CLEVELAND — It’s every NFL fan’s dream to sit in the stadium on Super Bowl Sunday to watch the top two teams in the country face off.

A local Buckeye and Browns fan has that once-in-a-lifetime chance.

What You Need To Know

A 21-year military veteran won a trip to the Super Bowl in San Francisco

She was chosen by Ohio Buckeyes alum and Tampa Bay Buccaneers player Emeka Egbuka

Pfeifer joined the Air National Guard when she was 20 years old

“It’s beyond words. What I can say on like this kind of stuff doesn’t happen to me,” said Kari Pfeifer, winner of a Super Bowl experience.

This was something on Master Sgt. Kari Pfeifer’s bucket list.

“Never in my life did I think I would go to the Super Bowl,” said Pfeifer. “Somebody asked me if that was on my bucket list and I said, that’s so far out of the bucket.”

Now the 21-year military veteran is going to the Super Bowl in San Francisco. She was chosen by Ohio Buckeyes alum and Tampa Bay Buccaneers player Emeka Egbuka, USAA, Official Salute to Service Partner and Veterans of Foreign Wars after being nominated. She will bring her business partner Teresa with her to the Super Bowl experience.

“I’m overwhelmed,” said Pfeifer. “I don’t understand how this happened. You know, I was chosen out of all of the VFW nationally.”

Emeka Egbuka played football for Ohio State from 2021 to 2024.

Egbuka issued the following statement:

“I’m so appreciative of this opportunity to partner with USAA and the VFW to give back to our military by sending Master Sgt. Kari Pfeifer to the Super Bowl. Having grown up with my father in the service, I understand the significance of her sacrifice and how truly deserving she is of this experience. It’s a great feeling to give back to a die-hard football fan from the Buckeye State who has been a big supporter of mine, and I can’t wait to meet her in San Francisco and properly thank her in person.”

Pfeifer joined the Air National Guard when she was 20 years old. She worked as a med tech and retired in 2011. She also served in the Air Force. She currently lives in her hometown of Crestline, Ohio.

Pfeifer served in several overseas deployments including Honduras, Saudia Arabia, Oman and others. She has also received several commendations including 179th Medical Group NCO of the Year, the Air Force Achievement Medal, the Air Force Commendation Medal and the Air Force Meritorious Medal.  She is now the state commander for VFW post 2920, overseeing their daily operations and greeting members like Jason Eckert.

“I’m ecstatic for her,” said Eckert a VFW auxiliary member. “She’s probably one of the most deserving people I could think of to get something like this. So, I know she’s a huge football fan.”

Pfeifer said she has no preference on which team wins and, instead of spending this Sunday at the Post, she will be at her first Super Bowl game.

“Rooting for all the former buckeyes that are playing,” said Pfeifer.

In the last year, Kari also won her fantasy football league and was gifted a free Alaskan cruise.