Caitlin Clark and Justin Jefferson Shared Their Super Bowl LIX Excitement With Us in New Orleans
We linked up with the star athletes at Gatorade’s G-Lab activation.
All eyes were on New Orleans this past weekend as the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs faced off for Super Bowl LIX. NFL’s biggest game of the year also featured high-energy activations and events that got visitors pumped for the face-off. Among the parties, performances and pop-ups, Gatorade invited athletes and sports fans to experience its G-Lab activation space, where we caught up with WNBA star Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever and Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson for a quick chat.
The G-Lab gave guests an inside look into Gatorade’s scientific origin story, incorporating tech, research from the Gatorade Sports Science Institute (GSSI) and dynamic challenges that replicated the effects of dehydration. While Clark tried to shoot her shot at hooping with depth perception goggles on, guests could also try their hand at hitting football targets, catching passes and testing their endurance.
Gatorade
Gatorade
Gatorade
As one of the WNBA’s premier athletes, Clark is no stranger to what new heights women’s sports can reach. “Women’s sports are just scratching the surface,” Clark told Hypebeast, “The future is very bright and I’ve been a part of it for a short period of time — there have been so many amazing people that have come before me. The sky is the limit and that’s what’s so exciting.” HYPEBAE caught up with Clark as well, and she shared her loyalty to the Chiefs (she’s been a longtime fan since childhood) and her excitement to see SZA at the halftime show.
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Justin Jefferson also stepped into the lab, catching one-handed throws with ease. “It means a lot to be a part of this,” Jefferson told Hypebeast. Getting to travel to New Orleans, his hometown, for the big game meant everything for the star receiver. “Going to LSU and spending my whole life here, coming back home for the Super Bowl is something I was looking forward to.” He even shared his excitement for the Super Bowl halftime show and when asked what song he hoped for Kendrick Lamar to play, he shared, “I feel like everybody wants him to play “Not Like Us,” everybody’s waiting to see if he’s going to actually play it or not. I can’t wait.” And if you tuned in to catch the elaborate production, then you know the rapper did all that and more — bringing out SZA, Serena Williams and Samuel L. Jackson as guests.
When the Eagles won Super Bowl LIX with a score of 40 – 22, coach Nick Sirianni was doused with yellow (lemon-lime flavored) Gatorade. An annual tradition and a moment fans of the game continually look forward to. With the beverage being part of the NFL Super Bowl since 1983, both Clark and Jefferson also shared some personal stories about the drink. “Soccer was the first sport I ever played and my first memories with [Gatorade] were after school practices,” Clark recalls. “It’s been a part of my life as long as I’ve been playing sports. Once a year, you’d get picked to bring your own drink and snack for everyone at practice and mine was always the blue flavor.”
For Jefferson, it was all about the commercials. “Being a little kid and seeing the commercials of my favorite players — Michael Jordan, LeBron James — they’re the type of players I modeled myself after,” he shared.
The weekend concluded as green confetti covered the Caesars Superdome field and the Eagles quarterback, Jalen Hurts, accepted the Vince Lombardi trophy. For Clark and Jefferson, it’s time to prepare for their upcoming seasons, with the WNBA kicking off in May and the NFL Kickoff game taking place in September 2025.
