2016 Nazareth graduate Julian Love and the Seattle Seahawks played the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX. (Photo courtesy of Nazareth Academy)
Jacob Bartels has marveled at the athletic talents of Seattle Seahawks strong safety and Nazareth Academy graduate Julian Love for a long time.
“Julian and I grew up in Westchester, playing basketball and football,” said Bartels, who then played both sports with Love at Nazareth and also graduated in 2016.
“I know, along with myself and all of my buddies, you kind of get numb to it, watching him excel at Notre Dame, (the National Football League). You shouldn’t be used to the Super Bowl but you’re used to see him do so well.”
Now an offseason LaGrange Park resident near the high school, Love was among the heroes in the Seahawks’ 29-13 Super Bowl victory over the New England Patriots to add to their first championship following the 2013 season.
Never miss a headline!
Sign up for our free newsletter to get local news sent straight to your inbox.
Processing…
Success! You’re on the list.
Whoops! There was an error and we couldn’t process your subscription. Please reload the page and try again.
Love is the first Nazareth graduate to play in, much less win, a Super Bowl.
“It’s just funny. You’re watching on TV and oh, look, there’s Julian,” said Matt Prendergast, another 2016 Nazareth Academy graduate and former teammate. “Super happy for him and his family. It’s extremely well deserved, too.”
With the Seahawks (17-3) leading 19-7 but the Patriots driving in the fourth quarter, Love delivered more excitement.
Love had an interception and 35-yard return to the Patriots’ 36-yard line. The Seahawks converted the possession into another of a Super Bowl record five field goals for a 22-7 lead with 5:35 left.
Seattle’s Uchenna Nwoski then made a 45-yard pick-six interception before New England (17-4) scored a TD with 2:21 left.
“It was so cool (for Love). He’s accomplished so much in his career and that pick in the Super Bowl, that’s some legendary status right there. So few people have been able to do that,” Prendergast said.
Julian Love (left) with Nazareth Academy head football coach Tim Racki and his retired No. 20 jersey. (Courtesy of Nazareth Academy)
“When he got that interception, my phone was blowing off the hook so that was cool,” Bartels said. “I don’t think he knows how many people he impacts. People who don’t know him but know that I know him were texting me.”
The three have remained friends and are part of a group chat with other former Nazareth players. Yet neither Bartels nor Prendergast has seen Love play an NFL game.
When Bartels played baseball at St. John’s University, Love got tickets for him and friends who loved Notre Dame to see the Fighting Irish against Syracuse at Yankee Stadium. During those college football days, Prendergast was busy playing for Lehigh.
The group of Love’s friends gathered Saturday for simulated golf but had separate Super Bowl plans. They look forward to congratulating Love personally for his latest football accomplishment.
“I’m sure I’ll reach out some point this week but I’m sure his phone is blowing up,” said Prendergast, who texted Love after the NFC Championship victory.
Love is in his seventh NFL season and fourth with the Seahawks. A 2023 Pro Bowl selection, Love began this season in the starting lineup and returned Dec. 18 after missing nine games on injured reserve.
Love was the Seahawks’ 2025 Steve Largent Award winner and nominee for the NFL’s annual Walter Payton Man of the Year award, both based on dedication and character on and off the field.
“Julian is a guy that you can tell nothing’s changed,” Bartels said. “He’s always checking in when something’s going well (for you).”
When reflecting on Nazareth sports memories with Love, Bartels and Prendergast pondered before mentioning his performance – both offense and defense – in the Roadrunners’ 35-21 Class 5A state quarterfinal victory over Joliet Catholic to avenge a regular-season loss. Nazareth eventually beat Lincoln-Way West 42-21 for the program’s second state football championship.
“There’s so many (moments), right? Basketball, (besides) football, he did something extraordinary,” Bartels said. “You’d get used to it because you’d see him do great things for so long.”
Related
