Amanda Gorman's Poem Is Already the Highlight of the Super Bowl. Read It Again Here.

January 20 may have been President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris's inauguration day, but some argue that Amanda Gorman, the National Youth Poet Laureate, and the youngest inaugural poet in U.S. history, stole the show with her powerful recitation of "The Hill We Climb"—a poem she finished writing the night after pro-Trump rioters tried to seize the Capitol.

“We have to confront these realities if we’re going to move forward, so that’s also an important touchstone of the poem,” she told the New York Times. “There is space for grief and horror and hope and unity, and I also hope that there is a breath for joy in the poem, because I do think we have a lot to celebrate at this inauguration.”

Tonight, Gorman graced the national stage once again. At an event better known for funny commercials and chicken wings than for the arts, she recited a poem highlighting the Super Bowl's honorary captains and their work and sacrifice during the pandemic, ahead of kickoff.

Read a transcript of the full poem below.

Today we honor our three captains for their actions and impact in a time of uncertainty and need.

They have taken the lead, exceeding all expectations and limitations, uplifting their communities and nation as leaders, healers, and educators.

James has felt the wounds of warfare but this warrior still shares his home with at-risk kids. During COVID he's even lent a hand, live-streaming football for family and fans.

Trimaine is an educator who works non-stop providing his community with hot spots, laptops, and tech workshops, so his students have all the tools they need to succeed in life and in school.

Susie is the ICU nurse manager at a Tampa hospital. Her chronicles prove that even in tragedy, hope is possible. She lost her grandmothers to the pandemic, and fights to save other lives in the ICU battle zone defining the front line heroes risking their lives for our own.

Let us walk with these warriors, charge on with these champions, and carry forth the call of our captains. We celebrate them by acting with courage and compassion, by doing what is right and just.

For while we honor them today, it is they who every day honor us.

Read More of Gorman's Work