HOUMA, La. (AP) - Wherever Elijah McGuire goes these days, a celebration is sure to follow him.
McGuire, a Houma native, won his first Super Bowl championship as a NFL player with the Kansas City Chiefs on Feb. 2.
Whether it is in Kansas City or Houma, McGuire can’t get away from fans wanting to congratulate him or celebrate with him.
He has tried his best to avoid the limelight since the Chiefs’ 31-20 win over the San Francisco 49ers, but it has been hard to do.
McGuire, 25, attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony to re-open the renovated Mechanicville Gym on Thursday (Feb. 20). He served a guest speaker, and after helping local community leaders cut the ribbon, he was swarmed by longtime family and friends who were looking to take pictures with him and get his autograph.
“I knew it was going to be crazy, but I didn’t know it was going to be like this,” McGuire said. “I’ve been at home, but I try to stay out the way because I know by me just winning the Super Bowl, it would be crazy going out in public. I think it’s time for me to hang out in public.”
But McGuire, who grew up in Mechanicville and takes pride in being a product of the neighborhood, welcomed all of the attention from local supporters with open arms. He was honored with a key to the city during the ceremony.
“The love is crazy,” McGuire said. “I enjoy it. It’s wonderful.”
McGuire said he has so many memories of growing up and playing sports at the Mechanicville gym. While speaking to the crowd, McGuire said he hopes the gym continues to inspire area youth.
“I just want them to stay out of trouble,” McGuire said. “These days it is hard to stay out of harm’s way because these young boys they look at other people that’s doing bad and they try to follow them, but you can’t do that. You’ve got to stay out of trouble, stay in your books. Whatever you want to do, it doesn’t have to be sports. You can be a doctor, lawyer or whatever you want to be.”
McGuire grew as a star running back while playing high school football at Vandebilt Catholic and later at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
He spent his first two NFL seasons playing for the New York Jets. He was a sixth-round pick with the Jets in 2017. He suffered a broken foot injury in 2018. Although he recovered from the injury, the Jets released him before the 2019 regular season.
In two seasons with the Jets, McGuire played in 24 games. He rushed for 591 yards and four touchdowns, and he caught 36 passes for 370 yards and two touchdowns.
He has spent time as a member of the Cleveland Browns and Chiefs practice squads in his third NFL season last year.
McGuire said it was an incredible experience being with the Chiefs during their Super Bowl run. Kansas City made its first Super Bowl appearance in 50 years this season and won its second championship in team history.
“It was crazy,” McGuire said. “We were in Miami for a week for the Super Bowl and it was amazing. It was crazy. It was something I couldn’t put into words with me experiencing the Super Bowl. Everybody that is in the NFL, that’s what they want to experience. It’s hard to get there. For me to get there in my third season and win it is awesome.”
Although he was listed as a practice squad player, McGuire said it is an important job. He usually lined up as a scout player in practice and helped the Chiefs’ starting defensive players prepare for their opponents every week.
McGuire didn’t get a chance to play during a NFL game this season, but he found other ways to help the team.
“I put a lot of work in to help the defense be ready for that Super Bowl game,” McGuire said. “When people mention practice squad, it ain’t what people think it is because you put in a lot of work to help your teammates prepare for a game. That’s your job so you’ve got to do it to the best of your ability, so I took pride in it. I’m blessed enough to just be on a team, still be in the NFL and still do what I love to do.”
McGuire said he is now looking forward to his fourth season in the NFL. After dealing with various injuries and switching teams, he is hoping to find consistency next season.
“I really want to stay healthy. That’s a big part of this league,” McGuire said. “You got to stay healthy and be consistent. I’m working on elevating my game and getting better, but I just want to stay healthy.”
McGuire said he also wants to share his Super Bowl experience with other players.
“I’ve played with guys who have been in the league for 10 years and never been to the playoffs,” McGuire said. “When you get to the playoffs, you’re going to learn from everything that comes with it just by how fast the game speed is. I’m blessed that I can tell guys that ‘I know this is your first rodeo, but this is how it’s going to play out.’ I always want to be the guy that instills knowledge on the next person. It’s a blessing.”
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