Tucker alum earns Super Bowl ring

February 16, 2026 Jay Phillips

Tucker High School alum Neiko Thorpe added to an already decorated football career on Feb. 8, when the Seattle Seahawks defeated the New England Patriots 29-13 in Super Bowl LX.

Thorpe, currently the defensive backs coach for the Seahawks, added his first Super Bowl ring as a coach or player when the Seahawks took down the Patriots. After starting his career as a football and track athlete at Tucker, Thorpe preceded the Super Bowl win with a BCS National Championship during his time at Auburn University and a decade-long professional football career as a player for Kansas City, Toronto, Oakland, Indianapolis, and Seattle. Thorpe was named as a team captain for Seattle in 2018, 2019, and 2020.

While attending and playing football at Tucker, Thorpe was named an Under Armour All American after recording 64 tackles, including six tackles for loss, 11 passes defensed, three interceptions and forced a fumble as a senior.

The Tucker alum began coaching in 2022, with his first official coaching job coming as part of the Seahawks organization.

After taking an off-the-field role in 2024, Thorpe was back on the sidelines for the 2025 season – which saw the Seahawks’ rank No. 1 in points allowed after ranking No. 11 last season.

In the Super Bowl, Thorpe’s pass defense held the Patriots—who led the league in several passing categories—to 295 passing yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. In the process, the Seahawks’ defense held the Patriots’ Pro Bowl quarterback Drake Maye to his lowest quarterback rating of the season.

The performance comes after the Seahawks’ defense ranked top five in total passing defense for the season.

As the defensive back coach, Thorpe’s direct competition in the Super Bowl came with the coaching matchup against New England’s passing game coordinator – fellow Tucker graduate Thomas Brown. After graduating from Tucker High School, Brown played for the University of Georgia from 2004 to 2007 and was then drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the 2008 NFL Draft.