Super Bowl LVII is All About Family for Haason Reddick
PHOENIX – Monday morning dawned with all the emotion that came with winning the NFC Championship Game and advancing to Super Bowl LVII to face the Kansas City Chiefs just 24 hours earlier.
Haason Reddick’s phone buzzed on that morning of Jan. 30.
It was his dad, Raymond Reddick.
“He said. ‘This is crazy, we’re really going to the Super Bowl,’” said Reddick on Wednesday. “When he said we, I understand it. He’s been on this journey with me, and not only that, but Pops has been an Eagles fan for a long, long time and when they got it in 2017, I let him know, it’s OK to cheer for them. I was cheering for them too even though I wasn’t with them.
“To be home now and be on this team and going to the Super Bowl, you have to understand, he’s an Eagles fan to his core. Mom, too. She called me and I could hear it in her voice and she was getting choked up with joy. I could tell she was reminiscing on everything that happened with me.”
This is why this trip to Super Bowl LVII is so important to Reddick.
Not because it’s his first one, but because of his family’s support, Raymond and mom Raelakia, in overcoming what he had to get here.
TEMPLE DAYS
Reddick showed up at Temple University as a walk-on after growing up in Camden, N.J., across the Delaware River from campus.
Then, he tore up his knee along the way, but persevered and became a first-round draft pick of the Arizona Cardinals in the 2017 draft, the 13th player taken overall.
“I had hardships (at Temple),” he said. “It wasn’t smooth sailing there for me. I had hardships there that prepared me for my journey with the Cardinals and I had great times there as well that helped me prepare for success as well.
“What I’m saying is that it helped me stay the same person, not to get too big-headed. Ups and downs, as fast as the ups come, just as fast the downs come, and that was the thing I learned the most from Temple.”
A NEAR-BUST WITH THE CARDINALS
There were more lessons with the Cardinals, and it’s not lost on Reddick that he is in the Super Bowl in the same city where his pro career began.
“I think it’s a great story to be here, not have any success until my last year, ended up going back home after going to Carolina,” he said. “Now I’m with my home team back in AZ getting ready to play for the Super Bowl. That’s sweet right there. It’s major and I’m grateful to be in this position.”
Reddick was considered a bust early on as the team tried to use him as an inside linebacker. He suggested a position chance to outside linebacker/edge rusher, and he has soared from there.
He has 19.5 sacks and six forced fumbles in 18 games this season and 43 sacks over the last three seasons. Only the Browns’ Myles Garrett has more in that span with 45.
Reddick’s confidence has grown over that time as well. He would watch film of NFL star Vonn Miller, a former Super Bowl MVP in 2015, early in his career, but he’s done with that now.
“I love Vonn and have been a fan of his since I was young and started pass-rushing, but as I’ve gotten older and as I’ve grown with experiences in this game, I stopped trying to be like people and started implementing a game in my own type of style and in my own way,” he said. “I believe you can see that when you watch my game.”
While Miller goes, his parents remain, and they always will.
Reddick has an image of the Eagles beating the Chiefs, standing amid the green and white confetti dropping from the ceiling of State Farm Stadium. R
Raymond and Raelakia will be right by his side.
“When they get here, I just hope we can win this thing, because man, am I looking forward to bringing them down on that field and taking a picture with them,” he said. “It’s one I’m getting framed and it’s definitely going up on the wall.”
Ed Kracz is the publisher of SI.com’s Fan Nation Eagles Today and co-host of the Eagles Unfiltered Podcast. Check out the latest Eagles news at www.SI.com/NFL/Eagles or www.eaglesmaven.com and please follow him on Twitter: @kracze.
