Jeffrey Lurie Q&A: Eagles owner on Howie Roseman, Vic Fangio, and the franchise culture after Super Bowl LIX
Lurie was thrilled after Super Bowl LIX, as his moves and staff he had built paid off and led to a second title.
NEW ORLEANS — Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie walked around the locker room Sunday after Super Bowl LIX, hugging players and staffers.
He’d once been ridiculed for suggesting that his franchise could be the gold standard in the NFL. Who could deny him that claim now?
The 73-year-old is at least the best sports owner in Philadelphia history.
“I have a lot of respect for the Chiefs — Andy [Reid], [defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo], [Patrick] Mahomes,” Lurie said. “I thought we were capable of something like this. The [NFC] championship game was a bit similar. We played our best at the end. This is a very, very together group. And you need to be if you want to be champions, but the roster is pretty incredible. But as I said up on the stage, the unselfishness is what made it truly great.”
Q: You’ve long emphasized the importance of playing in the trenches. The D-line was dominating tonight. Is this how you envisioned it being when you invested in that position?
Lurie: Absolutely, and the O-line. The two, so many of the games come down to the two lines, the quarterback, and then so many good young players on defense. The list goes on and on and on. Great veterans like [Brandon Graham], [Darius] Slay, and the offensive line is just dominant.
» READ MORE: Vic Fangio quietly savors a Super Bowl masterpiece, as Josh Sweat and the Eagles defense feast on the Chiefs
Q: How pivotal, if I take you back a year, was it getting Vic Fangio to be the architect of this defense?
Lurie: And it was very frustrating we didn’t get him a year [earlier] because he was all set [going to the Miami Dolphins]. He’s awesome. He’s one of these awesome coaches, strategizes incredibly. The knock on him was he wouldn’t play young players. We’ve got incredible young players on his defense. You know, he had a lot of faith in Quinyon [Mitchell], Reed [Blankenship], Cooper [DeJean], and Nolan [Smith].”
Q: How about the job Howie did?
Lurie: I’ve known for years he’s the best GM in football. He’s always thinking, what could improve the team, 365 days a year. He’s not risk-averse. He’s aggressive. That’s what I want. We’ve collaborated for 20-something years. He’s incredibly good and a future Hall of Fame GM.
» READ MORE: Bill Belichick says Howie Roseman was the difference in the Super Bowl
Q: I know winning the first one was important to you, but what about the second? Does it validate the first?
Lurie: They’re all uniquely incredible, but now we’ve been able to beat [Tom] Brady and the Patriots, Mahomes and the Chiefs, [Bill] Belichick and Andy. You’ve got to be resilient. You’ve got to have the core values. You’ve got to build the rosters right. And you’ve got to have the culture be terrific. So I’m very proud of what we were able to do. I thought we were going to be able to do it two years ago, and here we are. We did it two years later.