Media coverage of Seattle center Jalen Sundell (Maryville Class of 2018) in the Super Bowl LX in 2026.
St. Joseph Goats Arena Football Feb 8, 2026
‘Dream about it as a kid’: Maryville native Jalen Sundell readies for historic start in Super Bowl LX with Seahawks . Jalen’s journey to the NFL and the Pacific Northwest was first sparked by a conversation with Maryville High School head coach Matt Webb at the end of his sophomore year. “He had a conversation with Coach Webb, who told him, ‘Jalen, you could actually play college football if that’s what you want to do,'” Bob Sundell, Jalen’s father, said. “He took that to heart, and that’s when he took off. He really started working hard in the weight room and conditioning as his body continued to grow.” “I wasn’t focused in high school on ‘I’m gonna make it to the NFL if I do this.’ It was always taking it one day at a time and doing it to the best of my ability. Focusing on the small things in front of you, stacking them underneath you can make the big moment happen,” Jalen said. From there, Sundell was given the chance to play college football at North Dakota State, where he red-shirted his freshman year. In his first year, Jalen displayed versatility along the offensive line, taking snaps at right guard, left guard, and left tackle. What caught his coaches’ attention most was his willingness to put the team in the best position to succeed. (St. Joseph News-Press Feb 5, 2026)
Fox4kc.com February 3, 2026
Maryville’s Jalen Sundell anchors Seahawks’ offensive line at Super Bowl LX -“Man, I feel like I learned a lot of life lessons in high school,” Sundell said during the Super Bowl pregame media festivities. “Maryville was a football town. We had years where the high school team was undefeated, the college was undefeated. A lot of good memories, a lot of good friends.” At one point, football was not even the plan. Sundell thought his future might head in a completely different direction until a high school coach stepped in with some advice that changed everything. “I remember thinking I was going to do fast-pitch softball in college,” he said with a laugh. “My high school coach, who I still stay in contact with, told me, ‘No, I think you might play football.’ And here we are.” That belief carried Sundell through college, but the road into the NFL was anything but smooth. He went undrafted and faced uncertainty that tested his patience and resolve. (missouri.net feb 5, 2026)
From NDSU To The Super Bowl, Grey Zabel & Jalen Sundell Enjoying ‘Unreal Experience’ Of Their Linked Careers. Former North Dakota State teammates and roommates Grey Zabel and Jalen Sundell will now start next to each other in Super Bowl LX (seahawks.com Feb 4, 2026)
Seahawks chaplain assistants Jalen Sundell, Mike Morris aim to ‘help point others to Christ’ – “I’d never actually given an actual sermon before,” Sundell told Sports Spectrum on Monday at Super Bowl LX Opening Night in San Jose. “I talked at FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) events and other things like that, but this was challenging. It was great at the same time; it was really sanctifying too. It’s hard to write a message, to do it faithfully. It also just makes you trust in the Lord, allowing Him to have whatever He has to say come through your mouth.” Sundell’s topic? Money. “The Lord has really blessed us all with money, and, honestly, it can be weighty to know what God wants us to do with His money and how to steward His money. It’s weighty, and it’s a big task,” Sundell said. (Sportspectrum Feb 4, 2026)
Interview with Seattle’s Jalen Sundell ahead of Sunday’s Championship title game (KOMO TV Feb 4, 2026)
Super Spoofhound: Sundell to represent Maryville in Super Bowl – Sundell is looking forward to having his family, including his wife, Kaleesa, parents Bob and Korena, and sister Serena, in attendance for the game.“My wife and my mom and dad, and then Serena is flying back from Australia — she is going to get a non-stop from Australia to San Fran, so that’ll be pretty fun,” Sundell said. “I haven’t seen her in a while.” (Maryville Forum Feb 2, 2026)
Maryville’s Jalen Sundell takes unique journey to Super Bowl with Seahawks (interview in Maryville with family and at high school) (KCTV February 3, 2026)
This Maryville native drove for Uber after college. Now he’s a Super Bowl starter – But the Super Bowl, and even playing professional football, is not a place where the Maryville native thought he would be when he was younger. The 6-foot-5, 300-pound lineman grew up in a basketball family, playing hoops all the time. His father, Bob, is an MIAA Hall of Famer for basketball at Northwest Missouri State. He played in the late 1980s. Mother Korena, meanwhile, played at Missouri S&T, then known as the University of Missouri-Rolla, in the early 1990s. And Sundell’s sister, Serena, was a four-year starter at Kansas State who now plays professionally in Australia for the WNBL’s Adelaide Lightning. “We’ve always joked he’s probably the worst athlete in the family,” Bob Sundell told The Star, “but he’s probably also the hardest worker.” (kansas city star Jauary 30, 2026)