Philadelphia was filled with green on Valentine’s Day as fans celebrated their Super Bowl-winning team.
Excited fans cheered loudly on Friday as MVP quarterback Jalen Hurts and Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie took turns holding the Vince Lombardi Trophy during the team’s victory parade through the city.
Many fans camped along the parade route overnight, keeping warm under blankets and in tents to get good spots near the Philadelphia Museum of Art, where the Eagles stood on the famous “Rocky” steps. Hurts told the crowd, “You know I told myself that when I got drafted, that I wouldn’t come to the Rocky steps until I won a championship. And now we’re here.”
Other fans, wearing Eagles jerseys, climbed trees, light poles, and ladders, even clinging to a statue of Benjamin Franklin near City Hall to catch a glimpse of running back Saquon Barkley and rookie defensive back Cooper DeJean, who made an interception for a touchdown on his 22nd birthday.
Head coach Nick Sirianni spoke about the team’s special bond with the fans, saying, “This team is special. We can’t be great without the greatness of others and that certainly applies to our fans.”
Barkley, along with several players, left the open-air buses to walk along the parade route and give high-fives to fans crowded by the barricades.
Jordan Jaindl, who couldn’t attend the 2018 parade after the Eagles’ first Super Bowl win, made sure to come this time, bringing his wife and three daughters from Binghamton, New York. He said the team represented the city’s spirit.
“Their work ethic,” he explained. “How they have to grind for each win. We have to grind here in Philly.”
Fans brought grocery carts full of food and drinks, while some stayed warm in hotels sipping champagne. One group roasted a pig with “15” carved on it as a playful jab at Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Despite being underdogs, the Eagles dominated the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, shutting them out in the first half and winning 40-22.
Philadelphia Eagles’ Saquon Barkley celebrates during the NFL football Super Bowl 59 parade and celebrationVeteran defensive end Brandon Graham shared his excitement: “I’m so happy you didn’t have to go through a nail-biter game. It’s about us being gritty. We’re going to stay gritty.”
Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker and other city leaders asked the team’s excited fans earlier this week to stay safe and keep the celebration joyful.
“In the midst of all this beauty, all of the sacrifices this team has made to meet this moment, we don’t want it to all go by the wayside,” the mayor said.
Even with her requests, some fans climbed onto city trucks, danced on top of port-a-potties, and scaled light poles.
Just weeks before, a college student died after falling from a street pole following the Eagles’ NFC championship win. A year ago, a shooting at Kansas City’s Super Bowl victory celebration resulted in one death and nearly two dozen injuries.
There was a strong police presence along the parade route, which went from South Philadelphia, where the Eagles play, all the way to City Hall and the art museum.
Dump trucks and heavy equipment blocked several side streets along the route. City schools were closed for the parade, as well as city courts and other services.
