Michael Schofield of Orland Park Gets a Super Bowl Ring with Denver Broncos

Sandburg High alum and Orland Park native Michael Schofield is a Super Bowl champion. The Denver Broncos, the team that drafted Schofield in the third round of the 2014 NFL draft, defeated the Carolina Panthers 24-10 in Super Bowl 50 Sunday night.

Schofield, standing 6-foot, 6-inches tall, weighing 300 pounds, was starting right offensive tackle helping to protect Peyton Manning, a five-time NFL MVP, likely NFL Hall of Famer and legend of the game in what may be his final outing as a quarterback.

“It’s undescribable, you can’t even describe how awesome this is right now. It’s the best feeling in the world. You can’t beat this,” an elated Schofield shouted in an interview with CBS sports reporter Ryan Baker as confetti fell from the sky onto the field.

Schofield’s mom Kathy and dad Michael, who’s acting chief of the Orland Fire Protection District, and many other family members were with him to share the special moment.

“It’s incredible, surreal. It’s crazy,” his mom told Baker.

The congratulations to Schofield from friends in Orland Park and his alma mater Michigan poured onto Twitter after the Broncos clinched the win. Before the game, many expressed their admiration and support for the Sandburg grad.

He’s had a lot of people in his corner, including his girlfriend. If you live in the south suburbs, you should recognize her name: Kendall Coyne. A fellow Sandburg graduate, a hockey phenom as a youth, Coyne played on the silver-medal-winning U.S. Women’s Hockey Team in the 2014 Olympics.

“Second year, man, and I’m in the Super Bowl,” Schofield told MLive.com before the game, incredulous and humble, much as people remember him during his playing days at Michigan.

His pals back in Orland Park describe him as good-natured and soft-spoken.

Now, they can call him Super Bowl champion, too.

“To think how far Michael has come. I couldn’t be more excited for him,” his mom, Kathy Schofield, told the Chicago Tribune last week.

This will be a very sweet moment for Schofield, not only for the obvious reasons but also because he struggled at times this season. After injuries to two other players, he found himself an essential part of the starting lineup.

• Also on Patch: Naperville Native Owen Daniels is a Super Bowl Champ

His coach, Gary Kubiak, singled him out for praise early in the playoffs after the Broncos defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers and he acknowledged Schofield’s progress.

“Proud of Michael,” Kubiak told the Denver Post. “He battled in there and did a good job. That’s what you want to see, because the stage got a little bit bigger and a he got a little bit better.”

In the AFC Championship game against the New England Patriots, a battle of Southland natives took place on the line when Schofield drew the task of protecting Manning from Rob Ninkovich — himself a Super Bowl champion and a New Lenox native.

Now, he’s played, and battled, on the biggest stage in the NFL.