An amazing seven months for Eagles quarterback Nick Foles culminated on Wednesday night with the ESPY award for Best Championship Performance.
Foles was up against some very solid competition in the Astros’ George Springer, the Warriors’ Kevin Durant and Villanova’s Dante DiVincenzo.
“I never plan a speech and quite frankly I didn’t expect to win this award or to even be in this moment,” Foles said in his acceptance speech. “I just want to thank the good Lord for giving me the ability to play the game I love.”
Two years ago, Foles almost walked away from football, but a call from his former coach Andy Reid and a time of prayer during a camping trip opened up his eyes and his heart to continue playing.
“There came a day after the camping trip that Tori (Foles’ wife) and I had a conversation,” Foles said on the Sports Spectrum podcast earlier this month. “She’s teary eyed, I’m teary eyed. I remember praying to God for guidance and I remember a sense of peace. I realized I wasn’t trusting God. I wasn’t having faith in God to guide me. I was trying to do it in my own power and I was becoming extremely weak.”
For Foles, giving it to God meant a joy and peace returning, and he says it was the best decision he ever made in following God’s call and ultimately returning to the NFL.
“It’s been a crazy career – if any of y’all know my career path, it doesn’t make sense — but I’m here right now,” Foles said at the ESPYS. “My teammates, coaches, we faced so much adversity this year. We have an amazing team. It’s so much fun to go to work in that locker room every single day. I couldn’t have done it without you all and you saw what happened, we won the first Super Bowl in Philadelphia history.”
Near the end of his acceptance speech at the ESPYS, Foles wanted to share some final words of wisdom, specifically to all the kids watching.
“There’s going to be people that doubt you — don’t listen to them. What matters is what is in here. The people that love you and support you. Go out there and be bold,” he said.
Foles and the Eagles begin defense of their Super Bowl title when their training camp begins Wednesday.
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