NEW ORLEANS — Sunday is Cooper DeJean’s birthday. It’s likely to be his most memorable one yet, not because turning 22 is all that significant to him, but because it’s the day he’ll also make his Super Bowl debut.
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The rookie cornerback has become a crucial part of this year’s Eagles’ defense, which ranks No. 1 in fewest total yards allowed (278.4), No. 1 in fewest passing yards allowed (174.2), and No. 2 in points allowed (17.8). DeJean started nine games and contributed 51 tackles, good for fifth on the team. He’s also the team’s primary punt returner.
The Eagles hoped DeJean would make such an impact. He was a consensus All-American after his junior year at Iowa, and many thought he’d be a first-round pick, but a season-ending fibula fracture hurt his draft stock. When he was still available in the second round, the Eagles traded three draft picks to move up to No. 40 in the 2024 NFL Draft and select him.
Frustrated he dropped in the draft, DeJean can now see the positives, considering he’s on a team going to its second Super Bowl in three years.
“What happened in the draft, where I fell into the second round, getting drafted by the Eagles, I think it’s a blessing in disguise on that day,” he told Sports Spectrum this week ahead of Super Bowl LIX. “Being able to play for such a great organization and a great city, fans that have supported us the whole way, it truly is a blessing just to be here and be able to play on the biggest stage.”
DeJean has lettering tattooed on the inside of his right bicep that stands for “God is greater than the highs and the lows.” After the Eagles won the NFC Championship Game, DeJean posted on X, “God is the greatest.”
Crazy! God is the Greatest❤️ https://t.co/pdlafIXSpT
— Cooper DeJean (@cdejean23) January 27, 2025
And he’s not the only player from his rookie class who’s making an impact on the field while also praising God. Selected after DeJean in the third round was outside linebacker Jalyx Hunt, who started his college career at Cornell and ended it at Houston Christian University. He saw action in 16 games for the Eagles, compiled 21 tackles, including 1.5 sacks, and played 56% of the special teams snaps. He didn’t play as much as he wanted to, especially early in the season, but set his mind to being ready whenever he got a chance.
“I had the faith and I just needed to put in the work,” Hunt told Sports Spectrum this week. “Just being prepared when my opportunity came. When I did get the opportunity I was praying for, would I fold or would I seize it? I think God gives you opportunities to do what you pray for and through faith I was able to seize it.”
A number of guys on the team poured into him spiritually this season, and he said many on the Eagles are outspoken about their faith. Hunt made sure he was a part of the team Bible study every Wednesday with team chaplain Ted Winsley.
“There’s a lot of people who don’t want to talk about their religion because they feel as if it might make them look a certain way that they don’t want to look,” Hunt told Sports Spectrum. “But I think when you’re able to be powerful and step into that spotlight like a lot of these people have, it just says more about your faith, you’re more open about it. … It’s OK to lead with God; it’s cool to lead with God.”
Following Hunt, the Eagles selected Clemson running back Will Shipley in the fourth round. He played 58% of the special teams snaps, but otherwise didn’t see the field a ton because he plays behind the NFL’s best running back. Shipley got 30 carries for 82 yards in the regular season, with four more carries for 77 yards in the playoffs, including his first career touchdown. More importantly, he says Jesus is “everything to me.”
“He plays a role in every decision I make in my life. I thank my parents for raising me to always put God first,” Shipley told Sports Spectrum this week. “… God ordains everything for what I need to do. He’s created that path for me to walk down, so [I’m] appreciating that.”
Who is Jesus to you?
Eagles RB Will Shipley — "He's everything to me."@willshipley2021 @MattForte22 @JasonRomano pic.twitter.com/jf74Nkm1yc
— Sports Spectrum (@Sports_Spectrum) February 6, 2025
In the fifth round of the 2024 draft, the Eagles then took linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr., a teammate of Shipley’s at Clemson and also the son of an Eagles legend — four-time Pro Bowler Jeremiah Trotter Sr., who played eight seasons in Philadelphia. Junior totaled 25 tackles and a half-sack in the regular season, and played 66% of the special teams snaps.
“I’ve always been a man of faith, a man of God, and I gave Him thanks through the ups and downs that we’ve had as a team this season,” Trotter told Sports Spectrum this week. “I know we didn’t start off like we would have wanted (2-2 after four games) but we kept going in and putting in the work, trusting in God’s plan, and I feel like that really helped us get to this point.”
At the Super Bowl in his first NFL season, Trotter knows sports in general but the Super Bowl in particular is a great platform to praise the Lord.
“As a Christian man or woman, you can’t be afraid to talk to the media and put it out that you’re a man of God or a woman of God,” he told Sports Spectrum. “Sometimes you might see people that aren’t sure if they should say it to the media, but you can’t be like that. You gotta really speak out about His glory and really praise His name.”
Kickoff for Super Bowl LIX from New Orleans is set for Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET.
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