LEWISTON – With the Super Bowl a few weeks away, Lewiston resident and veteran Matt Jabaut was awarded the surprise of a lifetime with two tickets to this year’s Super Bowl in New Orleans. 

Jabaut says he was at the American Legion Post in Portland shooting membership ads when New England quarterback Drake Maye appeared and surprised him with the tickets. 

“I’m still shocked that I saw Drake [Maye] and I’m going to the Super Bowl,” said Jabaut. “It hasn’t sunk in yet.” 

This effort was part of a partnership between Maye, USAA and The American Legion to surprise a deserving military veteran with tickets to the Super Bowl. 

Jabaut served in the United States Army for seven and a half years, joining in 1997 as a Combat Medic and achieving the Expert Field Medical Badge while going on tours in Kuwait and Iraq. He spent seven and a half years in the military before being honorably discharged in 2007. 

Following the military, he took a job in human resources and remains an active member of American Legion Post 202 in Maine. 

Jabaut was nominated by the American Legion to be the recipient of this honor. He says this is something he’ll forever be grateful for. 

“To get all the recognition for the work I’ve done over the last decade with them [American Legion] is really amazing,” said Jabaut. “And then having this on top of all of that in recognition of doing that work is amazing.” 

In a statement, Drake Maye said, “Knowing my grandfather served, I have so much respect and gratitude for the men and women who’ve served our country, like Staff Sgt. Jabaut. I’m so excited to have teamed up with USAA and The American Legion to gift Matt this once-in-a-lifetime experience, and I’m looking forward to seeing him again in New Orleans!”  

Jabaut will be heading to the Super Bowl with his fiancé Caroline, who also served in the Navy.