UD alumna Jennifer Witt, a seasonal athletic training intern for the Seattle Seahawks, holds the Lombardi Trophy after the Seahawks won Super Bowl LX.

From Blue Hen to the big game

Article by Amy Cherry Photos courtesy of Jennifer Witt February 24, 2026

Athletic training alumna reaches the Super Bowl with the Seahawks in her first season

Many NFL players, coaches and staffers spend their entire careers chasing the Super Bowl. Some never get there.

University of Delaware College of Health Sciences alumna Jennifer Witt was lucky enough to reach the big game in her first year as a seasonal athletic training intern with the Seattle Seahawks.

“It was such a surreal ending to a year that was insane,” she said.

With tears streaming down her face, Witt ran over to celebrate with her family, who had flown in from New Jersey, knowing they’d never get better seats.

“I couldn’t even speak,” she recalled. “It was one of the biggest moments of my life.”

Witt completed a summer internship with the Seahawks while earning her master’s in athletic training at UD. Impressed, the team hired her full-time before she graduated in 2025.

“UD taught me to treat every opportunity like an interview, and that internship was a six-week-long interview,” she said.

Before the game, Witt was part of the advance team, setting up a player’s lounge and recovery room at the hotel, complete with hyperbaric chambers, red light beds, and hot and cold plunge tubs.

“Our goal was to bring home to San Jose for the guys, making it a seamless transition,” Witt said.

During the Super Bowl, Witt worked on the sidelines, keeping players hydrated and getting them back on the field quickly.

She also had a memorable task: With six minutes left, she mixed the yellow Gatorade that would drench Seahawks Coach Mike Macdonald after their victory over the New England Patriots.

“They got him really good,” she laughed.

The celebrations continued back home in Seattle with a championship parade.

“Everyone recognizable had already passed, but fans were still cheering for us even though they had no idea who we were,” she said. “That was the second coolest moment of my life.”

The road to the pros

Witt was inspired to become an athletic trainer (AT) after tearing her ACL in high school. A high jumper and javelin thrower, she discovered the value of acute care and the science behind injuries and recovery.

She earned her bachelor’s in kinesiology from the University of Kentucky (UK), where she worked with UK Athletics as a student athletic trainer.

“I fell in love with athletic training and the relationships you build with patients,” she said.

Jennifer Witt (back center) at the Seattle Seahawks training camp in Renton, Washington.

At UD, Witt received intensive preparation to succeed in the NFL.

“From the very beginning, you’re hit with everything from anatomy to upper- and lower-level extremity evaluations,” she said. “They front-load you on the education side, so you’re prepared for clinical rotations and internships in collegiate or pro sports.”

Her mentors gave her autonomy in the field and in the classroom, bolstering her confidence.

Kinesiology and Applied Physiology Professor Thomas Kaminski connected her with the Seahawks and supported her growth as both a practitioner and teacher.

“Dr. Kaminski set me up for success,” Witt said. “He always pushed me to be the best I could be.”

Drawing from her experience, Witt encourages current UD athletic training students to treat every opportunity like a working interview.

“Every opportunity is a chance to prove yourself — even if it’s not the setting or sport you ultimately want to be in,” she said. “The AT world is small, so always put your best foot forward.”

Without UD, Witt would’ve never made it to the pros — and her first Super Bowl.

“My classmates, professors and preceptors shaped who I am both as a person and as an athletic trainer, and helped me succeed in opportunities to prove myself,” she said.

As she travels with the Seahawks, Witt feels lucky to be part of an elite club.

“We call it the HENFL because there are just so many UD alums in the league,” she said. “Being a Blue Hen gives you connections to people you’ve never met in pretty much every athletic setting, which I don’t think a lot of programs can say.”