Ever since he gifted the Philadelphia Eagles with a 17-0 lead and the keys to the Super Bowl with his pick-six, the 22-year-old kid from Iowa, Cooper DeJean, has been on a nonstop media tour.
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With one of his most recent stops being on the Pivot Podcast with Ryan Clark, Cooper DeJean discussed his historic play once again. Aware of the fact that he was enjoying his rookie debut at the heights of Philadelphia’s redemption arc, DeJean understood that sometimes the game simply means more to someone else.
Having heard the team’s leaders discuss the impact of their loss at Super Bowl LVII, he explained: “It gave me chills. Damn near made me emotional just watching those guys up there talking about their experience last time and how it made them feel… It inspired me. Even though it was the night before the game, I was ready to go and ready to play right at that moment.”
Like many players, the rookie was impressed by Brandon Graham’s “emotional speech” that night. With it being a rare instance in which the quieter voices of the locker room were heard, as per Cooper, the impact that was felt from the 2023 loss was abundantly clear.
When being asked about Saquon Barkley’s now famous speech, DeJean said that the team “absolutely” believed that they were superior to Kansas City. “If we play our game… It shouldn’t be close with anybody,” he added.
Saquon’s sideline message to DeJean
Following DeJean’s championship moment, the NFL’s premiere running back went out of his way to share words of encouragement with the rookie. Being sure to congratulate the young man on his accomplishments while keeping him focused on the task at hand, Barkley’s influence on every aspect of the Eagles roster cannot be understated.
While the rookie failed to remember his exact words due to the excitement of the moment, the NFL Mic’d Up crew thankfully caught the sideline interaction.
Meanwhile, DeJean’s six points contributed to a 40-22 smashing of the Chiefs’ three-peat dreams, putting an end to the very same championship run that the Eagles created. The interception was certainly perfect in every way, as it will certainly be remembered throughout the city of Philadelphia for generations to come.
Once the festivities and jubilations are over, DeJean and the rest of the championship roster will turn their attention towards the 2025 regular season. Now hoping to manifest their own consecutive title run, the Eagles will look to find their next worthy challenger, having officially exercised their demons.
Incidentally, the rookie may be asked to tell the same story everywhere he goes, but at least he’ll never have to pay for a steak so long as he remains in the city of Philadelphia.
