After the Philadelphia Eagles found themselves in possession of a 10-0 lead against the Kansas City Chiefs halfway through the second quarter of Super Bowl LIX, the understanding was that the next drive would be a crucial one. With an opportunity to take full control against the back-to-back defending champions, the NFC title holders found themselves needing just one more stop to begin building an insurmountable advantage.
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Thankfully for them, Iowa native and rookie DB, Cooper DeJean was on the field. After forcing the Chiefs offense into a third and long situation, Patrick Mahomes was forced out of the pocket by the Eagles pass rush. In a desperate attempt to pick up the first down, the three-time Super Bowl champion sailed the ball downfield and right into the hands of a lurking DeJean, giving the birthday boy a historic present as his pick-six provided the ultimate momentum shift in favor of the Eagles.
In a sit-down interview on The Rich Eisen Show, DeJean detailed his Super Bowl moment, recalling the highlight from the game –
“We were playing zone; I was just dropped into coverage… Zach Baun… allowed me to fall back inside and pick off the crosser… It just fell right into my lap.”
After Eisen noted the surreal ness of playing in the Super Bowl on his birthday, the six-foot freshman further added –
“That didn’t even cross my mind. I just saw the ball coming to me. The first thing on my mind was just to catch it, and when I caught it, all I thought about was going to try to find a way to the end zone.”
While he had managed to record three fumble recoveries throughout the 2024 regular season, in addition to six pass defenses, the interception was the first of DeJean’s professional career.
DeJean ran around like a little kid after the touchdown
Upon Eisen asking what that moment of celebration felt like for the freshman defender, Cooper recalled feeling an overwhelming sense of excitement and childlike wonder. “It was awesome. I had so much excitement. I was running around like a little kid; I didn’t have any celebrations planned or anything like that. I just celebrated with my teammates.”
Perhaps a bit too excited, the Iowa product admitted that he was “out of breath” on the sideline due to his excitement. Unfortunately, he also admitted that is uncertain about the game ball’s current whereabouts –“Hopefully one of our equipment guys has it.”
To record the first interception of their NFL career is a milestone achievement for any defensive player, for it to be a pick-six would only make the moment that much sweeter. However, for that moment to come on your birthday, while also playing in the Super Bowl against the best quarterback in the league, is the stuff that football dreams are made of.
DeJean and the rest of Philadelphia will now look to turn their attention towards defending their world championship title in 2026, as the 22-year-old hopes to avoid the infamous sophomore slump that has plagued numerous players throughout the history of the NFL.
