Reaching the Super Bowl is the pinnacle for anyone involved in the game of football, including Jason Houghtaling.

“It’s been a lifelong dream to get to this game in some way, shape, or form. Now it’s not just about going but getting the job done,” said Houghtaling.

The 1999 Windsor Central High School graduate is the assistant offensive line coach for the New England Patriots, helping turn around a team that went 4-13 in 2024 before earning a spot in Super Bowl LX this season.

It’s a turnaround to which Houghtaling can relate. He left Windsor to play college football at Lafayette College, but an injury in his freshman year ended what he hoped would be a rewarding college career.

“I was struggling. I got hurt. I transferred back home. I was going to BU, and next thing you know I was coaching with the (Windsor) football team. It helped get me back on my feet a little bit,” said Houghtaling. “I got to a crossroads with school and football. I was able to go back home, and Mr. (Dan) Hodack and the Windsor football team gave me a chance to get back involved in football. That’s when I first started coaching.”

He continued coaching at the high school level at Milford Academy and Troy High School. He’s also been a college assistant at Cornell and Colgate, and head coach at Wagner College for five seasons.

“Just like every college football coach, if you don’t win enough, you get fired. After five years at Wagner, it was me and my wife and my daughters trying to figure out what we wanted to do,” said Houghtaling.

Houghtaling repeated what he did the first time he faced a career crisis – he came home.

“The Windsor community was there to help us. I was able to start working at the school, my wife got a job working at the middle school, and my girls went to Windsor in the spring of 2020, which obviously was COVID. It was crazy but that really let us get back on our feet, being back home and being around that community and being around people,” said Houghtaling.

That summer, a position opened for an assistant coach at Colgate.

“That was really the one time when I debated if (coaching) was for me. It was such a comfortable feeling being back home. My girls loved it there, my wife loved it there,” said Houghtaling.

Houghtaling took the job at Colgate, which resumed a journey that led him to the Patriots and Super Bowl LX.

“Everybody has those moments like, is it all worth it or will it really happen? When you’re sleeping in an office or sleeping in a car, you think about it. But I love the game of football, and I’ve gotten a lot of opportunities,” said Houghtaling.

Opportunities to apply what he learned in Windsor to the highest level of football.

“I learned countless lessons from Windsor. I can think about Mr. Vail and our basketball practice and how detailed they were. We started at 7:29 in the morning. As far as Mr. Hodack and my football playing and coaching career – we knew if we played hard enough, we’d have a chance. That’s always stuck with me,” said Houghtaling. “I always knew if you worked hard enough, you could accomplish whatever you want, as long as you have the support of a lot of people along the way. I’ve been fortunate to have that support.”