This baby was born after the Birds’ Super Bowl win. Her family gave her a name fit for an Eagles fan: Sirianni
Baby Sirianni, named after Eagles coach Nick Sirianni, was born on April 18, two months after the Birds' Super Bowl LIX victory.
Last July, when Jazmine Jackson learned she was pregnant, she and her older sister, Tyquanique, came up with a joke. They were talking about baby names, and Tyquanique said that if she ever had another child, she’d name it Sirianni, after Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni.
Jazmine decided to claim the name for her unborn daughter.
“No, I’m going to call her Sirianni,” she told her sister.
Jazmine had recently become an Eagles fan. Tyquanique had been one since the days of Donovan McNabb and Michael Vick. They were not Philadelphia natives — both were born and raised in Los Angeles — but were dedicated, nonetheless.
The sisters never missed a game. Sometimes, Jazmine, who works for United Airlines at Los Angeles International Airport, would get Tyquanique tickets so she could watch her team in person at Lincoln Financial Field. When they were home, they’d wait in line for hours to see games at the Cosm, an IMAX-style theater in Inglewood.
Jazmine did this throughout the aches and pains of pregnancy. She’d often be in line as early as 7 a.m. for a 10 a.m. starting time. Her daughter couldn’t see the players, or hear them, but in a way, it felt like she was witnessing their Super Bowl run.
“I was like, since I can’t fly, because I’m pregnant, I got to get the whole experience,” she said. “It felt like you were behind the players on the field.”
Her family quickly latched on to the new name. They began referring to the unborn baby as “Sirianni.” They even came up with a few nicknames: “Siri” — which occasionally set off a few iPhones — and “Nanni.”
At the 28-year-old’s baby shower, Tyquanique spelled out the head coach’s last name onto a wall. She ordered a pink cake with “Welcome Baby Sirianni” on top.
It was starting to become less of a joke, and more realistic. So, Jackson broached the idea with her boyfriend, Eric Estrada. He thought maybe it would be best to make her middle name Sirianni, as opposed to her first name.
“But then everyone got used to it,” Jazmine said. “And then we did the baby shower, and we had this custom name frame made for her. And that’s when we were like, ‘She’s Sirianni.’”
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On April 18, at 10:27 p.m., Sirianni Nyla Estrada was born. She weighed seven pounds and nine ounces, and was Jazmine and Eric’s first child. Her first outfit was an Eagles onesie, and on May 18, she celebrated her one-month birthday with Eagles cupcakes.
She will be raised an Eagles fan, of course, but her family says the name goes beyond football. Estrada, who works as a garbage man for Waste Management, is of Mexican descent. After looking into the history of the name, Tyquanique said she found out that it had both Hispanic and Italian origins.
“It still gives her that Latino splash in her name,” Tyquanique said. “She is half Mexican and half African American, so culturally, it fit her.”
Tyquanique also said she wanted her niece to embody some of the leadership qualities of the Eagles coach.
“Sirianni stands his ground, win or lose,” she said. “He came and brought this team to life. And when he is doing his interviews, he says what he means. I also love his kids. His kids are right there in the interviews. He’s a family-oriented man.”
The reactions to the name were about what you’d expect. A post of Baby Sirianni on a Facebook Eagles fan page went viral. People compared her to an Eagles cheerleader and an Eagles good luck charm.
One of Tyquanique’s coworkers, who is a Cowboys fan, was less enthused.
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“He goes, ‘Why would you do that to her?’” Tyquanique said. “And I said, ‘Why would you become a Cowboys fan?’”
Added Jazmine: “When I tell people her name, and they’re not Eagles fans, they’re like, ‘What? Why would you do that?’ And then when I tell Eagles fans, they’re like, ‘Oh my god, that’s the baby of the year.’”
Eric and Jazmine were planning on naming their child after the head coach regardless of what happened in the Super Bowl. But the Eagles’ winning it all made the birth of their daughter a little bit sweeter.
She’ll always serve as a reminder of a special team and its eccentric leader. At least, for her parents. Sirianni, who was sleeping through a Zoom interview on Wednesday afternoon, could not be reached for comment.
“She sleeps through the night, she’s calm during the day,” Jazmine said. “Eats well. Is very attentive. But she has her faces. She can make emotional gestures. Especially when she wants her bottle.”