Sherwin Dewan and Starasia Williams, both dressed just so in their school uniforms, paced nervously at the front door of the Sacred Heart School gymnasium waiting for their moment.
This was their Super Bowl.
The two 12-year-old girls, who were the official greeters for some special guests who were about to visit their elementary school in the impoverished heart of Jersey City on Tuesday, had the look of anticipation the Broncos and Seahawks players will have in that moment when they stand at the tunnel waiting to be introduced at Super Bowl XLVIII Sunday at MetLife Stadium.
One of their own was coming home to visit Dewan, Williams and their fellow Sacred Heart students — Broncos defensive end Robert Ayers, who grew up around the corner and attended the school through eighth grade.
When the police-escort caravan pulled into the driveway and Ayers and Broncos teammates — running back Knowshon Moreno, safety Mike Adams, defensive tackle Terrance Knighton, defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio and assistant secondary coach Sam Garnes — walked through the door, the girls greeted them with a warm, “Welcome to Sacred Heart School.’’
“Thanks for having me,’’ Ayers said, looking around and noticing how small everything looked compared to the last time he had been there as a teenager.
Ayers was there with his Broncos family and the Knights of Columbus handing out coats for the kids, the majority of whom come from low-income households.
But there was so much more to Ayers’ visit than simply helping those kids stay warm in their new jackets. His presence provided a powerful message to the kids, because he is a living, breathing symbol there is hope for all of them to find a way out — just as he did.
“I just want them to know that anything is possible,’’ Ayers told The Post. “Sometimes when you grow up in places like this area, you may not think there is much more out there, but if you work hard the sky is the limit for all of us. I’m just one example.’’
Ayers is a full-circle success story. And the fact, five days after visiting his old school, he will play the biggest game of his life in the shadow of the neighborhood he escaped to find that success provides a perfect climax to the story.
As well as being revered by the kids, Ayers reunited with school principal Sister Frances Salemi, his third-grade teacher Elvira Gabot, and his seventh and eighth-grade teacher Roosevelt Graham.
“It’s just sense of wonderment to see him here — to show that someone made it, really made it,’’ said Salemi, in her 39th year at the school.
“He can really be a figure for these children to look up to,’’ Gabot said.
“I definitely hope that someone that grew up in the situation and the area that I grew up in that faced the hard times that I faced can look at me and say, ‘Well, he made it. So can I,’ ’’ Ayers said. “I hope that someone can see me and use me as a beacon to know that they can make it, too.’’
Ayers said the tough upbringing “made me stronger,’’ and he credited his parents for steering him in the right direction. After graduating from Sacred Heart, Ayers had unsuccessful stints at two high schools — Hoboken High and Snyder High — before his parents sent him to live with his aunt in South Carolina to get him far away from the troubled streets of Jersey City.
That move led to him getting a scholarship to Tennessee.
“As hard as I tried to go the wrong way, they kept me straight,’’ Ayers said. “They made some tough decisions to get me out of that area, because at times it did overwhelm me and I couldn’t really handle it.’’
When the Broncos beat the Patriots for the AFC Championship, Ayers had trouble controlling his emotions, because his immediate thoughts were about his father, Robert Sr., who died last year.
“I wish he could see this, because he had some strong opinions three years ago about Peyton Manning,’’ Ayers said.
When it was clear Manning was going to leave Indianapolis, his father told him, “You guys are going to get Peyton and win the Super Bowl.’’
“Now,’’ Ayers said, “we’re going to a Super Bowl and my father’s passed. He predicted we were going to win a Super Bowl, and I want to make it come true.’’
Then the next time Ayers comes by the old school, he can show off his Super Bowl ring.