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Kenny Pickett wasn’t late for this Eagles Super Bowl victory

A lifelong Eagles fan growing up in New Jersey, Pickett missed the Eagles' Super Bowl win in 2018 while he was a college student at Pitt.

Kenny Pickett was a student at the University of Pittsburgh when the Eagles won their first Super Bowl. Now he's a champion for the Eagles as their backup quarterback.
Kenny Pickett was a student at the University of Pittsburgh when the Eagles won their first Super Bowl. Now he's a champion for the Eagles as their backup quarterback.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
    by Matt Breen
    Updated 
    Published 

Kenny Pickett was in his dorm room at the University of Pittsburgh, a college freshman and still an Eagles fanatic on that February night in 2018 when the Birds finally won it all.

The team’s current backup quarterback, who grew up in Ocean Township, N.J., watched the Eagles every week with his father, and often sat in the stands at Lincoln Financial Field. He celebrated the Super Bowl win in his dorm and saw videos of Pitt students celebrating the win on Forbes Avenue, making Pittsburgh look like Philly.

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“I got there late,” Pickett said. “I didn’t really know that was happening. I saw all the videos, so then we walked down to see it and they were clearing everyone out. We missed the cool part of it.”

Pickett missed the celebration. Seven years later, he was on the field for the Eagles' Super Bowl victory over the Chiefs, even getting to play late in the fourth quarter and taking the game’s final snap as time expired.

Pickett naturally grew out of his fandom after that Super Bowl season as his own career started to take flight.

“I was just out of high school,” Pickett said. “I was young and I was still a huge Birds fan. That was probably the last year that I was so heavily invested into the team.”

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He starred at Pitt before the Steelers drafted him 20th overall in 2022 to keep him in Pittsburgh. His father grew up an Eagles diehard, but allegiances change when your son is playing for the other Pennsylvania team. Pickett joined the Eagles before the season, allowing his father to root again for the Birds as Pickett now plays for the team whose celebration he was late for.

“Me and my dad went to so many games together,” Pickett said. “He was a full-blown Eagles fan. He loves the Eagles. We had season tickets for Temple when I was playing Pop Warner, so we’d practice on Saturday, drive to the Linc for Temple, play our game on Sunday, and watch the Birds after that.

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“It’s a full-circle moment for him. We have been going to games together ever since I could remember. Now, I’m running out of the tunnel at the Linc and he’s watching me play. It’s pretty special. I don’t think many people can say that. It’s definitely a cool memory for us to have.”