Defense, the old coaches used to tell us, wins championships. – Bear Bryant
An Unexpected Triumph
On Sunday, February 9th, the Philadelphia Eagles had a remarkable breakthrough. Cooper DeJean from small town Iowa boy to Super Bowl Champion. Sunday night was a quest for the Kansas City Chiefs to be forever remembered in Super Bowl history—the victory lay in Philadelphia's phenomenal defense. Philadelphia’s overwhelming defense held Patrick Mahomes, the two-time Super Bowl defending champ, to a minimal 23 yards in the first half.
What a Way to Celebrate a Birthday
Former Iowa cornerback, Cooper DeJean, was celebrating his 22nd birthday when he left that stadium with a Super Bowl ring. DeJean’s 38-yard interception for a touchdown was a massive turning point for the Eagles. The Eagles quarterback, Jaelen Hurts, threw 221 yards, rushing for 72 and contributing 3 touchdowns. Philadelphia's swarming defense got 3 interceptions off of Patrick Mahomes. Cooper DeJean played a key role in the Eagles defense. They held Kansas City’s offense to 275 yards, maintaining a 40-6 lead until Kansas City Chiefs threw a few touchdown passes late in the game.
From Small Town Iowa Boy to NFL Championship
Some may not know the name Cooper DeJean, but after his phenomenal performance at the Super Bowl he was all the talk. DeJean grew up in Odebolt, Iowa, a farming town of roughly 900 people, and attended OA-BCIG, a school in Ida Grove, Iowa. He played quarterback and defensive back in high school, and holds various records. Football wasn’t his only sport though, he ran track and field, and played basketball. He had state titles for all of those sports. Some may call him a phenom, because most don’t expect a superior athlete to come out of a small town in Iowa. DeJean then went to the University of Iowa, becoming a two-time, All-American cornerback. DeJean had a lot of success at Iowa and was then drafted into the NFL to play for the Eagles. DeJean had “712 and 215” written on his cleats - as an remembrance of his old hometown area code to his new area code. Cooper DeJean has so much to look forward to in his future and will forever be a small town boy.
