STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.— Last February, the Staten Island football scene celebrated the triumph of Jeff Stoutland — a Port Richmond alum and borough native — for his role in coaching the Eagles’ offensive line to a dominant Super Bowl victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.

This Sunday, Staten Island is guaranteed another Super Bowl winning-connection, as former Wagner College head coach Jason Houghtaling and assistant defensive line coach Justin Hinds prepare to face off on football’s biggest stage.

Houghtaling now serves as an assistant offensive line coach with New England, while Hinds continues to specialize in the defensive trenches as an assistant with Seattle — ensuring an Islander will once again leave a mark on the NFL’s biggest game.

While Hinds hails from Port Reading, N.J., and Houghtaling calls Windsor, N.Y., home, their shared Wagner connection remains a source of local pride — proof that beginnings on the borough can lead to excellence on the game’s highest stage.

Hinds, who earned his master’s degree at the Grymes Hill school, went on to hold coaching stints at Western Carolina, Lafayette College, and Central Michigan after Wagner, before earning his NFL break as an assistant defensive line coach with the Chicago Bears in 2022.

Meanwhile, Houghtaling served as Wagner’s most prominent coach from 2015–19 and, coincidentally, also received the call to the NFL when he joined the Bears as an assistant offensive line coach in 2024.

Hinds’ impact on Seattle’s line is evident, as the Seahawks’ bruising defense has allowed just 33 points in two playoff games leading up to Sunday while also ranking among the top eight teams in regular-season sacks.

Houghtaling will have his work cut out in preparing to face a fellow Wagner football staffer, as New England was sacked five times in its AFC Championship victory over the Broncos. Still, if the Patriots can protect Drake Maye — the 2025 MVP runner-up — there’s every reason to believe Houghtaling and New England can pull out a win.

Regardless of which former Wagner coach comes out on top, the Island can take pride in knowing a Super Bowl–winning staffer spent formative years of his career here.