Cooper DeJean had an incredible way to celebrate his 22nd birthday. He became the first player in Super Bowl history to intercept a pass or score a touchdown on his birthday. He returned a bad throw from Patrick Mahomes 38 yards for a touchdown, giving Philadelphia a 17-0 lead over Kansas City in the second quarter of the game.
“It’s crazy,” DeJean said. “I never thought that would happen. And it did happen. It’s pretty cool. I’m just happy we won the game.”
It was also a special 28th birthday for DeJean’s teammate, Saquon Barkley, who set a new single-season record for the most combined rushing yards in both the regular season and playoffs.
However, it was DeJean who made the biggest play. He intercepted Mahomes after cutting off a route from DeAndre Hopkins and ran it back for the touchdown. DeJean said he kept things simple once he got the ball.
“Score a touchdown,” he said. “I was trying to find the fastest way to the end zone. Luckily, I got some blocks out there. I had to avoid some of those big guys, but it was just our defense working together like we have all year. It fell right into my lap.”
In the game’s history, it was the first pick-6 in a Super Bowl since Robert Alford’s pick-6 for Atlanta against Tom Brady and New England eight years ago. That interception gave the Falcons a 21-0 lead, but the Patriots made the biggest comeback in Super Bowl history.
That game marked the only instance where a team lost a Super Bowl after returning an interception for a touchdown. All other 13 teams, including Tampa Bay in Super Bowl 37, where three pick-6s were made against Oakland, won the game.
Philadelphia Eagles players celebrate with the trophyDeJean and Barkley are only the 15th and 16th players to appear in a Super Bowl on their birthday. None of the previous players had scored a touchdown or intercepted a pass before DeJean.
Barkley ran for 57 yards on 25 carries, setting the new NFL season rushing record, including the postseason, surpassing the previous record of 2,476 yards set by Terrell Davis.
DeJean, a second-round pick from Iowa in 2024, became an important part of Philadelphia’s defense early in the season, helping the team recover. His big play brought joy to his hometown of Odebolt, Iowa, where fans gathered to watch the Super Bowl.
