It was the first quarter of Super Bowl LII, and the Philadelphia Eagles
and New England Patriot
s were deadlocked at 3-3 inside U.S. Bank Stadium. Eagles quarterback Nick Foles dropped back and let it fly, a 34-yard strike arcing toward the end zone. Waiting for it was former wide receiver Alshon Jeffery, who used every inch of his 6-foot-3 frame to leap high into the air, grab the ball with both hands, and fall into the end zone for the first touchdown of the game.
"The crowd noise, all I just remember was me catching the touchdown. And it was like, we setting the tempo. My celebration, I think I'm trying to tell the county, I told you, we're going to bring this trophy back to Philly. I'm getting choked up about it now, just that special moment though, just to be able to celebrate with my brothers and my teammates. But my family remembers everything ."
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Jeffery said on
I Scored a Touchdown
by ESPN
, before pausing to compose himself.
That touchdown kicked off the celebratory mood in the 41-33 win for the Eagles, as the commentators burst out with "The Confetti Flies, the Eagles are Super Bowl champions."
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Inside the locker room, the team's theme song, Meek Mill's "Dreams and Nightmares," blasted through the speakers as players danced, embraced, and celebrated the biggest win of their lives. Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie hugged Jeffery, who had boldly "guaranteed" the Birds were taking the Lombardi home that year.
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Yet, despite reaching the pinnacle of the NFL, the legendary wide receiver still carries one deep-seated desire.
"To be a part of a special group of guys that scored a touchdown in the Super Bowl, it's amazing, I'm grateful and thankful for that. As a part of my teammates and all the hard work I put in, coaches throughout the years of getting me to that point. I wish I could have got some more Super Bowl touchdowns in the game, but it's an honor," Jeffery added on the ESPN promotional series.
ESPN has launched the series to build anticipation for the big game this season. The network is interviewing former players to recount the single most unforgettable moment of their lives: scoring on the NFL's biggest stage. Super Bowl LXI is to be played on Valentine's Day next year at SoFi Stadium. ESPN and ABC hold the broadcasting rights to it, a first for ESPN.
Unfortunately for Jeffery, adding another Super Bowl touchdown to his highlight reel is off the table. After missing 17 games over his final two seasons in Philadelphia due to a Lisfranc fracture and lingering ankle injuries, the Eagles released Jeffery in 2021, marking the quiet end of his playing days.
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Jeffery was drafted 45th overall in the second round of the 2012 Draft by the Chicago Bears
. He played with the Bears for five seasons, earning a Pro Bowl nod along the way.
In 2016, Jeffery was suspended for four games without pay for violating the NFL policy on performance-enhancing substances. The former wide receiver explained at that time that he took a supplement to combat inflammation, and it contained an ingredient banned by the NFL.
That same season, Jeffery played under the franchise tag in Chicago before hitting free agency in 2017.
He then joined Philadelphia on a one-year, $9.5 million prove-it deal. The move was so successful that it earned him a four-year, $52 million extension mid-season. However, injuries eventually derailed that partnership, leading the Eagles to release him with one year left on his contract.
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