Mics Caught Saquon Barkley's Fiery Message to Cooper DeJean After Super Bowl Pick-Six

Both Barkley and DeJean got a pretty awesome birthday present on Sunday.
Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley talks to cornerback Cooper DeJean on the sidelines.
Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley talks to cornerback Cooper DeJean on the sidelines. / NFL Films/Screengrab
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Cooper DeJean's 22nd birthday was definitely one for the books.

Not only did DeJean and the Philadelphia Eagles win Super Bowl LIX over the Kansas City Chiefs, but the rookie cornerback intercepted a pass from Patrick Mahomes and returned it for a 38-yard touchdown. It was DeJean's first career interception, and it happened to be Mahomes's first pick-six thrown in the postseason.

After the pick-six, DeJean returned to the Eagles' sideline and received an uplifting pep talk from Saquon Barkley, who also celebrated his birthday on Sunday. NFL Films caught the moment on camera.

"That's a hell of a birthday present," Barkley said to DeJean. "You keep doing that, you're gonna have an even better one. Keep going."

Barkley was right—they did get a better birthday present as the Eagles won 40–22 and both players captured their first Super Bowl titles.

DeJean's pick-six put the Eagles up 17–0 at the time in the second quarter, helping establish a dominant lead that Philadelphia kept the entire game. What a first Super Bowl showing for a rising star.


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Madison Williams
MADISON WILLIAMS

Madison Williams is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated, where she specializes in tennis but covers a wide range of sports from a national perspective. Before joining SI in 2022, Williams worked at The Sporting News. Having graduated from Augustana College, she completed a master’s in sports media at Northwestern University. She is a dog mom and an avid reader.