March 13, 2019
By now, it's no secret that Nick Foles, who helped bring the first Super Bowl title to the City of Philadelphia, will be playing football elsewhere next season after Foles signed a monster four-year, $88 million deal with Jacksonville earlier this week.
And while Foles will always hold a special place in the hearts of Eagles fans far and wide, it appears those fans — and the city they root for — will also hold a special place in Foles' heart. On Wednesday, the 30-year-old penned a thank you letter to Philly and its fans on The Players' Tribune.
Foles started by talking about being drafted by the Eagles and how excited he was at that opportunity. Then, he moved on to his second stint with the Birds, the one that included that Super Bowl LII MVP performance.
Just a fair warning, it's about to get a little dusty in here...
The second time I signed with the Eagles, I picked them.
I was a 28-year-old free agent, and I had a few good options. Some interesting offers. But the truth is, once they showed interest….. it was always going to be Philly.
The reason that I signed ultimately wasn’t a football one.
It was that Tori and I were expecting our first child — our daughter, Lily. And as much as I admire the Eagles as a franchise? I love Philadelphia as a city. [theplayerstribune.com]
Foles then went on to thank pretty much everyone who played a part in his time with the Eagles, from the coaches to the front office all the way down to the janitors at the NovaCare Complex. He even thanked Chip Kelly for trading away from the Eagles back in 2015
I’m talking anyone and everyone who made it so special, on a daily basis, to head into work and put on the midnight green. (I even want to thank Chip Kelly for trading me in 2015. Without that challenge in my life, I wouldn’t be the player I am today.) [theplayerstribune.com]
He saved the biggest thank you, however, for the fans.
Because for as much of an honor as it’s been to play for this team and this city…… the truest privilege has been over the last year, in the time since we won the Super Bowl — having Eagles fans share their stories with me. Having them remind me of how we didn’t just win the Super Bowl; we won the Eagles’ first Super Bowl ever. Getting to hear from Philly natives about how their father, or father’s father, or mother, or mother’s mother, cried tears of happiness after the game. Learning about how, for most people, rooting for the Eagles is more than a decision — it’s a birthright.
It’s family. Philadelphia, thank you for welcoming me into yours. You will forever be a part of mine. [theplayerstribune.com]
And Foles, well, he'll forever be a part of Philadelphia sports lore. And all you need to hear are two words.
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