When it came to the recent Super Bowl held in New Orleans, Hahnville High School wide receivers coach Nate Singleton was torn on who he wanted to emerge as the game’s victor.
Singleton is an Avondale native who starred at L.W. Higgins High School in Marrero before going on to play for Grambling State. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the 11th round of the 1992 National Football League draft.
Although Singleton never played for the Giants, he was an active member of the San Francisco 49ers from 1993-96, earning a Super Bowl ring with the team following the 1994 season with a victory over the San Diego Chargers.
“I had one attempt, an incompletion,” Singleton said. “I was the third down receiver for San Francisco. I played a lot of plays, but didn’t get a lot of opportunity to make plays.”
The 1994 Super Bowl season was the best of Singleton’s career. He finished the season with 294 yards on 21 catches with two touchdowns.
After the 1996 season with the 49ers, Singleton finished his career in the NFL with four games played with the Baltimore Ravens in 1997.
He said having played for both teams who faced each other in this year’s Super Bowl left him torn between the two sides.
“It didn’t matter who won or lost,” he said. “I think it was a great experience, an overwhelming experience. Simply because you have two teams you’ve played for in the biggest game in your home town.”
Given his four-year association with the 49ers, Singleton said if he were forced to choose he would have liked to see them win.
“Truly it didn’t matter. If you had to ask me if you had a choice, I had ties there and it was that organization that turned me into the person that I am,” he said.
Singleton said he would not be surprised to see the 49ers in the Super Bowl again soon, especially with the talent level of the team’s receivers.
“All the pieces of the puzzle are there,” he said. “Defensively, they are strong and offensively, the weapons they have are great surrounding Coiln Kaepernick with Vernon Davis and Michael Crabtree. I think they will be back there.”
As part of the NFL festivities in New Orleans, Singleton met up with 49ers’ alumni and was able to reintroduce his son, HHS sophomore wide receiver Brandon Singleton, to his former teammates.
“My son had an opportunity to see some of the people he knew,” Singleton said. “We went out and hung out there and did the NFL Experience and visited hotels and saw some of the people he hadn’t seen since he was a little bitty boy.”
Singleton said it was a pleasure to take part in some of the NFL events.
“It was an electrifying event. The whole week was filled with many activities,” he said. “Me and my family had a blast and I was overjoyed that my son had the opportunity to experience it.”
Singleton and Hahnville recently wrapped up spring training. The coach said he is looking forward to getting back on the field and instructing young men in the game that has given him so much.
“I’m just proud where I am now just to help kids,” he said. “I am giving information to each kid to get them to move forward.”
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