Actor David Boreanaz might be the most superstitious celebrity Eagles fan

When actor David Boreanaz and his 22-year-old son, Jaden, traveled to New Orleans for this year’s Super Bowl, they brought along a dozen Eagles jerseys as game-day outfit options. Deciding which player to rep is serious business for the diehard fans, so they laid out all the jerseys in their hotel room, covering furniture in white and green (midnight and kelly).

“We had to put them out and cleanse them with Florida water, and burn the incense,” said Boreanaz, star of Bones, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and, most recently, SEAL Team, in a call with The Inquirer. He laughed, adding, “It’s crazy. It is a lot of fun.”

Despite living in California for decades, Boreanaz has never lost his allegiance to Philly. The son of longtime 6abc weatherman Dave Roberts, he moved from Buffalo, N.Y., to Villanova as a kid and immediately fell in love with the city’s sports teams. He has fond memories of his dad taking him to the Eagles training camp, where he took photos with legends like Ron Jaworski and Bill Bergey. Boreanaz later went on to play football in high school at Malvern Prep.

For their Super Bowl Sunday jersey pick, Jaden put on one with famed newcomer Saquon Barkley’s name and Boreanaz chose retired Eagles quarterback Randall Cunningham, after having worn a Cunningham jersey throughout the playoff run.

“That’s where it worked, that’s the guy I’m going with,” he said. “I just thought we needed that energy.”

For Boreanaz, energy is what it’s all about. (It’s not just football — during last year’s super moon, he posted a video on Instagram preparing for the astrological event with palo santo, sage, and crystals, including an amethyst eagle crystal for “support and love.”) He’s convinced that the city’s frenzied fandom contributes to the team’s success. “As a Philadelphia fan, you always feel like you have a piece of the energy,” he said.

Comparing himself to Robert De Niro’s loyal and superstitious Birds fan character in Silver Linings Playbook, Boreanaz explained that he has a specific chair at home where he watches games. He typically has a green cocktail and twirls a football in his hands during offensive plays. If he doesn’t follow the routine, he believes it could mess up the game. “I have three different seating positions for when the game progresses. I do a lot of pacing in the back with my son. The loudness is crazy,” he said. “We’re actually doing it to give that energy out to our Birds.”

In New Orleans, Boreanaz also brought along a special family heirloom: a souvenir mug from Super Bowl XV. His dad attended that 1981 game (also in New Orleans) thanks to Pittsburgh Steelers owner Art Rooney Sr., who generously gave Roberts his own ticket. The Eagles lost to the Raiders, but Roberts still brought back a gift for his son. This year, after the Birds won, Boreanaz and his son took shots out of the mug at the Eagles after-party. “I took that mug with me just to kind of cleanse the spirit of us losing … we had to kind of exorcise the demons,” he said.

In a sweet coincidence, Roberts celebrated his 89th birthday the same day as the Eagles victory parade. Though Boreanaz didn’t attend, he returns to Philly often to see his parents and cheer on the Eagles, Phillies, Sixers, Flyers, and, yes, the Union. The actor is such a Philly fan that he’s snuck Philly sports references into his shows, like the time he put the Eagles logo on his rifle in SEAL Team. When he comes home, Boreanaz loves to grab pizza from Del Rossi’s or a cheesesteak from Angelo’s. His favorite spot is Dirty Franks, which he calls “the epitome of what Philadelphia represents.”

Looking forward, Boreanaz believes the Eagles are a strong contender for next year’s Super Bowl. But no matter which way the season goes, he’ll be bringing the energy.