Feb. 9 marked an important day for the Eagles, who defeated the Kansas City Chiefs, 40-22, securing their second Super Bowl title. On Feb. 14, more than one million people gathered in Philadelphia for the Super Bowl LIX Victory Parade.
Thousands of fans traveled from different states to see the parade while also resisting freezing temperatures. Although the parade began at 11 a.m., some fans arrived at early hours of the morning to secure perfect spots to watch.
I went with some of my friends from Villanova, and we took the train from Bryn Mawr station. We got to the train station around 6:55 a.m., and the line to get on the train was really long but organized. When we got to Philly around 7:50 a.m., there were many people all over the city. You could hear the “E-A-G-L-E-S” chant echo from anywhere. People were throwing a football across the street. Others were singing the chants out loud and screaming. It was a very motivated crowd.
“The wait in the freezing cold that day in Philly was insane, but the moment the Eagles passed by Broad street near City Hall, right where I was with my friends, it was all worth it,” senior Valeria Ruiz said. “The energy was quite like no other.”
“Even with an early wake-up and hours of waiting to finally see the Eagles, the fans’ excitement was undeniable,” senior Nicole Brower said. “Whether it was tossing a football across the street or hearing ‘E-A-G-L-E-S! Eagles!’ every 10 minutes, the energy made it an unforgettable experience.”
The parade finished at the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Fans were really excited when the players arrived at the famous Rocky Steps for the speeches.
“We can’t do this without the fans,” Jalen Hurts, the Super Bowl LIX MVP, said. “We all appreciate you. We love you.”
He said he hadn’t been to the museum, where there’s a statue of Rocky Balboa.
“I told myself that when I got drafted I wouldn’t come to the Rocky Steps until I won the championship, and now here we are.” Hurts said.
Other players also gave speeches, Jordan Mailata started singing “We are the Champions.”
“What made this squad a championship team was all summed up in one word: love,” Saquon Barkley said.
As a senior at Villanova with just a few months left as an undergraduate student, it was really fun to have this experience. It was my first time attending a sports parade in Philadelphia. The energy, people and environment made it even better. I will never forget this moment.
