Gillie told Cooper DeJean’s mom she ‘gave birth to a legend’ after Super Bowl pick-six, got intel from CJGJ

Three episodes into Exciting Mics and it’s already becoming a hit.

Just a week after welcoming Eagles running back Saquon Barkley onto the podcast, Cooper DeJean and Reed Blankenship were joined by ”one of the most influential Philly natives across music, sports, and entertainment,” Gillie Da King.

The Eagles super fan used the time to reflect on the Birds’ Super Bowl run, rank last year’s team on his all-time list, and reveal former Eagles safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson’s first impression last season of the team’s rookie defensive backs, DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell.

Here’s everything you missed …

DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell became a dynamic duo in their rookie seasons, becoming fan favorites, and earning nicknames like Cooper DeJawn and Quinyonamo Bay. Mitchell and DeJean were drafted by the Eagles in the first and second round of the 2024 NFL draft, respectively.

DeJean and Mitchell have established themselves as key components in the Eagles’ defense, and their teammates have noticed, including Gardner-Johnson.

“What’s so funny is that you guys have no idea the information I get on you guys,” Gillie said. “C.J. Gardner is my guy, right? So, he comes over to the studio, probably like once, twice a week. He comes in and he’s like, ‘Boy, that boy Cooper. His [expletive] showed out, Gillie.”

» READ MORE: Eagles’ second-year defenders are not resting on their laurels: ‘Everyone expects that same thing again’

Gardner-Johnson recognized DeJean’s talent right away, but according to Gillie, it took a little bit longer to notice Mitchell’s potential.

“He was like, ‘I’m not going to lie, [Cooper] looks better than the first-round draft pick.’ I’m telling you this is what he said,” Gillie told DeJean and Blankenship. “Then he said, ‘We put pads on, Gillie. I was wrong, Gillie. They both looking good, … He was like, ‘Gillie, you don’t understand. These rookies are serious.’ He was like these guys are different, but he said that about you from Day 1. He had Quinyon messed up, I ain’t going to lie. Quinyon, he had you messed up. But then he doubled back and said players [expletive] up too. But, from the gate he said [Cooper] is a dog.”

Gardner-Johnson wasn’t wrong. DeJean proved it last season. But he really cemented his status as a future star with his performance in Super Bowl LIX, securing a pick-six on the NFL’s biggest stage against three-time Super Bowl champion Patrick Mahomes.

DeJean’s pick-six was among Gillie’s top three all-time moments as an Eagles fan, alongside Brandon Graham’s strip sack on Tom Brady in Super Bowl LII and DeSean Jackson’s punt return against the New York Giants.

“After the Super Bowl, I walked up to momma DeJean and I was like, ‘You gave birth to a legend,’ and she was like, ‘I don’t know about that,’” Gillie said. “Then I walked up to dad and he was like, ‘I did.’”

» READ MORE: This baby was born after the Birds’ Super Bowl win. Her family gave her a name fit for an Eagles fan: Sirianni

Super Bowl LIX gave birth to some great moments for Eagles fans, including one that took place before the game even started.

“One of the greatest memes ever is when Jalen [Hurts] is walking into that arena and he’s walking past that TV and he just happens to look up and it all says Kansas City, Kansas City, Kansas City, Kansas City — that was everything,” Gillie said. “And another thing that was everything when Jordan Mailata was saying, ‘They can’t [expletive] with you,’ and he says, ‘I know.’ That was cold.”

“He’s got aura,” Cooper said.

“He’s got so much aura,” Blankenship agreed.

» READ MORE: Create your dream Eagles Super Bowl ring with our interactive designer

During Barkley’s appearance on the Exciting Mics, the running back made a bold claim, saying last year’s Eagles team was a top five team of all-time. Since then, the Super Bowl champion’s comments have faced a lot of scrutiny from the media. But Gillie seems to agree.

“This team was definitely the greatest Eagles team,” Gillie said. “It’s got to be top five [of all-time] because when you look at what we did in the postseason, scoring the most points in postseason history, I mean c’mon, we were putting up 55-burgers on people. And then we get to the Super Bowl and the great Patrick Mahomes — and he is great … they didn’t even get the ball I don’t even think until past the 50-yard line in the first half.”