Eagles Ex Coach Doug Pederson Admits Super Bowl Nostalgia
As the Philadelphia Eagles made a run to their second Super Bowl appearance in five years this past season, the man who helped lead the franchise to its first-ever ring sat back and reminisced.
In 2022, Jacksonville Jaguars coach Doug Pederson led a team that was once seen an AFC bottom-feeder to a division crown and playoff win in just the second winning season for the franchise in the last 14 years.
Despite the impressive achievements, it somehow comes as little surprise considering what he did during his time in Philly.
While watching the Eagles play in this year's Super Bowl against the Kansas City Chiefs, Pederson admitted that the fond memories of that title run in the 2017 season kept creeping up to the front of his mind.
“It just brought back memories of when I was there in that Super Bowl game and how that week kind of unfolded for coaches and players,” Pederson said.
The game, which ended in a thrilling 41-33 win over the New England Patriots and legendary quarterback Tom Brady, was something that somehow fell further down on his appreciation list, as getting lost in the experience of the preparation is something that Pederson admits he cherished.
“Thinking about all the events leading up to the game and what the team was going through was kind of fresh on your mind," he said. "For me, that’s what it was about. The game was obviously a great game.”
Though things didn't exactly end well with the Eagles, who fired Pederson after a 4-11-1 finish in 2020, he took a year off from coaching before leading the Jags to the postseason this past season.
But winning a Super Bowl makes it a lot easier to share some mutual love with a sports town like Philadelphia. It's clear that Pederson still has a major chunk of his heart dedicated to the Eagles, who he faced during what turned into a 29-21 loss for Jacksonville in Week 4 at Lincoln Financial Field this past October.
"To be able to go back and take Jacksonville back there was exciting," he said. "There’s a lot of great people in that city. The fans I think I have a genuine respect for the things we did and obviously winning a championship there. I was excited to go back and the reception that I was given was pretty special."
"Things like that you’ll always remember.”
You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7
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