PHILADELPHIA (news agencies) — Philadelphia was awash in green on Valentine’s Day to celebrate its Super Bowl champions.
Swooning fans screamed and cheered Friday as MVP quarterback Jalen Hurts and Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie took turns hoisting the Vince Lombardi Trophy at the start of the team’s victory parade through the City of Brotherly Love.
Many fans camped out along the team’s parade route overnight, huddling under blankets and inside tents to secure prime spots near the Philadelphia Museum of Art, where the Eagles took the stage on the “ Rocky ” steps.
“You know I told myself that when I got drafted, that I wouldn’t come to the Rocky steps until I won a championship,” Hurts told cheering fans. “And now we’re here.”
Others decked out in Eagles jerseys climbed trees and light poles, perched themselves atop ladders and clung to a statue of Benjamin Franklin near City Hall to get a glimpse of record-setting running back Saquon Barkley and Cooper DeJean, the rookie defensive back who ran an interception into the end zone on his 22nd birthday.
“This team is special. We can’t be great without the greatness of others and that certainly applies to our fans,” said head coach Nick Sirianni.
Barkley, along with many other players, hopped off the open-air buses to walk along the parade route and exchange high-fives with fans who pressed against teetering barricades.
Jordan Jaindl, who couldn’t make it to the 2018 parade after the Eagles won their first Super Bowl, wasn’t going to miss this one, bringing his wife and three daughters from Binghamton, New York. This team, he said, was the embodiment of the city.
“Their work ethic,” he said. “How they have to grind for each win. We have to grind here in Philly.”
Fans showed up with grocery carts stocked with food and booze while a few stayed warm in a hotel, sipping champagne. One group roasted a pig with the number “15” carved into the side — a final shot at Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
The Eagles, despite being underdogs, dominated the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, shutting them out in the first half before finishing with a 40-22 victory.
“I’m so happy you didn’t have to go through a nail-biter game,” said veteran defensive end Brandon Graham. “It’s about us being gritty. We’re going to stay gritty.”
Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker and other city leaders earlier this week implored the team’s exuberant fans to stay safe and keep the mood festive.
“In the midst of all this beauty, all of the sacrifices this team has made to meet this moment, we don’t want it to all go by the wayside,” the mayor said.
Despite her admonitions, a few fans stood on city trucks, danced atop port-a-potties and scaled light poles.
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