Inside The Hawkeyes

Former Iowa Star Returns Interception for TD in Super Bowl

A former Iowa Hawkeyes star has scored a touchdown off of an interception for the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Matthew Schmidt|
Feb 9, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Cooper DeJean (33) returns a punt return against the Kansas City Chiefs during the first quarter in Super Bowl LIX at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Feb 9, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Cooper DeJean (33) returns a punt return against the Kansas City Chiefs during the first quarter in Super Bowl LIX at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

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Iowa HawkeyesPhiladelphia Eagles

A former Iowa Hawkeyes star may have just achieved eternal football glory.

During the first half of the Super Bowl, Philadelphia Eagles defensive back Cooper DeJean intercepted Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and took it back for a touchdown, giving the Eagles a 17-0 lead.

It was just the latest big play for DeJean in what has been a fantastic rookie campaign for the Iowa product, as he registered 51 tackles, a half of a sack, a forced fumble, three fumble recoveries and six passes defended during the regular season.

He has also been terrific in coverage during the playoffs, as you saw here with a huge opportunistic play. And the best part was that it happened on his 22nd birthday.

DeJean spent three seasons at Iowa City, arriving in 2021 and barely seeing any action during his debut campaign with the Hawkeyes.

The following year, however, DeJean broke out, racking up 75 tackles, three tackles for loss, five interceptions, eight passes defended and three defensive touchdowns.

He actually took a bit of a step back in 2023, finishing with 41 tackles, a couple of picks and five passes defended, but he still managed to earn All-American honors.

The Eagles then selected DeJean in the second round (40th pick overall) of the NFL Draft last April, and at the time, it was viewed as a fantastic selection.

It has definitely worked out well for Philadelphia, as DeJean has played a significant role in the Eagles having one of the top defenses in football.

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Matthew Schmidt
MATTHEW SCHMIDT

Matthew Schmidt is a sportswriter who covers NFL, MLB, NBA and college football and basketball. He has been writing professionally since 2011 and has also worked for Bleacher Report, FanRag Sports, ClutchPoints, NFLAnalysis.net and NBAAnalysis.net. He was born and raised in New Jersey and has a rather eclectic group of favorite teams: the Boston Celtics, New York Giants and Miami Marlins.