tennessee Titans in October 2024, says wearing the coat to his first Super Bowl was his way of honoring a promise he made years ago.
“My dad died in 1992, and he left me a couple things. And one of the things he left me was a mink jacket,” Hopkins said at Super Bowl Opening Night. “And so I always said I would wear that mink jacket to my wedding or to the Super Bowl, whichever one happened first. And so, obviously, I’m not married, so I’ma wear my daddy’s mink jacket.”
Hopkins didn’t grow up with his father, but he and his mother are extremely close, and he credits her with helping him reach the level of success he has today. Even though she hasn’t been able to see him running into the end zone since losing her sight, Hopkins makes sure his mom has a chance to share in the moment, bringing her the ball to touch after he scores – something he writes about in the foreword of “Grant Me Vision.”
“Although Mama has never had the chance to see me score a touchdown, all through college at Clemson and to this day in the NFL, I bring her the football after I reach the end zone. I deliver it to her when she sits in the stands so she can touch it, so she can feel that I scored. And that together, we won against all odds,” he wrote.
Hopkins is grateful for all of the success he’s achieved in spite of the challenges his family has faced. In a February 3 post on X, he shared words of encouragement to other kids who may be living through similar struggles, writing:
“To all the kids out there living in small towns, in small houses, with single parents. To the kids who see violence, who see loss, who don’t get the resources they deserve, but who still have big dreams. Know that I was a kid in your exact shoes and this week I’m playing in the Super Bowl. Don’t give up, work hard, keep believing. Where you start doesn’t determine where you end up.”