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Super Bowl LIX Kickoff in New Orleans. Aired 11p-12a ET
Aired February 09, 2025 - 23:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[23:00:41]
ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: All right. Welcome into New Orleans to the Superdome, where we just saw Super Bowl LIX take place.
I'm Andy Scholes alongside Coy Wire.
You know, Coy, we were thinking we might see some history and the first team ever to win three straight Super Bowls in the Chiefs. Instead we got a historic blowout.
COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Yes, we thought it was going to be the Chiefs, the three peat for the Chiefs, but it was a demolition of that dynasty in miraculous fashion. I mean, this was supposed to be a tight game. It was an absolute blowout. Eagles came out on a mission. It was clear they were determined to get revenge in this Super Bowl LIX.
SCHOLES: And it was just apparent from the start what kind of game this was going to be. Patrick Mahomes could get nothing going. It was the first time ever in his career that he threw two interceptions and was sacked three times in a half, any game ever. So he certainly didn't pick a good one to have it here, Coy. But it was that Eagles defense that was the difference.
WIRE: As they say, as a former defender in the NFL, I'm so happy we can actually talk about this. The defense is the storyline. Defense wins championships. And that was on full display tonight. They almost single handedly wrecked the Chiefs. We're talking six sacks in this game. Two interceptions and forcing a fumble. They won the turnover battle.
When you're able to take those possessions away from one of the most dynamic offenses we've ever seen, and you give your highly dynamic offense the ball, I mean, it's a wrap. But the Eagles played perfect football almost for the entire game. But to be able to embarrass the Chiefs on the biggest stage in the game as they were chasing history, this is going to go down as one of the greatest wins in Philadelphia Eagles franchise history. No doubt.
SCHOLES: Yes, for sure. Let's take a look at how it all went down. You know, the game started. You know, there's so much electricity in the air. President Trump was here. The first sitting president to ever attend a Super Bowl. And the first big play of this game was Jalen Hurts to Jahan Dotson. That got all those Eagles fans out of their seats. WIRE: Yes. And once they got out of their seat I don't know that they
got back in it. That's when that momentum started to go. And as an old teammate of mine used to say, there's no momentum like momentum. And they got it from the very beginning. It was just a play or so after that that Jalen Hurts brought out the infamous tush.
SCHOLES: Yes. The tush.
WIRE: Tush-kush.
SCHOLES: We knew it was going to show up in this Super Bowl at some point. We thought, you know, I thought the Eagles might need it more than they did. They didn't because they kept breaking big plays. But the one time they did run it an easy touchdown for Jalen Hurts.
WIRE: Yes. And how wonderful was this for him because in that Super Bowl two seasons ago he was dynamic. He threw for over 300 yards. He rushed for a Super Bowl quarterback record three touchdowns in that game. But it still wasn't enough. They lost 38 to 35 in a heartbreaker. And he came out once again on the stage with some of the naysayers saying maybe he just can't get it done on the biggest stage. He had a point to prove tonight, and he put a huge exclamation point at the end.
SCHOLES: Certainly did. And then, you know, we're waiting. We kept waiting this whole game, Coy. When is Patrick Mahomes going to get it going? He's going to get the Chiefs back in it. But Cooper DeJean, the birthday boy, the 22-year-old with the play that just really broke Chiefs' hearts in the first half.
WIRE: I mean, on his birthday, a rookie in the NFL. First, you're a rookie, your head is spinning most of the time you're out here. You're just trying to keep up. For him to come out here on the biggest stage on his birthday to intercept Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl, and then take it to the house for a touchdown. He was streaking to that end zone in his birthday suit to really get this party going. And then you can just feel the momentum further take over.
This Philadelphia crowd on their feet the entire time. It was an incredible win and a decisive win for the Eagles.
SCHOLES: And Coy, and then, you know, whenever we thought, you know, the Chiefs they've got to do something here. They've got to make a big play. They couldn't because of that Eagles defensive line. They were relentless, sacking Mahomes six times. Josh Sweat had two and a half sacks in the game. And they were just mauling him. He never had a chance back there.
WIRE: Yes. It's like you ever watch the Nature Channel and you see that like a poor zebra that's out there and you have the pride of lions just -- I mean, you felt bad for Patrick Mahomes at times, but credit to Nick Fangio and this defense absolutely picked apart that offensive line for the Chiefs. They won their one-on-one battles and the Chiefs were just relentless in their pursuit of getting one of the greatest quarterbacks we've ever seen on the ground six times in this game with sacks and forcing a fumble on one of those, forcing two interceptions. It was an awesome win for this defense.
[23:05:05]
SCHOLES: Yes, and Mahomes, I think he was just feeling the pressure, Coy, because he made some uncharacteristic mistakes. Zack Baun, then, you know, this is a pass. I can't -- I couldn't believe Mahomes made it, but Baun made an amazing catch to pick off Mahomes again.
WIRE: Yes. And what an incredible story for Zach Baun. This is a guy who spent four seasons right here in New Orleans playing for the Saints. Last year, he was a backup for New Orleans. He said he would go home at times and cry in his car because he just thought he didn't have what it took anymore. Well, the Philadelphia Eagles gave him a chance. They believed in him. All he did was come out in his first season in Philadelphia, become a first team all pro, one of the best linebackers in the game and getting an interception in the Super Bowl against Patrick Mahomes.
But I will say just to button that up about Patrick Mahomes, I don't know that he was feeling the pressure because he's been there. He's done that. But sometimes in these big moments, you try to do too much. You try to do more because you're trying to make something happen. But nothing was happening for the Chiefs on this.
SCHOLES: Yes. And then right before the half, you know, under two minutes to go, AJ Brown just wide open to make it 24 to 0. And that -- I mean, it's further demoralized Kansas City. I feel like -- I mean, we've seen comebacks in the Super Bowl 28 to 3 by the Patriots. But this kind of had a different feel to it. It was 24 to 0 and it just didn't seem like Kansas.
Think about this, Coy. 24 points for the Eagles at halftime. The Chiefs only had 23 yards of offense. It was the lowest first half a team had offensive output since 1990 in the Super Bowl.
WIRE: Yes. A true team win. And we can't -- we cannot emphasize enough how dominant this was. It was embarrassing. It probably won't be good for the TV ratings. I'm sure a lot of people tuned out, maybe not long after that halftime show, right? Because it was just -- there wasn't much more football to watch. You kind of knew where this thing was going.
You mentioned AJ Brown making that touchdown grab. Sure. He went back to the bench and pulled out his book as we've seen him go viral before here in the past several weeks, "Inner Excellence," it's his favorite book. He sits on the sidelines and reads it to get his mind right, well, he shined bright when his number was called, catching a touchdown in the Super Bowl.
SCHOLES: Yes. And Jalen Hurts, that was one of his two touchdowns that he threw in the game. He threw another one to DeVonta Smith, a beautiful ball in the second half. He had a rushing touchdown.
Jalen Hurts, your Super Bowl MVP. Most rushing yards ever for a quarterback in the Super Bowl with 72. And let's take a listen to what he had to say after the game. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JALEN HURTS, PHILADELPHIA EAGLES QUARTERBACK: Defense wins championships. Defense wins championships. And we saw how they played today. We saw the difference they made in the game and they gave us opportunities, gave us short fields, and we were able to do what we do. I'm still processing it, but just can't wait to enjoy this with my family and soak it in.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHOLES: Man. So, I mean, Jalen Hurts. Coy, such an amazing story. The 2018 National Championship Game in Alabama benched at halftime for Tua Tagovailoa. They still won the game in impressive fashion, but Hurts never complained. He always just talked about working harder, working harder. Went to Oklahoma, then got drafted by the Eagles. This is his second Super Bowl now. Just what a story of perseverance.
WIRE: Yes. And the thing that really jumps out to me is I remember watching him after that Super Bowl two seasons ago, after that loss, heartbroken. And he stood up there on that podium and he said -- he was asked, what do you take from this? He said, the way I see it is you win or you learn. He didn't say you win or you lose, you win or you learn. And it is clear that he found a way to take the negativity, to take the hurt and the pain.
And, you know, they say the strongest steel is burned in the hottest coals. And he's been through it. And these past two seasons, he's constantly chipped away at becoming a little better each and every day, elevating all of his teammates around him. You can see they really rally around him, and on this night, it just showed his mental fortitude, his sacrifices that he's made to stay on path to become a Super Bowl champion. Finally all came to fruition tonight.
SCHOLES: Yes. Yes. And just that, I mean, he had one interception. But other than that, Coy, I mean, he only had five incomplete passes all night and was showing a beautiful ball down the field. And this was actually the fourth time in Super Bowl history that we had a rematch between quarterbacks. But this is the first time ever that the rematch, the person who lost the first time actually came back and won the next time. It just goes to show Jalen Hurts and the --
WIRE: All right.
SCHOLES: Oh, here we go. Come on here.
WIRE: Come on in.
SCHOLES: Get in the middle. Get in the middle.
WIRE: Hey. We don't need -- they don't need to hear us talk. We want to hear from the champ. How are you feeling in this moment?
JEREMIAH TROTTER, PHILADELPHIA EAGLES LINEBACKER: Man, I'm feeling great. You know, to be able to experience this, I just thank God for the opportunity. So, so grateful for my guys and the Eagles organization. You know, just giving me an opportunity to be a part of this team.
SCHOLES: What do you have to say about the defensive performance you all put on tonight here in New Orleans? I mean, it's an all-timer.
WIRE: Talk to him now.
TROTTER: Man, it was crazy, you know. Credit to Vic Fangio. I feel like a lot of guys, you know, I want to give him his flowers.
[23:10:04]
Great defensive mind. He's just putting the defense and his guys in the right spot. And then the defense, you know, we just went out there and execute the game plan. The preparation that we had all week. It really showed out there.
WIRE: What was the mindset like or maybe even the conversations, the head coach, the rah-rah speech before this game, this big moment after what happened two seasons ago and here you are going up against the two time defending champs? What was the message?
TROTTER: Man, the message of this game was always stay focused, all four quarters. You know, there's a lot of stuff that's going to be going on. You know, a lot of waiting time, but stay focused when we went in between those two white lines and just execute. And no matter how high or how low it could get during the game, stay focused and keep going.
WIRE: Now, I don't know if many people out there know what it's like to be a rookie in this league, but when you saw Cooper DeJean on his birthday pick off Patrick Mahomes and take it to the house, what was going through your mind?
TROTTER: Man, nothing at that point, because I was -- I was just yelling. I was yelling and screaming. By the time we got to kickoff, my voice was gone. But I was just over there happy for my guy. You know, Coop is a dog, a great guy, great, a great teammate. You know, I'm just so happy for him.
SCHOLES: Right when you walked up, we were talking about just how big of an example Jalen Hurts is. Even for the younger generation. You know what happened to him in 2018. Benched in the national championship game. And he just put down his head and just worked and worked and worked to get to where he is. How proud are you to see the performance he was able to put on here tonight?
TROTTER: Man, you know, I'm so proud of him. I'm so happy for him. You know MVP and go out there and ball out. You know I feel like he's -- but he gets a lot of criticism. And he still goes out there and blocks out the noise and puts in the work. And if he makes a mistake, if he makes a great play, he's still going to stay right here. He's going to stay level headed. And his next play mentality with him. So I feel like, you know, as a young guy, that's something I really take from him.
WIRE: Now are we going to sleep tonight? I mean, are you going to party until next week? How are you feeling right now? What's it going to be like for party tonight with your teammates?
TROTTER: Right now, you know, I think there's no plan. But it's just going with the flow type of mentality. You know I might get it to the team plane, the flight home, at like, as soon as, as soon as it's time to get there. I'm just going to show up, you know, maybe something a little bit, I don't know, but we'll have to see.
WIRE: How did New Orleans treat you as a host city for this Super Bowl? What was this week like for you?
TROTTER: Oh, no, it was great. You know, it was a great town, you know, just great, great views, great, great fans that showed out, go, Birds. They always they always travel. But, you know, just a great area to be able to play a Super Bowl in.
SCHOLES: Are you worried about the light poles in Philadelphia right now?
TROTTER: Yes. I don't recommend climbing up them. Try to stay down and, you know, everybody stay safe, but still go out there and have some fun.
WIRE: Public service announcement from a Super Bowl champion. Don't climb the poles.
SCHOLES: Congratulations, man.
WIRE: Back in Philly. Congrats, Champion. What do you have to say to all your fans back home watching?
TROTTER: Man, thank you guys for the support. You know this one was for you. And I'm just like you all. I'm a fan of Philly. I'm so glad that we were able to get one for you all.
WIRE: Congrats.
SCHOLES: Go celebrate. Have fun, man. Congratulations. Yes.
Oh, man. You just got to be -- you just got to be happy for the entire team, Coy. And especially for Nick Sirianni. This was, you know, they started off a little rocky this season. And you had people who wanted him out. You know, Philly fans are some of the toughest fans in all of football. But here, let's listen to what coach had to say after winning his first Super Bowl.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NICK SIRIANNI, PHILADELPHIA EAGLES HEAD COACH: Let's run this (EXPLETIVE DELETED) back, Kelly. Let's run this back.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHOLES: OK, well, there we go. That's Nick Sirianni, a quick, quick little soundbite from him, Coy, but, I mean, the talk is over, right? Nick Sirianni has really cemented himself with this run that the Eagles are on. And he proved that he can win a Super Bowl. WIRE: And this might just be the beginning. Maybe we thought two years
ago was the beginning, but maybe now this is the takeover because you look what Howie Roseman has done in their front office and the acquisitions they've made, the trades and the offseason moves, the incredible draft picks. You see some of these rookies they've drafted coming out here making plays on the biggest stage.
I mean that's tough to find. And so there's no indication that this team will slow down after this season. You have Jalen Hurts who's the centerpiece, the foundation of your organization. You have Saquon Barkley now, the most dynamic running back in the NFL. Your defense played lights out. So this might just be the start for Philadelphia in the NFL. We might be looking at talks of a new dynasty in the making in a year or two from now.
SCHOLES: Just such young talent with DeJean, Quinyon Mitchell, Carter and Davis in the middle of that line. We could we could see the Eagles win, like you mentioned, multiple Super Bowls, but Cooper DeJean, he's actually talking right now. Let's listen in.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: What goes through your mind when you feel so just acknowledged by them?
COOPER DEJEAN, PHILADELPHIA EAGLES CORNERBACK: It's awesome. It's awesome. You know, to hear that chant, to be able to score a touchdown, it's pretty cool, too.
[23:15:06]
I'm just happy to be here, be a part of this organization, you know, who's got a great fan base. You know, they support us, you know, all the way through, through the ups and downs. And I know, I know, they're back home partying on Broad Street right now.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: What did you guys do to take away Travis Kelce in this game?
DEJEAN: Just played our defense like we have all year. What we've done all year just working together as a group. You know, and the biggest thing is try to contain the quarterback. I think our D-line did a great job of that all night. Group rushing up front, keeping him in the pocket, not allowing him to create explosive plays when he gets outside the pocket.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Coop, pick six and a touchdown. Do you think next time you see LeBron, he's going to back you up?
DEJEAN: That'd be pretty cool. That'd be pretty cool.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Coop, what does it for you to be a Super Bowl champion?
DEJEAN: Man, I've been dreaming of this, you know, since I was a kid, watching this game, growing up. Now it's here, now, I got to get to wear a big old ring on my finger whenever we get it. Hold that trophy. You know, it's amazing. (CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: (INAUDIBLE) like that, what does it do for you guys in the back?
DEJEAN: Makes it a lot easier on us. We're able to work together and play our defense the way we know how. And, you know, we got a great D line up front which allows us to do that.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: (INAUDIBLE) birthday getting that Super Bowl. Do you ever dream of that scenario ever in your life?
DEJEAN: Yes. It's crazy. I never, never thought that would happen. And it did happen. So it's, it's pretty cool. Pretty cool. I'm just happy we won the game, and, you know, for all these guys who've been here and bringing us rookies in, and now we get to hold that Lombardi trophy and bring it home.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: You played a lot in the first half, especially, like, at what point over the last two weeks did you realize, like, that was going to be the plan and what made it so effective?
DEJEAN: I mean, I think that's what we've done all year. We've done quite a bit of it all year. We've done it all year. And it didn't change on the biggest stage. You know, we practiced it a lot. Everybody, you know, being able to work together and, you know, make the zones tight to throw in. And luckily we got great corners on the outside. You know, who can cover really well, you know, and this allows us to play together as a defense.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Cooper, Chiefs only rushed three times in the first half. Was taking the runaway something you guys planned?
DEJEAN: Yes, absolutely. Anytime you can take the runaway, you know, it's great for a defense. You know, when you have a great D line up front, who can do it with those four guys up front, you know, makes it easier on the back end. And, you know, when they take the runaway it allows us to get the pass rush going. So it's awesome.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: What part of the year you saw yourself as a team that you could be a Super Bowl champion? At what point do you begin to give maybe a super championship game?
DEJEAN: I mean, I think when I got here, when I got here, you know, the guys that we have in our locker room, you could see the connection from day one. You know, and I think we had the talent. We just had to put it together, and I think we did that.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: How could you have ever imagined a night like this when you had that injury back in college? You didn't know what the hell was going to.
DEJEAN: I didn't, I mean, you know, from not going where I wanted to in the draft to falling here, you know, I mean, I think it was a blessing in disguise, being able to get drafted to this organization and put my best foot forward every single day for the people in the building. You know, and now we won the Lombardi trophy.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: (INAUDIBLE)
DEJEAN: What's that?
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: (INAUDIBLE)
DEJEAN: It's going to be a great celebration.
SCHOLES: All right. We were listening to Cooper DeJean.
Coy, he certainly was already an Iowa legend. But now, I mean.
WIRE: Look out. Back in Philadelphia, in the city of Brotherly Love. He is going to be an absolute Philadelphia legend. Look out, they might replace the Rocky statue with Cooper DeJean for a bit.
We have lots more coming up, Andy. This is going to be a fun hour.
SCHOLES: Yes, we'll go to break with some scenes from the celebrations there in Philadelphia.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[23:23:14]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDY REID, KANSAS CITY CHIEFS HEAD COACH: They all hurt. You get this far. You battled your tail off to get this far. Very, very hard to do. And you know, it's -- we spent a lot of time doing this and it's not a hobby, right. So we're in it the whole way. And we spent a lot of hours doing it as players, as coaches. So it's going to hurt. They all hurt when you get to this level and these things happen. Three peat aside or any of that stuff that you get this far and you don't play as well as you want to, it hurts.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHOLES: Yes. Not the performance Coach Andy Reid was expecting to have in the Super Bowl. Barely, barely shut out in that first half. Only in there with 22 points. And a lot of those were garbage points. And you know, someone who's really excited right behind us. This is NBA on TNT's Adam Lefkoe, lifetime Eagles fan.
WIRE: Let's go.
SCHOLES: He's been dancing around the whole time.
Adam, what do you have to say about that performance from your team?
ADAM LEFKOE, NBA ON TNT: Well, I have to say, it was the greatest performance that the Super Bowl has seen in quite some time. The Kansas City Chiefs came in with two Super Bowls, and they thought they were going to make history with a three peat. But what happened was the history book was rewritten. The Philadelphia Eagles are now the most dangerous team in the world. Jalen Hurts took all of your doubts, threw it back into your face, and now he is the best quarterback on the planet.
Coy Wire is smiling so hard because he knows Philadelphia green has now replaced red, white and blue. Fly, Eagles, fly.
(CROSSTALK)
SCHOLES: Oh, you know it.
WIRE: He's wearing an old school B Doc jersey. That's how you know he is an Eagles fan through and through, Pennsylvania boy. How long have you been a fan? How big is this win in the history of all the losses you've seen?
LEFKOE: When I was 7 years old, I wanted a Dallas Cowboys starter jacket and my dad said, sure, you just can't come in the house anymore. And this Eagles jersey I wore the last Super Bowl against the Chiefs and it didn't work.
[23:25:01]
But it's OK. Why? Because Brian Dawkins signed it himself and then on the bottom wrote, "God bless." And that's what the Eagles are, blessed by God.
SCHOLES: What was going through your head in that first half when you -- it was just pure domination?
LEFKOE: There's a picture of me that someone took of me just like this on the Cooper DeJean interception because the thing about the Super Bowl, again I was here two years ago, is it feels like, oh, can we redo that? Can we start over? Like, if it starts going against you and then you realize none of this can be redone. So then I had the other side where I was like, are we really up 17 to nothing? Are we really up 24 to nothing? And then I went, we're not going to be the Falcons- Patriots, right?
WIRE: Too soon.
LEFKOE: We're not 28 to 3?
WIRE: Too soon.
LEFKOE: And then it just kept going. It just kept going, guys.
WIRE: Too soon. You know I'm a former Falcons player, man.
LEFKOE: Of course.
WIRE: You got to bring that up right now. We're trying to share --
LEFKOE: I like you with the Bills.
WIRE: Listen.
LEFKOE: That was my --
(CROSSTALK)
WIRE: You're on NBA on TNT.
LEFKOE: Yes.
WIRE: Let's make a little comparison here. Like what NBA star right now would you say Jalen Hurts would be compared to? Because he's this guy who was so close. He had a heartbreaking loss in the biggest moment. But he took that pain, took that adversity and he turned it around.
LEFKOE: Yes.
WIRE: Stayed true to his game, to his teammates. And here he now stands the Super Bowl champion.
LEFKOE: For me I go back to last few years where Giannis can't win. Giannis can't win and then he wins it. Jokic, oh, it's just a regular season stat. All that. Then he wins. What's interesting about Jalen, though, is, is that people pretended like he couldn't play like football. So I don't even have a comparison in the NBA because all stars are all stars. But he goes out there and now wins Super Bowl MVP and has now has the top two rushing performances in the history of Super Bowls one and two. And now I think everyone on those other networks need to start changing their tune.
SCHOLES: And not only on the running. He was --
LEFKOE: Warner Brothers Discovery for life. What was that?
SCHOLES: I mean, you talk about the running. He was just throwing beautiful D pads. They were all right on the mark.
LEFKOE: Stole from them on the offensive pass interference. That was a beautiful deep ball.
SCHOLES: Were you worried when that happened? He was like, oh, no, not again.
LEFKOE: Yes. But I'll say this. I'm very good friends with Mahomes and Kelce. There is a part of me that feels bad. I love them. They are true champions. They are Hall of Famers and they -- Mahomes still battled until the end and hung up 22. And it was impressive. But he knows, the birds, baby.
WIRE: The Eras Tour has been put on pause for now. We'll see if they can make a comeback.
LEFKOE: You don't (INAUDIBLE) say Taylor Swift.
SCHOLES: Yes.
LEFKOE: No, Taylor is like, she grew up an Eagles fan.
SCHOLES: She played it off perfectly, though.
LEFKOE: She did. The stare. The side eye.
SCHOLES: The side eye, that was good.
LEFKOE: That was really good.
WIRE: So listen, I know you see him on NBA on TNT with Charles, Shaq, Kenny, Ernie. You probably got to go party with Charles and Shaq and the fellas.
LEFKOE: Yes.
WIRE: How does a man like Adam Lefkoe party after your team just won the Super Bowl in New Orleans of all places?
LEFKOE: First thing I'm doing is I'm going to the team hotel. I'm trying to hang out with Jalen Hurts. I want to do shots, and then I want to get a piggyback ride from Saquon Barkley. After that, I'm going to try and sleep. Go to Atlanta, host the Tuesday show, NBA on TNT this Tuesday. And then I'm going to go to San Francisco and do the all-star game.
I am about to be -- Candace Parker is so upset right now. She is sending me so many angry text messages because she is a Chicago Bears fan, and Candace Parker, read it and weep, baby. We got this.
WIRE: One of the most stylish men in television. We know you own a green suit, wear it all week long on all those shows.
LEFKOE: I'm switching my suit for all-star now. I love you, guys.
SCHOLES: Go have fun.
WIRE: Have fun, man. Tell Jalen I said hello at the team hotel.
SCHOLES: All right.
LEFKOE: Go Birds.
SCHOLES: All right. There we go. Adam Lefkoe.
WIRE: That is like Philadelphia in a nutshell. He's a microcosm of all those fans out there having so much fun.
SCHOLES: Such passionate fan. Such passionate fan.
WIRE: Lefkoe.
SCHOLES: I can't imagine what Bourbon Street is like right now, but we'll have much more from the Superdome here in New Orleans, from the Eagles victorious win in Super Bowl LIX after a quick break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[23:32:10] SCHOLES: And we're back with live scenes from the Eagles' celebratory locker room. The champagne is going. The cigars are going. I bet it's going to be a long night of celebration.
WIRE: These are the moments that make all those -- the pain, all the adversity, all the disappointments that you face. All the hurdles in the road. And you just keep scrapping. You just keep believing in each other. You just keep staying the course and believing that someday it will all be worth it.
Right now for these fellas, remember, this has been a long season for them. They were the second game to be played in this NFL season. Second day, I should say. They started off in Brazil.
SCHOLES: In Brazil. Yes.
WIRE: And it's been a long grind of a season. And here they are now Super Bowl champions. And they are partying like they're back at Copacabana celebrating in style.
SCHOLES: Yes. We see them here in the locker room. We've seen those scenes there in Philadelphia. This is what it's going to look like for the Eagles for the next few days. You got the owner dancing with the players. I mean it's -- there's nothing like it, Coy. Winning a Super Bowl. I mean it's something you cherish for the rest of your life.
WIRE: Yes. And one point I want to make is nothing like winning a Super Bowl, it's nothing like even getting to a Super Bowl. I remember each of the nine seasons I played in the NFL, it seemed like every head coach would get up there in front of the team before the season started and say, anyone in the room, if you've been to a Super Bowl, raise your hand. You look around the room. There might be one player, maybe a coach. It's rare, unless you're a Chiefs.
SCHOLES: Yes.
WIRE: Unless you're a New England Patriots, right? So for these guys who did get to play in one a couple of years ago and to come back and now be crowned champions after all the tough times, oh, my goodness. They are floating on cloud nine.
SCHOLES: Yes. You know, Brandon Graham, Lane Johnson, those guys were integral parts of that team that won seven years ago. They hadn't been back. I mean, they came back once since and they haven't been able to capture that title. So you just never know when it's going to be your last Super Bowl. That's why these players and coaches just cherish these moments so much.
But you know, one -- a couple guys or a few guys on this team I should say it was almost their strategy for the Eagles for a while, Coy. It was just let's just draft Georgia Bulldog defensive players, right?
WIRE: Yes.
SCHOLES: Because those guys were out there winning national championships. Jalen Carter, he was one of them. And now he's not only a national champion in college, he is a Super Bowl champion. I caught up with him on the field right after the win. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JALEN CARTER, PHILADELPHIA EAGLES DEFENSIVE TACKLE: I feel good, man. You see the smiles. You see my family, brother. I'm happy man. This is what it's all about. This was all about.
SCHOLES: How does it feel to be a national champion and a Super Bowl champion?
CARTER: It's good. I feel good. I wish I got that high school status, but we move on. We're about to be passed on to the future. You got to go, got to go. Now trying to get another one.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHOLES: Yes. Jalen Carter.
WIRE: That's so good.
SCHOLES: You know, celebrating. Heard something in my ear. But his teammate Jordan Davis from Georgia on that defensive line. And they were just dominant this game, Coy.
[23:35:04]
WIRE: Yes, the defense. And let's talk about their leader for a minute. I know we talked a bit about him earlier. Zack Baun. I was able to catch up with him just a bit ago.
SCHOLES: Incredible game.
WIRE: This is a guy who spent four seasons here in New Orleans playing in this Superdome just last season. He was a backup. He would go home, sit in his car and cry because he thought, maybe I just don't have what it takes anymore. So he leaves the Saints. He comes to Philadelphia in his first season. He becomes a Super Bowl champion and gets an interception off of Patrick Mahomes on the biggest stage in the game. Here he was in disbelief just a bit ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ZACK BAUN, PHILADELPHIA EAGLES LINEBACKER: Wow. It's crazy. Can't believe it.
WIRE: And what did it take mentally, internally to be able to overcome and become a champion?
BAUN: Yes. Despite through some tough stuff and knew I'd make it out the other side if I just kept putting in the work.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHOLES: Yes, what a story, Coy. I mean --
WIRE: Yes. SCHOLES: To do what you said. You'll be playing here and then be down
and then have this moment.
WIRE: And he's just one of the guys who had these kind of underdog stories and these remarkable journeys. You look at the offensive side of the ball. Jordan Mailata from Australia from 10,000 miles away, and his dream was to play pro rugby, right? And he would work all these odd jobs, laying concrete, putting up scaffolding, waking up at 4:00 in the morning just to make ends meet, to make enough money to support his dream of becoming a pro-rugby player. He's making $4,000 a year trying to chase that dream that he had.
He was then told you're not good enough, so someone came along and said, you should give American football a try. Here he is now. He comes back. He's one of the best offensive players in the game, blocking for the best running back in the game. And now, as you mentioned, in tears just a bit ago as a Super Bowl champion.
SCHOLES: Yes. And that -- I mean, we talk about the defensive line so much. That offensive line for the Eagles so good all season. A historic season for running back Saquon Barkley in his first year as an Eagle. Wonder how Giants fans are feeling right now? But Barkley, he broke the record for most rushing yards ever by a player. When you combine the regular season and the playoffs. I mean, Coy, it was -- he was dominant all year long. Offensive player of the year. Now he's a Super Bowl champion.
WIRE: Yes.
SCHOLES: I mean, what more can you say about Saquon?
WIRE: Sometimes, you know, it's just things all work together. I mean, this is a kid who was born in, you know, he grew up in Pennsylvania, played his high school ball there, went to Penn State. And, you know, as you mentioned, he got drafted by the New York Giants. Things just did not work out there. But everyone in the world knew this is one of the greatest running backs in the game.
The Giants just let him go. They didn't even try to give him any sort of contract to keep him there. And so the Philadelphia Eagles said, we'll take him. And the Giants kind of famously said he can go anywhere. Just better not be the Eagles, right? Well, he's at the Eagles. And not only is he is now a first-time Super Bowl champ, he did it on his birthday.
SCHOLES: Yes.
WIRE: His birthday.
SCHOLES: A lot of birthdays.
WIRE: Cooper DeJean's birthday. Cooper is number 33. Saquon is number 26. You add 33 and 26 together. That equals 59. This is Super Bowl LIX. Sometimes things just seem to be meant to be.
SCHOLES: Yes, you know, awesome day for all the Eagles fans. You know Brian Stelter, I saw him and his wife. They're big Eagles fans as is Jake Tapper. He was here with his son. And what a moment for those two as they got to celebrate the Eagles second Super Bowl championship.
We'll be right back here in New Orleans from the field with more on Super Bowl LIX.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[23:41:37]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRADLEY COOPER, ACTOR: I love the team.
WIRE: What do you love most about them?
COOPER: All the players. I love Nick, everybody. The way they came together, their heart, one play at a time. Don't make any mistakes. He's incredible.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHOLES: Yes. Bradley Cooper, a big time true Eagles fan, Coy. He was pretty happy out there when you talked to him.
WIRE: He was very happy. He didn't want to talk to anybody. But then he's like, you know what? I'm going to embrace this a little bit. Yes, I want to talk about my team.
There were a lot of celebrities here at this game tonight.
SCHOLES: Certainly.
WIRE: The stars really came out, as they usually do for the Super Bowl, but an awesome star studded night.
SCHOLES: Yes. First time ever a sitting president has attended the Super Bowl. President Trump was here. They showed him on the big screens. He got a big ovation when they did that. But somebody who did not get a big ovation, it was actually my favorite moment of the night was when they showed Taylor Swift.
WIRE: Yes, Taylor Swift, overwhelming number of boos on the jumbotron. And she heard it. She felt it.
SCHOLES: All Eagles fans.
WIRE: But the moment I know you're talking about is when she just started kind of doing that awkward sigh.
SCHOLES: She played it so perfectly.
WIRE: She played it so well. I'm sure she was having a great time until things went really south for her Kansas City Chiefs. But we had Lady Gaga was in the house watching the game. We had Adam Sandler, Paul Rudd. SCHOLES: Yes. Kevin Hart, big Eagles fan. He was, of course, here.
WIRE: Megan Thee Stallion. Yes. And Tom Brady made a joke on air. He's like, Kevin Hart is here? How did they find Kevin Hart? He's so small. Of course jabbing back at him because he hosted the "Tom Brady Roast." But yes, star-studded night. And then the performances I thought were done really well, starting with that national anthem by Jon Batiste. Beautifully done. It went a little long. There was a plus side on it.
SCHOLES: Well, some would say it went just the right amount.
WIRE: Yes, it was 120.5 seconds. Was it going to be over or under that amount?
SCHOLES: And it was disputed.
WIRE: It was right on it.
SCHOLES: It was disputed because he landed right on it. Some sports book gave it the under, some gave it the over. And some people were happy if they gave it the over. I'm just going to say that. But then we got to the halftime show, Coy, and they have mixed reviews.
WIRE: It was different. So from my perspective here, obviously we can't see what it's like on the television broadcast. But in the stadium, it felt like the production wasn't what it was. Maybe for Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Bruno Mars, Maroon Five or Dre, Eminem and 50 Cent, some of those Super Bowls we've seen past.
But there was a simplicity to it and I will say the choreography was outstanding. All of the dancers came out wearing red, white and blue. At one point they came to form the American flag, so it really was, in the end, a powerful performance. He only had SZA come out with him, do a couple of wonderful -- performed a couple of songs as well, but really no surprise guests as we've come used to see from a singing standpoint or performing standpoint.
We did, though, have Samuel L. Jackson. He started off by calling himself Uncle Sam. He was wearing a suit, red, white and blue, and then midway through Serena Williams.
SCHOLES: That was cool.
WIRE: Also Compton legend.
SCHOLES: That was cool when she showed up and was doing the dance.
WIRE: Did a little dance. Just a quick minute, but just showing that love and bringing even more star power to that halftime show. I think all in all, from a production standpoint, the game outside of the game, entertainment value, it was really an electric atmosphere here in the Superdome.
SCHOLES: Yes, like the only knocking you kind of mentioned it was, there was no real big surprise. You know, usually in these Super Bowl halftime performances we wait like who's going to show up? Who's going to pop down? Is anyone going to drop down from the ceiling or not? We didn't get that in this one. But like you said, it was still visually was pretty impressive.
[23:45:01]
But the Eagles right now they're continuing their celebration in the locker room. I think we've got some live pictures for you, as it's going to be a long night for these guys, Coy. I hope they pace themselves.
WIRE: I can't imagine what that hotel is going to be like. All week long they're staying at their hotel with Drago's, the famous New Orleans spot to get your charred grilled oysters, your jambalaya, your (INAUDIBLE).
(CROSSTALK)
SCHOLES: (INAUDIBLE) went there, Coy.
WIRE: I may have gone there and I may have eaten way too much because it was so good, but the Eagles players, they would go there all week, kind of eat with their friends and family, and now they're going back there to party hard and drink all those drinks that they've probably been holding back from all week because of this big game. It's absolutely going to be a fun party.
SCHOLES: Yes. Adam Lefkoe is on the way, so he'll be there, he'll be there ready to party. But, Coy, when you win a game like this and as you mentioned, it's something you dream of as an NFL player, what do you think their mindset is for the next few weeks? How long do you stay with this celebration before you got to get back to work?
WIRE: Well, the parade will be here in just a couple of days. And I know that parade in Philadelphia is going to be awesome. As a Pennsylvania boy, I say it is going to -- they're going to represent, we saw the, you know, how that city really embraced their celebration from their Super Bowl win several seasons ago. But yes, now, you know, you get your celebration and you maybe take a nice trip with your family.
But for a lot of these guys, they're right back to it. A lot of people think it's a long offseason. It's really not because your body is your moneymaker and you take care of it almost year round. But I can guarantee you, after winning the Super Bowl, after starting this long season all the way down in Rio de Janeiro, now finishing it here in New Orleans and Super Bowl champs, they're going to find some quality time with their family. Much deserve love and attention from their family.
SCHOLES: Yes. And there's certainly so many cool moments from this Super Bowl for this Eagles team. They can point to so many. One of them, DeVonta Smith, the first person to be drafted from Alabama to score a touchdown in the Super Bowl. That's kind of shocking when you hear that. Many have come close. But he is the first. You know, Jalen Hurts was drafted out of Oklahoma. That's why he didn't count. But DeVonta Smith, the first person to be drafted out of Alabama to score a touchdown in a Super Bowl.
But you know, so many people happy in the Eagles organization. You got to think Saquon Barkley. This is exactly what he dreamed of when he signed with Philadelphia, his division rival after playing with the Giants for his, you know, the first seasons of his career. And let's listen to what Barkley had to say after the biggest win of his life.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SAQUON BARKLEY, PHILADELPHIA EAGLES RUNNING BACK: Man, oh, man. She looked prettier in person, I'll tell you that. You know, you think about it. It's better in person than it is in Madden. I'll tell you that, though, playing as a kid. But its everything you dream of. And I'm just happy to be able to, you know, hold it, give it a kiss and, you know, be world champs.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHOLES: All right. As we already mentioned earlier Saquon Barkley now can say he has rushed for more yards in a season and playoffs than any other running back in history. And you know, Coy, he talked earlier this week that he said when he made the move to Philadelphia, he still believed he could be the best running back ever. With what he did this year, I mean, that is certainly in play.
WIRE: Yes. And you think about the injury that he has overcome just to get back to the stage, all the hard work that that takes. You know he broke that Terrell Davis single season rushing record. And yes, I really do still think sky is the limit for him. There has been so much talk about Derrick Henry, justifiably. Christian McCaffrey, justifiably. And you can name some other running backs. But Saquon Barkley is kind of always been there. The only thing that was holding him back was maybe the supporting cast.
Nothing against his New York Giants teammates, but he just found the right team with a bunch of maulers, a bunch of overgrown people movers up front that paved the way for him. But the best thing that I remember from this week, talking to some of his offensive linemen, the thing they love about him most is not that he can run past you, over you, or through you. It's that he's a team player. He puts his teammates first.
He's so humble and that's the first thing he ever says when you ask him about your success this season, he said, I couldn't do this without my teammates, without my offensive linemen. This is not just me. And so that's the type of guy that you want to -- I got MarShawn Lynch. Super Bowl legend. Lynch is joining us, kind of, maybe.
SCHOLES: No.
WIRE: We'll see.
SCHOLES: He's waving. He won't come, though.
WIRE: Another great running back.
SCHOLES: He said no.
WIRE: But, yes, Saquon Barkley, humble, hard working. And that's the type of guy you want to block for.
SCHOLES: Exactly. And you mentioned, you know, he's always about it's a complete team effort. And you know Jalen Hurts he was the Super Bowl MVP. But just like Saquon, he said a complete team effort. This was a team MVP. Listen a little of what Jalen had to say after the game.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HURTS: It definitely took a team effort. It took a group effort and just the only thing I can think about is all the effort, all the work that was put in over the course of time. And I think we had a focus group out there. You know, offense was able to score points to take advantage of opportunities, you know, just enough to put points on the board and then defense.
[23:50:02]
Defense played their off (EXPLETIVE DELETED). They played how they played all year. You know, and I truly believe offense wins the game but defense wins championships.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHOLES: Yes, there it is. Offensive wins games, defense wins championships. Jalen Hurts giving all the credit to his teammates. But you know all the fans there in Philadelphia, they're giving the credit to the streets right now because they're certainly partying. But we will have much more here from Super Bowl LIX after a quick break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PATRICK MAHOMES, KANSAS CITY CHIEFS QUARTERBACK: Credit to the Eagles, man. They played better than us from start to finish. We didn't start how we wanted to. Obviously the turnovers hurt. And I mean, I just kind of -- I take all the blame for that. I mean, just those early turnovers swing the momentum of the game and then they capitalized on them and they scored. I mean they scored on the one. And then they got a touchdown immediately after. So that's 14 points that I kind of gave them. And it's hard to come back from that in a Super Bowl. And so just didn't play to my standard. And I have to be better the next time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHOLES: Yes, it was certainly a surprising performance from Patrick Mahomes here in New Orleans in Super Bowl LIX, Coy. I mean had those the pick six to Cooper DeJean.
[23:55:02]
And then the other pick. And then they could never get anything going. I mean 23 yards of offense in the first half. And then they didn't even get past the 50-yard line until two minutes left in the third quarter. I mean, I think the reaction was just shock from everyone that this is what the performance we're getting from Patrick Mahomes in a Super bowl.
WIRE: Dominant defenses win championships, and that was clearly the story line. The story line, greatest Jalen Hurts was in this game, I mean, you cannot overstate how well this defense played on the biggest stage against one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game. Travis Kelce, one of the greatest tight ends to ever play the game and their host of stars that they had, for them to be able to do this in this moment, Philly fans are going to remember this for a long time.
Incredible moment for this defense, especially those stars we talked about. Cooper DeJean, the rookie getting an interception, taking it for a touchdown. Zach Baun getting an interception as well. We had the forced fumble. Six sacks in the game. Incredible performance.
SCHOLES: Yes, and Mahomes, I mean he's now three and two in Super Bowls. And one person who might have had a smile on their face watching this was Tom Brady because the debate of whether Mahomes is going to catch Brady and be the GOAT at some point, it continues. I'm sure we haven't heard the last from Patrick Mahomes in a Super Bowl.
But, Coy, this was a fabulous week here in New Orleans.
WIRE: Yes. Yes, New Orleans, just an absolutely incredible host for America's biggest game. And we can't -- we'd be remiss if we didn't mention the deadly terror attack that just took place in the wee hours of New Year's Day here, and they used the sports' biggest stage to pay honor and tribute to the family. Families who lost their loved ones, to the first responders who jumped into action. They brought them out on the field for the honorary coin toss.
And all throughout the game you saw those tributes, and all week long, Andy, you'd walk through this city and you would see little memorials. The flowers, the candles, set up on the streets of Bourbon Street and people going by to pay their respects. But New Orleans really went all out to embrace the sporting world, to come to this city, and really inspire and lift everyone.
It really was an awesome week. The food, the music, the culture. There's nothing quite like New Orleans. I mean, it's one of America's most unique cities, and it turned into an absolute party and celebration in the end, especially for those Philadelphia Eagles.
SCHOLES: Yes. No one does fun food in football quite like New Orleans, but it was a great Super Bowl LIX week here.
And that's it from us, Coy Wire, Andy Scholes here at the Superdome. But we'll have much more Super Bowl coverage coming your way on CNN. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
