On the night of his 22nd birthday – and in the biggest game of his life – Cooper DeJean certainly came of age on Sunday night.
The Eagles rookie produced a play worthy of Super Bowl lore when he picked off a frazzled Patrick Mahomes in the second quarter and returned it 38 yards for a touchdown.
After Mahomes tried a risky cross-body throw – though the three-time Super Bowl winner is no stranger to high-wire acts – DeJean undercut the pass intended for DeAndre Hopkins before squeezing his way into the end zone, and giving Philly a three-possession lead that they wouldn’t relinquish en route to their eventual 40-22 romp over the Chiefs.
‘To be on the biggest stage, and be able to hold that Lombardi trophy, on my birthday, on Saquon’s birthday? It’s pretty crazy,’ he told reporters after the game.
As the rookie second-round pick mentioned, he wasn’t the only Eagles player celebrating a birthday on Sunday, as running back Saquon Barkley also turned 28.
The pair were treated to some cake on the field after the game, along with quarterback Jalen Hurts.
Cooper DeJean produced a legendary pick-six of Patrick Mahomes in the first half
Mahomes threw two interceptions in an uncharacteristic first half that included just 33 passing yards
Barkley’s latest trip around the sun capped off a historic year on the ground for him (he rushed for the most yards of all time including regular season and postseason), and he reflected on his incredibly special birthday as he stood on the podium afterwards with his children.
‘Celebrate with the kids, get them to sleep,’ he said when asked of his birthday plans after the game.
After some celebratory champagne in the Eagles locker room, Barkley will of course remain a Super Bowl champion, even if his birthday ends at midnight.
DeJean’s birthday, too, will pass.
After he finding his feet as a rookie and starting nine of 16 regular season games, he’ll hope that his touchdown return – incredibly his first ever interception in the NFL – won’t be the last memorable moment he produces.
His touchdown, though, will certainly be remembered much longer than the length of his birthday or his storybook debut season.
