Rory McIlroy may not be a die-hard football fan, but he knows greatness when he sees it.
As he gears up to defend his title at this week’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, McIlroy was asked about the buzz surrounding the Super Bowl, which is set to kick off just down the road in Santa Clara. His response? Honest, insightful, and very much in line with who McIlroy is-a global sports star with a deep appreciation for elite performance, even if it comes in a sport he didn’t grow up watching.
“I’ve tried really hard with football,” McIlroy said Tuesday, speaking with a group of reporters. “Like, really hard. I appreciated the Super Bowl because of the defensive capabilities of both teams, and especially the Seahawks.”
That’s not exactly the kind of quote you expect from a guy who thrives under pressure and has hoisted major trophies. But McIlroy wasn’t pretending to be something he’s not. He didn’t grow up with American football, and he admits it hasn’t clicked for him the way other sports have.
“I could watch a game of cricket for five days and be mesmerized,” he added. “I just didn’t grow up with [football], so that’s why I maybe don’t take to it quite as naturally.”
Still, McIlroy isn’t blind to what the NFL does well-particularly when it comes to building anticipation and keeping fans engaged. From a marketing standpoint, he sees the league as a masterclass in how to keep a sport relevant year-round, even with a relatively short season.
“There’s certainly a lot to be learned from the NFL,” he said. “It’s a short season and then once it goes away, people miss it.
From a marketing perspective it’s genius, right? They drip-feed things.
It’s the [NFL] combine, then it’s the draft, then it’s preseason. The season is short but they drip-feed just enough to keep you really interested the whole way through the year.”
That’s not just casual commentary from the sidelines. McIlroy’s perspective hits a little closer to home when you consider the ongoing conversations in golf about the PGA Tour’s calendar. He and other top players have floated the idea of shortening the season to make each tournament feel more significant-something the NFL has mastered with its tightly packed, high-stakes schedule.
And McIlroy knows a thing or two about maximizing moments. His win at Pebble Beach last year was a breakthrough-his first victory at the iconic venue-and it sparked a run that included triumphs at both The Players Championship and The Masters.
That kind of momentum doesn’t just happen. It’s built on timing, form, and yes, a little bit of sports marketing magic.
Now ranked No. 2 in the world behind Scottie Scheffler, McIlroy returns to Pebble Beach not just as a defending champion, but as a voice of experience in the broader sports conversation. He may not be glued to the Super Bowl this weekend, but he sees the bigger picture-and when a four-time major winner starts talking about how another sport keeps its fans hooked, it’s worth listening.
Because whether it’s on the fairway or the football field, the formula for greatness often looks the same: precision, passion, and the ability to make every moment count.