Jamaican-Born Petty Officer 3rd Class Shyeed Crooks from Port St. Lucie in Florida will carry the United States Navy flag as a member of the Joint Armed Services Color Guard before Super Bowl LVII at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on February 12, 2023.

Crooks’ debut on television is the result of luck: his name was randomly picked out of a hat. Nevertheless, he said that he feels an “overwhelming sense of honor” at having the opportunity to be the flag bearer because the Color Guard is the “face of the US Navy, and in terms of discipline, it represents the standard. Every time they go to a ceremony, they have the responsibility to measure up to maintain that standard. In spite of being a little nervous, Crooks said he is also trying to enjoy his moment and have some fun as well.

Shyeed Crooks, 30, joined the Navy in 2021 following a move from Jamaica to Port St. Lucie in 2018 where he is currently staying with family members. He grew up in Lionel Town in Clarendon Parish, Jamaica. He attended the best high school in the country, Jamaica College in Kingston, and graduated in 2010. He then attended Jamaica’s University of Technology. After living in Port St. Lucie for three years, Crooks decided he wanted to grow more as a person and after talking with a friend he decided to enlist in the US Navy.

For the past 18 months, Crooks served in the Color Guard, which represents the Navy at ceremonies for the US President, Navy funerals at Arlington National Cemetery, and various high-profile sports events, including the National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Stars and now, the Super Bowl. This will be Crooks’ first time representing the Navy at such a large-scale event.

While acknowledging the responsibility he feels at representing the Navy, his colleagues, and his family, he also realized that this is a job that only a few people get the chance to do, and he does not take it for granted at all.