NEW ORLEANS — Cooper DeJean certainly had a memorable way to mark his 22nd birthday during the Super Bowl.
He achieved a remarkable feat by becoming the first player in Super Bowl history to either make an interception or score a touchdown on the day of his birthday. DeJean returned a misthrown pass from Patrick Mahomes for a dramatic 38-yard touchdown, extending the Eagles’ lead against Kansas City to 17-0 in the second quarter of a commanding victory.
“It’s crazy,” DeJean noted. “I never imagined this would occur, but it did, and that’s pretty cool. I’m just thrilled that we won the game.”
In addition to DeJean’s significant play, his teammate Saquon Barkley also celebrated well, turning 28 on the same day and breaking the record for the most combined rushing yards during the regular season and the playoffs. However, DeJean’s interception and subsequent touchdown were the standout moments of the game.
In a key highlight, DeJean intercepted Mahomes after correctly reading a route from DeAndre Hopkins, and then he dashed for the end zone. With a singular focus on scoring, he said, “I was looking for the quickest route to the end zone. Thankfully, I had some good blocks. I had to dodge a few of those big defenders, but it was all about our defense cooperating as we have throughout the season. It just came to me.”
This marked the first pick-six in Super Bowl history since Robert Alford achieved this for Atlanta against Tom Brady’s New England team eight years ago. That interception propelled the Falcons to a 21-0 lead, which eventually grew to 28-3 in the second half before the Patriots orchestrated the largest comeback in Super Bowl history.
Historically, no team has lost a Super Bowl after scoring a touchdown via an interception return; DeJean’s big play helped solidify this record, as the other 13 teams with similar occurrences have all secured victories. Tampa Bay even achieved a notable win in Super Bowl 37, featuring three pick-sixes against the Oakland Raiders.
DeJean and Barkley became the 15th and 16th players respectively to compete in a Super Bowl on their birthdays, according to Sportradar. Uniquely, DeJean is the first among them to either score a touchdown or make an interception.
Barkley ended the game with 25 carries for a total of 57 rushing yards, breaking the NFL season record for rushing yards when combining regular season and postseason statistics, surpassing Terrell Davis’s previous tally of 2,476 yards.
Drafted as a second-round pick from Iowa in 2024, DeJean played a crucial role in strengthening Philadelphia’s defense after being introduced into the starting lineup early in the season. His remarkable performance even brought joy to his friends and family in his hometown of Odebolt, Iowa, who gathered for a Super Bowl viewing party to celebrate this exceptional moment.
