Eagles’ Cooper DeJean celebrates his 22nd birthday with a Super Bowl first

What a way to celebrate a 22nd birthday for Cooper DeJean.

DeJean became the first player in Super Bowl history to intercept a pass or score a touchdown on his birthday when he returned a poor throw by Patrick Mahomes 38 yards for a TD to give Philadelphia a 17-0 lead over Kansas City in the second quarter of the Eagles’ rout Sunday.

“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 a pretty sweet 28th birthday as well for DeJean’s teammate, Saquon Barkley, who set the single-season record for most combined yards rushing in the regular season and playoffs.

But it was DeJean who made the biggest play.

DeJean undercut a route by DeAndre Hopkins and picked off Mahomes before racing in for the touchdown. DeJean said his mindset was 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.”

It was the first pick-6 in a Super Bowl since Robert Alford had one for Atlanta against Tom Brady and New England eight years ago. That one gave the Falcons a 21-0 lead that grew to 28-3 in the second half before the Patriots mounted the biggest comeback in Super Bowl history.

That’s the only time a team has lost a Super Bowl after returning an interception for a touchdown with the other 13 teams now all winning, including Tampa Bay in a game with three pick-6s against the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl 37.

DeJean and teammate Saquon Barkley are the 15th and 16th players to appear in a Super Bowl on their birthdays, according to Sportradar. None of those players had scored a touchdown or intercepted a pass before DeJean.

Barkley finished with 25 carries for 57 yards and set the NFL season rushing record, postseason included, topping the mark of 2,476 yards set by Terrell Davis.

DeJean was a second-round pick out of Iowa in 2024 and his insertion into the starting lineup early in the season was a key part of Philadelphia’s defensive rebound.

His big play delighted his fans in his small hometown of Odebolt, Iowa, who came out for a Super Bowl watch party.

___

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl