No one has been to more Super Bowls than Tom Henschel — he’s been to every one.
At 83, the Harrison native will break his own record by attending his 59th Super Bowl on Sunday in New Orleans, a milestone he shares with just two other men.
More people have walked on the moon.
Nothing seems able to stop Henschel, now a Florida resident, from grabbing a seat at the big game: not his age, not the fact that his beloved Pittsburgh Steelers haven’t vied for the championship in some time, not even the mini-stroke he suffered a few years ago.
“I hope the Steelers make another Super Bowl — hopefully — but time is running out on me, age- and health-wise,” Henschel said.
Thursday morning, using a travel cane, carrying a colorful Steelers carry-on bag and with wheelchairs at-the-ready at airports, Henschel and his wife of 49 years, Regina, left for New Orleans on a five-day trip, ready to keep his Super Bowl streak alive.
As has been tradition for some time, Henschel will meet up with the other members of the “Never Miss a Super Bowl” club — Don Crisman of Maine and Gregory Eaton of Michigan — men he describes as “friends for life.”
The trio will meet for a pregame lunch in New Orleans because their game tickets are not together.
“It’s my favorite city for a Super Bowl. There’s great blues music and jazz everywhere and all kinds of fantastic seafood — the best seafood gumbo,” said Henschel, adding his favorite New Orleans restaurant is Bourbon House, on Bourbon Street in the French Quarter.
Henschel will cheer for the Philadelphia Eagles.
“I want the Eagles to get revenge for two years ago in Phoenix,” he said. “I’m sick of seeing the (Kansas City) Chiefs. Plus, I hope no team ever wins three Super Bowls in a row.” (The Chiefs won last year, again the San Francisco 49ers.)
He expressed disappointment with the Steelers making another early exit from the playoffs.
“I was always so proud to be a Steelers fan, but the last few years, not so much,” Henschel said. “I think we need a new head coach and new game plans.”
He quipped: “I would bring back Antonio Brown to catch touchdowns.”
Despite his frustration, Henschel will continue another Super Bowl tradition: representing Pittsburgh by donning Steelers merch. He even got a new shirt for the occasion.
His seat is not in the end zone like last year. Instead, you can find him in Section 257, third row.
His wife won’t be joining him at the game. The ticket prices are a little steep for a longtime retiree.
“The face value is $5,500 each,” he said of tickets in his section.
Instead, Regina Henschel plans to watch the game on television in New Orleans. She accompanied Tom on the trip to lend a helping hand when he needs it.
“He’s certainly more excited when the Steelers are playing, but we love New Orleans. The food and the music are great,” said Regina, who married Tom in 1976 when he worked as an airline gate agent.
Financing his annual football feat is made possible by the Henschels living modestly and remaining virtually debt-free.
Still, it comes at a price. Henschel said his financial life the next four months, post-game, will be “like the poor house.”
The Super Bowl has “become for big money folks,” he said.
Another thing he misses are days of paper tickets.
He has 56 years’ worth of his tickets tucked neatly into albums and framed back home in Tampa. Now tickets are electronic.
“I hate the idea of no tickets in hand,” Henschel said. “The last three years, it’s tickets on your phone to get into the game.”
At least Henschel and his wife will be rooting for the same team. Regina Henschel, too, is hopeful the Eagles can bring home a win. She’s not a fan of the celebrity hoopla surrounding the game.
“I don’t want to see Taylor Swift,” she said. “It takes away from the game.”
For Tom Henschel, it’s about the game he fell in love with at a young age growing up on Harrison’s Broadview Boulevard, a son of Dorothy and Vince Henschel.
His father taught him the sport, and Henschel later excelled as a high school player. Before that, he was around the game, starting out as a water boy and ballboy for the former Har-Brack High School’s football team when he was 5 years old.
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Every May, Henschel returns to Western Pennsylvania for the summer, staying at a family cabin in Winfield and visiting with relatives in Harrison and Cabot.