Philadelphia Eagles rookie Cooper DeJean, a former Iowa defensive back and product of Odebolt, Iowa, is officially a Super Bowl champion, following the Eagles' 40-22 win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX. The OABCIG High School product had one of the most important plays of Sunday evening's contest, returning his first career interception 38 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter.
DeJean finished with three tackles, a pass-breakup (PBU) and that pick-six. He also returned three punts for 27 yards.
DeJean's home town of Odebolt is home to just under 1,000 people, and situated in northwest Iowa. As someone from just down the road in Ida Grove, I can confirm -- not a whole lot goes on up there. Not unless you like football, farming or drinking beer.
Lucky for Philly fans, the DeJean family lived in town -- if you could say that about Odebolt, it is surrounded by corn as much of small town Iowa is -- and, as far as I know, the latter wasn't all that big for him, either.
However, he was particularly good at football.
DeJean is a prep legend in the Hawkeye State, but even the two-time state champion in 1A and 2A football who threw for just under 7,000 yards and scored 125 offensive touchdowns between his junior and senior years likely couldn't have dreamed up the scenario he currently finds himself in.
Offered just five Division I scholarships out of high school, the outlandishly productive high school quarterback elected to play defensive back for Iowa defensive coordinator Phil Parker and his home state Hawkeyes.
Prior to the 2023 season, DeJean credited Parker for his development as a defensive back.
"He helped a lot," DeJean said. "Obviously, I didn't know much about playing defensive back -- especially at this level -- when I came in. I played a little bit in high school, but really, I was just roaming the middle of the field. He has really helped out with all the details of playing defensive back, safety and corner. All those different positions. I can't thank him enough for how much he's helped me grow as a player and how much he'll continue to help."
While at Iowa, DeJean broke onto the college football scene as a sophomore and became a household name in his third year.
In 23 games over those two seasons in Iowa City, he posted 116 tackles, five tackles for loss, 20 PBUs, seven interceptions and three pick-sixes. He also returned 31 punts for 406 yards and a *touchdown.
*Should be two. If you know, you know.
Over his three seasons in Iowa City, DeJean not only become a fan favorite and a big play waiting to happen, he developed into a projected first round NFL Draft pick that was ultimately selected in the second round with the 40th pick by the Eagles.
After coaching him for three years, Parker shared his thoughts on what DeJean was at Iowa and could be in the NFL.
"Obviously, I think Cooper has the ability to play in that league," Parker said last spring. "Where he's drafted, it's going to vary where they'll play him at, but to me, I just know he's a good football player. Wherever he goes he's going to be successful."
Prior to DeJean's decision to declare for the NFL Draft, Parker dropped a comparison that sent shock waves through the Iowa fan base.
"To me, he's one of a kind," Parker said. "He's been a really good football player for us, and he has a lot of upside still to go. I don't know about Nile Kinnick because I never saw him play, but this might be the 2023 version of Nile Kinnick."
And though a vaunted pick with high expectations surrounding him at the next level, no one could have projected the dream of a season DeJean would have in Philadelphia as a rookie.
Over 16 games and nine starts, DeJean posted 51 tackles, six PBUs, a forced fumble and didn't allow a single touchdown in coverage, per PFF.
Oh, and he was vital to the playoff run that gave the Eagles their second Super Bowl title.
In the second quarter of Sunday's contest with a 10-0 lead, DeJean dropped back into coverage, faded to the opposite side of the field and intercepted a pass from Patrick Mahomes, one of the greatest quarterbacks of the 21st century.
Then he did what OABCIG fans have seen him do over 100 times. He scampered 38 yards, breaking tackles and slipping through any iota of space he could find to cross the goal line and score the touchdown that gave the Eagles a 17-0 lead.
Following the play, color commentator and seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady shared his thoughts on the score and on DeJean's rookie campaign:
"This young stud, Cooper DeJean," he said. "Another rookie making a huge impact on this Eagles defense. Since they've inserted him into the lineup, they've been absolutely unstoppable on defense."
The interception was the first of DeJean's career in the NFL. The score and Super Bowl victory also came on his 22nd birthday.
In what was a monumental play for DeJean and his budding NFL career, Eagles and Iowa fans rejoiced like few others.
Those few others -- in the towns of Odebolt, Arthur, Battle Creek and Ida Grove -- may have seen him score over 100 times during his high school days, but none like what he did on Sunday. For a kid from a tiny town in flyover country, DeJean was able to put little Odebolt on the map, and that may be the biggest accomplishment of his career.
