PHOENIX — It’s tough lining up schedules for two athletes at the top of their respective sports.
Jasmine Camacho-Quinn wasn’t able to attend the NFC championship game to watch her older brother and Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Robert Quinn play his way into Super Bowl 57. The 2020 Olympic gold medalist had a track practice and couldn’t catch a flight to Philadelphia in time.
But that’s the unique and rarified air in which the siblings find themselves.
The two have been standout athletes since they were kids in South Carolina and have compared athletic accomplishments through the years.
‘Yeah, we talk trash to each other when we’re around each other. It’s always been like that,’ Camacho-Quinn told USA TODAY Sports.
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Camacho-Quinn was a top high school hurdler and won multiple prep state titles in South Carolina before becoming a student-athlete at the University of Kentucky. She was a three-time NCAA Champion champion in Lexington.
Quinn won multiple state wrestling titles and was a highly-rated defensive end in high school who was invited to play in the U.S. Army All-American Game before heading off to North Carolina, where he was named first-team All-ACC in 2009. However, in 2010, Quinn was suspended for receiving improper benefits, and in 2013, North Carolina sent him a permanent disassociation letter.
On the professional level, Quinn is a three-time Pro Bowl selection, was named a first-team All-Pro in 2013 and one of seven active players with more than 100 career sacks.
But little sister has bragging rights.
Representing Puerto Rico, Camacho-Quinn won gold in the women’s 100-meter hurdles at the Tokyo Olympics and also owns the Olympic record in the event. Quinn, a 12-year NFL veteran, is preparing to play in his first Super Bowl and has yet to win football’s ultimate team award.
‘For me, it’s something I always wanted to accomplish. It took a little while (to play in the Super Bowl) but well worth the wait. It’s been a fun ride so far,’ Quinn, who was traded to the Eagles from the Chicago Bears last October, told USA TODAY Sports. ‘My sister, she won the gold, that’s ultimate bragging rights. I can’t quite brag yet until we hoist the trophy.’
The 32-year-old, who was drafted in the 2011 NFL draft by the then-St. Louis Rams and has played for the Rams, Miami Dolphins, Dallas Cowboys and Bears before joining the Eagles, expressed that he’s been waiting for an opportunity to play in a Super Bowl.
‘It still hasn’t quite hit me all the way yet,’ Quinn said. ‘It’s been a long time coming to get here.’
Roles reversed
Quinn watched his sister win gold at the Tokyo Olympics from afar. Camacho-Quinn will be in attendance at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on Sunday to witness her brother attempt to become a champion like her.
‘I’m really happy. Especially knowing the journey he’s been on. That fact that he’s out there and still playing and doing his best, that makes me even happier,’ Camacho-Quinn said. ‘It’s exciting because this is his first Super Bowl. I’m excited to see him play no matter the result. Just go out there and do whatever you do when you step out there on the field. That’s all that matters.’
Olympic gold medal or Super Bowl ring?
If Quinn and the Eagles are victorious on Sunday, he might still lose the friendly sibling competition. USA TODAY Sports asked Camacho-Quinn if winning a Super Bowl is comparable to an Olympic gold medal. She predictably said an Olympic gold medal has no rival.
‘I’m gonna be biased, of course. I feel like an Olympic gold medal is bigger. There’s a Super Bowl every year, so they have chances. I got to wait four years,’ Camacho-Quinn said. ‘I’m gonna be biased and say an Olympic gold medal. But being a Super Bowl champ, that’s something big and everybody can’t say.’
Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon on Twitter @TheTylerDragon.