PORTLAND, Ore. — Portland's Mike Remmers is in the Super Bowl for the second time in his career. Big game or not, he's protecting the blind side of his MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes. The approach for this game doesn't change.
"It doesn't matter if this is Week 1 or the Super Bowl," said Remmers. "It doesn't matter, I don't need any extra motivation to do anything. I'm going out there to do my job to the best of my abilities."
Who is Mike Remmers? That topic made headlines all week after Tampa Buccaneers linebacker Jason Pierre-Paul was asked about facing Remmers after some shuffling to the Chiefs offensive line due to injuries.
"I didn't even know who that was, I ain't going to lie to you," said Pierre-Paul. "I don't too much care about it, they got to figure that out. I'm going out to play some great football this weekend."
To answer that question, you got to ask some of the people that know him best, like his dad and brothers.
"He's a humble guy. He's worked his way up, nothing has come easy for him," said his father Wally. "He's a worker, he's a grinder."
The 31-year-old husband and father of three went to Jesuit High School, walked on at Oregon State and worked his way up the ranks, playing for multiple teams along the way before landing at Kansas City this season.
"It kind of gives you that thick skin, to battle your way through it and I think Mike is the perfect example of that," said his brother Vic. "I think he represents Portland and Oregon and Oregon State to the fullest. It's everything you would want to see from this area and I think everyone in the area should be proud of that. I'm really proud of what he's done."
"It's really cool to hear all these big name sportscasters on ESPN and FOX say Mike Remmers. It's kind of surreal," said his brother Lee. "To say my brother's name and talk about him, it's just a dream come true."
The Remmers family couldn't have predicted this back in the day when he was just a little boy. In fact, they laugh about it now.
"When he was in high school, football wasn't that important to him until he was a junior or senior in high school," said his brother Lee. "Prior to that, never in a million years."
"He started talking about walking on at Oregon State, that was the first time I ever even heard him talk about playing college ball," said his dad Wally. "I said, Mike I played college ball at Oregon State for coach Dee Andros, it's not like high school. It's not fun like high school. It's like a job."
He put in the work, finding a love for the game and it took him to the highest level, playing for the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl.
"Yeah it's a lot of stress. It's a big job, a lot of people counting on us, but I think it's very important to go out there and have fun, that's what I try to do every day," said Remmers.
If you want to know who Mike Remmers is on the field, ask his coach.
"He's dirty tough," said Chiefs head coach Andy Reid.
"I joke he's like a throwback, he is red beard," Reid said. "He breaks out the sword and he's ready to go. I appreciate him and his toughness. He's a smart kid. He's really fit in well."
His family will be sporting "dirt-tough, red beard" T-shirts on Super Bowl Sunday.