TITLETOWN (NBC 26) — Wayne Dear says his family is "just your everyday family" — he's an operations manager at a "big-box company," his wife Taylor teaches special education students at West De Pere High School, and they have three children: Camden, Kennedy, and Kelby. The Dears would not be likely to attend one of the biggest events in sports — the Super Bowl — but after a stroke of good fortune, two of them will be doing exactly that.
- On the third day of the NFL Draft, Taylor Dear suggested her family get closer to the stage in the Draft theater
- Eventually, that led to two of the family members being invited on stage — and being handed a big prize
- Read on to see how the Dears decided who would get to take full advantage of the prize
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story, with additional details added for web)
The 2025 NFL Draft is now just a memory, but for a De Pere family, it's one they'll carry on forever. The family will remember the Draft as the setting for the surprise of a lifetime.
Watch Titletown neighborhood reporter Karl Winter's full story here:
The Dear family was among the hundreds of thousands visiting the final day of the Draft, April 26.
"The Draft production team [came] up to us and said, 'Hey, do you guys want to do trivia?'" Wayne Dear said. "And we're like, okay ..."
Wayne and his daughter Kennedy got to see the sea of green and gold from the Draft theater stage, but thought that was the extent of their prize.
"At least we can say we got the chance to get on stage in front of over 200-some-thousand people during the Draft," Dear said. "[That] was an amazing experience in itself."
Wayne answered a question from the on-stage host, leading the crowd in a 'Go Pack Go!' chant — but then, a twist.
"We couldn't just do one Super Bowl ticket giveaway," the host said to the Dears and the crowd. "We're doing two! We are giving you both free tickets to the Super Bowl! Super Bowl 60!"
Wayne's reaction was raw and genuine. (Watch the video linked above to see it)
"I thought I was going to black out," Dear said. "Black out, faint, pass out, all of the above. I couldn't even process what was happening in that moment, other than I never thought in a million years that I would have the opportunity to attend the Super Bowl and then, let alone, I'm experiencing this moment with my daughter, Kennedy, on stage."
His wife Taylor — feet away — couldn't believe it either.
"I was blown away," Taylor Dear said. "Like, I was crying, just for him, because he does so much for other people, and it's just amazing to see him get that opportunity to go and experience that. So it's still a 'pinch-me' moment."
After meeting some other VIPs — Packers president Mark Murphy and Pro Football Hall of Famer LeRoy Butler — the Dears had to make the tough decision of who got to go the big game, since there were only two tickets. The verdict — the parents would go.
"We had to sweeten up the deal a little bit — a little bribe — and let Kennedy know that we're going to take her and her brother and sister to Disney this summer," Wayne said, "and at least make it worthwhile for her giving her mom her Super Bowl ticket, which I know she's happy to do."
We asked Kennedy: "Is that a good tradeoff? Disney World, does that beat the Super Bowl?"
"Yes," she responded.
Next year's Super Bowl is in Santa Clara, California, and the Dears say they've never been to California, so they're excited for their three-day, all-expenses-paid trip in February.
Wayne is a Packers fan, but Taylor is a born-and-bred Cincinnati Bengals fan, so the couple are hoping for a Packers-Bengals matchup in Super Bowl LX.
