[Editor's note: Promoted from the FanPosts.] --- This is for my Pop Pop who passed away on New Years Day of 2012. I hope he was able to watch from Heaven with my Grandmom, cheering euphorically for what he never got to witness in his time on earth. The man that meant so much to me, who would call me after every Eagles game, who bought me tickets to tour the Linc for my 10th birthday, who took me to Jim's Steaks for my first ever cheesesteak afterwards, and who surprised me with a signed copy of Ray Didinger's Eagles' Encyclopedia for my 10th birthday as well.

WE ARE SUPER BOWL FREAKING CHAMPIONS! WORLD CHAMPIONS!!!

I'm 19 now and a freshman Sport and Recreation Management major at Temple University and it's been a dream-come-true to live in this incredible city.

Bleeding Green Nation's watch party at the Philadelphia Fillmore - my friends and I bought reserved seating + buffet tickets right after the NFCCG win.



The atmosphere was unbelievable. Every floor was packed with fans, hanging out and talking nervously before the game. We arrived there around 3:30 and for three hours I restlessly paced around the room munching on snacks. From what the majority of people I talked to were telling me, most of us wanted the next 3 hours before the game to pass quickly just to get to the start, yet at the same time we were so nervous for the game that we didn't ever want the game to start.



The ESPN pregame coverage was annoyingly spotlighting the Patriots almost the entire time, so luckily the venue was tuned to NBC. The buffet line opened at 5, and we managed to get to the line before everyone else did and brought back heaping plates of food for our entire table.



For the next hour and a half, we talked about anything and everything except for the Super Bowl. It was the big elephant in the room, but the tension was too high to discuss it. Then the pregame festivities around 6 started - America the Beautiful and the Star Spangled Banner - and everything hit me all at once.



We are playing in the Super Bowl. We are actually playing in the Super Bowl. I am actually about to see the Eagles play in the biggest game ever. This isn't a dream - this is actually real.



I admit I got a little choked up just thinking about it, along with hearing the national anthem sung wonderfully by Philly native P!nk. When the captains came to the field for the coin toss, it felt as if the temperature of the room dropped at least 10 degrees.



The game finally started. Although we jumped off to a 15-3 lead pretty early, the venue was surprisingly subdued. Although we were celebrating the scores, the atmosphere was drastically different from the NFCCG where we were confident that the Vikings wouldn't be able to stop us and knew we would roll over them. Even with a 12 point lead against New England, I'm sure everyone in that venue had last year's debacle at the back of their minds.



Then New England started kicking it into high gear and I remember thinking that we were in for quite the game. When 15-12 hit, I became somewhat worried that we weren't going to score again because as an Eagles fan I've seen years and years of sputtering offenses that in no way, shape, or form were suitable for competing in shootouts. Fortunately for us, Doug Pederson's playcalling combined with Nick Foles's quarterbacking was kryptonite. Every time the Patriots would drive down the field, we would be able to answer. Finally for once, we had a team built for competing in a shootout. Considering how the entire world counted our offense out and assumed that if our defense struggled, we would stand no chance in a shootout, this was an extremely euphoric feeling. Once halftime hit and it was 22-12, I felt a bit better - but coming into the game, I knew deep down in my heart that the Patriots would somehow pull it out in the end - so I still was extremely nervous. The atmosphere was still pretty subdued; I think a lot of people were having trouble processing the reality and significance of the game.



I remember seeing Tom Brady's statline at halftime - 276 yards - and realizing, wow, Brady's on pace for 550 passing yards... I also vivdly remember the Patriots starting off the second half with a Gronk-splosion and my heart sinking, readying myself for the inevitable collapse. I recall reading comments on a live-blog gamethread that I frequent, roasting the Eagles defense for giving up easy scores, but I was thinking to myself hey, isn't the Patriots defense playing just as bad if not worse?



Then all of the sudden it was 32-26 and New England was driving down the field about to score the go-ahead touchdown. I made a few jokes about filing a missing persons report for the Eagles' defense, and sure enough, New England punched it in. I thought for sure it was over, but then felt a sense of peace inside and understood that our team was BUILT FOR THIS MOMENT. We ALL WE GOT, WE ALL WE NEED. And from that point forward, I had my entire faith and trust in this team.



That last offensive drive by the Eagles was truly magical. The call to go for it on 4th down, converting, was what eventually led to our victory. When Ertz scored the go-ahead touchdown with 3 minutes left, the entire venue finally was able to erupt in joyous shouts and I could feel the tension and nervousness evaporate almost entirely. Unfortunately, the back of my mind kept saying to me that there's too much time left on the clock for Brady to drive down the field and win it...



And that's what everyone else was thinking too.



We stood waiting with baited breath, arms around eachother's shoulders, praying to hold onto the lead.



And then.... Brandon Graham hit Tom Brady and knocked the football out. At that moment, my mind went blank. I didn't catch who recovered it at the time (it was Derek Barnett), but I was frantically checking to see how many time outs were left and was the arm going forward and was there a penalty.



The venue went dead silent.



Suddenly it set in. Someone screamed like they had just gotten shot and then suddenly everyone was freaking SCREAMING. I remember falling to my knees just screaming, thinking OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD we just won the F*CKING SUPER BOWL, clutching my chest, then falling to the ground and sobbing. Half the venue was on the ground crying. It was the most euphoric moment of my ENTIRE LIFE.



I wasn't worried when Tom Brady had one last chance to try to drive down the field for the game tying touchdown - there wasn't enough time remaining for even the GOAT to work a miracle. When that ball hit the turf on the desperation Hail Mary, on the last play of the game, I screamed louder than I ever have in my life. I hugged so many people and then went over to the balcony, fell to my knees and started sobbing again.



Everything after that is a blur - from running down the stairs out to the Uber, to our drive over to Broad Street, to running down Broad Street and celebrating with the entire city of Philadelphia - it really was a dream come true that I will never, ever, forget.



Today was absolutely incredible - I will remember every single moment forever, and it was the happiest moment of my entire life.



We are world champions.

I love you, Pop Pop.