From small-town high school fields to the grandest stage in football, Cooper DeJean’s journey has been nothing short of surreal. Just a few years ago, he was dreaming of playing in the NFL—now, he’s living it with a Super Bowl ring and a pick-six off Patrick Mahomes, arguably the greatest active QB in the league. Even the rookie CB has yet to process it all.
Advertisement
Speaking on The Dan Patrick Show, Cooper DeJean candidly admitted that the Super Bowl win feels unreal to him. The recent success is even more overwhelming when considering that he turned 22 on the same day as the big game itself.
Just a few years ago, DeJean was an OABCIG Community School athlete, putting in the work and breaking state records. Fast forward to today, the result is showing, as the Eagles rookie has already registered an iconic Super Bowl moment with that pick-six, which helped Philadelphia extend its lead to 17-0 in the second quarter and put immense pressure on the Chiefs.
Hearteningly, DeJean couldn’t help but express gratitude to everyone who has supported him along the way.
“I don’t think I processed it yet (the journey). Three and a half years ago, I was in high school and now I’m playing on the biggest stage in football – the Super Bowl. I think it’s just a lot of credit to the people who’ve helped me along the way.”
Back when DeJean was snubbed on the first day of the 2024 Draft, he was understandably disheartened. After all, he was an All-American standout for Iowa. Fortunately for him, his parents—who sacrificed immensely for his aspirations—were there to console him.
As luck would have it, the Eagles selected DeJean with the 40th pick, and the rookie repaid them with a stellar season. Despite his success, he admitted to Kay Adams that nothing makes him happier than knowing his parents’ sacrifices were worth it.
“I’m just glad they get to experience it with me. They’ve been there every step of the way, since I was a little kid, to Draft Day, the first day I was pretty disappointed. [But] everything […] worked out, and now I’m a Philadelphia Eagle and Super Bowl champ, so it all worked out,” DeJean told Adams.
With that said, while the former Hawkeye has had a hard time processing his success, he expressed no surprise at seeing the Eagles’ defense shut down the Chiefs.
Cooper DeJean unmoved by Eagles D-line’s success over Mahomes
Before Super Bowl LIX, if someone had predicted Patrick Mahomes getting rag-dolled by the Eagles’ secondary despite no blitzes, they would’ve been called a madman. But the Eagles were so dominant that they sacked Mahomes six times with only a four-man rush. The QB also threw two interceptions.
While the world is still reeling from this dominant display, DeJean isn’t—because, for him, it’s simply the result of his team’s hard work throughout the year.
“The way our defense played [in the Super Bowl], we just continued to get better over the year. The performance that we put out there in the Super Bowl on the biggest stage, I don’t think it’s a surprise to any of us when you know the work we’ve put in throughout the year, throughout practice and then just going out there and doing our thing what we’ve done all year.”
All that said, the Eagles thoroughly deserved their victory over the Chiefs. Nick Sirianni’s men embodied the age-old adage: offense wins games, but defense wins championships.
And the best part? Their defensive cohort was built through smart scouting and drafts, not by spending lavishly on trades. Safe to say, the Eagles are the team to beat, both on the field and in the boardroom.
