Super Bowl 2023: Florida sailor was the Navy flag bearer at Eagles, Chiefs game

When you sit back to watch the Super Bowl on Sunday, Feb. 12, keep a close eye out at the beginning of the game because a Port St. Lucie sailor will be making his TV debut as part of the Joint Armed Services Color Guard.

Shyeed Crooks, Petty Officer 3rd Class, will be the sailor carrying the Navy flag with the color guard at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, before the Super Bowl. His name was randomly picked from a hat.

Being the flag bearer brings Crooks an overwhelming sense of honor, he told TCPalm.

"We are the face of the Navy. When it comes to discipline, we are the standard. That is what we try to bring forth every time we go in a ceremony," he said. "Obviously with that responsibility, you're going to be a little bit nervous, but I'm also trying to enjoy the moment too and have fun."

Indian River: 'He's like the energizer bunny:' 100-year-old World War II veteran still cycles every day

U.S. Marines: Vietnam vet made prosthetic legs so unusual, Marine Corps museum wanted them.

Game day staples:New family restaurant with award-winning chicken wings opens in Indian River County

From Jamaica to Port St. Lucie

Crooks, 30, who is currently serving on the Navy Ceremonial Guard, joined the Navy two years ago, after moving from Jamaica to Port St. Lucie in 2018 and staying with family.

Growing up in quaint Lionel Town, there was not a lot of opportunity for growth. So he chose to attend the nation's best high school — Jamaica College in Kingston — where he graduated in 2010. Then he went to the University of Technology in Jamaica.

Take our quiz:Florida (and Tom Brady) aren't in the Super Bowl. But we're still in 2023 game

Three years into living in Port St. Lucie, Crooks decided he wanted more for himself and to grow as a person. After multiple conversations with a friend, he decided to enlist in the Navy in 2021.

"I just felt like it was the right path for me, for what I wanted to accomplish," he said. "He just motivated me to do it."

For the last year and a half, Crooks has been a part of the color guard before being deployed this summer as an aviation mechanic. As part of the Ceremonial Color Guard, platoon members represent the Navy in ceremonies for the president, Navy funerals at Arlington National Cemetery, and high-profile sporting events like the NBA All-Stars.

But this will be his first time participating in a large-scale event like the Super Bowl.

"I feel a little bit of weight on my shoulders knowing that I'm representing my colleagues, the Navy and my family," he said. "This is a job that really the 1 percent get to do, and I do not take that for granted at all."

Gianna Montesano is TCPalm's underserved communities reporter. You can contact her at gianna.montesano@tcpalm.com, 772-409-1429 or follow her on Twitter @gmontesano13. If you are a subscriber, thank you. If not, become a subscriber to get the latest local news on the Treasure Coast.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Super Bowl 57: Florida sailor was Navy flag bearer