Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1532761
M A R C H 2 0 2 5 71 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M A t this time a year ago, there was no indication that two Penn State alumni would play cru- cial roles in guiding the Philadelphia Eagles to their third Super Bowl ap- pearance and second championship of the past seven seasons. Saquon Barkley was still a New York Giant last February, mulling his future with the team that had drafted him second overall in 2018. He had played the 2023 season un- der a franchise tag, and the Giants didn't want to tag him again, so they let him test the free agency waters in the hope that no one would be will- ing to outspend them for a 27-year- old running back. As it turned out, the Eagles were willing to splurge, and Barkley joined them on March 13, 2024. Jahan Dotson didn't arrive until months later. Philadelphia acquired the former first-round pick in a trade with the Washington Com- manders on Aug. 22, just 15 days be- fore the season began. Having raided their two NFC East ri- vals for a pair of offensive playmakers, the Eagles went on to enjoy one of the best seasons in franchise history, a campaign that culminated Feb. 9 in a 40-22 rout of the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX. Dotson came up with a 27-yard catch along the right sideline in the first quarter to set up the Eagles' first touchdown of the game. It was one of 2 catches for 42 yards by the former Nittany Lion. While Dotson's first campaign in Phila- delphia perhaps didn't go as planned on the stat sheet — he finished the regular season with 19 catches for 216 yards — he came up big in the playoffs. In addition to his catches against the Chiefs, Dotson had an 11-yard touchdown reception in the Eagles' 22-10 victory over Green Bay in the wild-card round. Philadelphia now must decide if it will exercise his fifth- year option. As for Barkley, he didn't run wild against the Chiefs as he did versus so many other opponents this season. Kan- sas City was focused on stopping him and did an admirable job, holding the league's top running back to 57 yards on 25 carries (2.3 yards per attempt). The Chiefs were much less successful at containing the Philadelphia passing game, though, and Barkley was a frequent target of quarter- back Jalen Hurts, catching 6 passes for 40 yards. Factoring in both his regular-season and playoff stats, Barkley accumulated 2,504 rushing yards and 2,857 yards from scrimmage, breaking the league records in both categories that had been held since 1998 by Denver's Terrell Davis. Barkley was named NFL Offensive Player of the Year by The Associated Press, Sporting News and the Pro Football Writers of America. He was also a first- team All-Pro and made his third Pro Bowl. "Hell of a year, right? I couldn't do it without the big boys up front, everyone on this team," said Barkley, who gave each of his linemen a literal truckload of Bud Light after the Super Bowl. "I just appreciate them – the whole Eagles orga- nization. Me being a newcomer, welcoming me with open arms and helping build confidence back in me, too — that was definitely helpful. "It was a hell of a year. All of the numbers and stats and records are cool, but the best thing is to be able to hold that Lombardi Trophy." Two other Nittany Lion football alums were also at the Super Bowl. Cornerback Tariq Castro-Fields was a member of the Eagles' prac- tice squad this year and joined Barkley and Dotson in victory. The Chiefs, too, had a former Nittany Lion on their roster — of- fensive lineman Hunter Nourzad. The rookie didn't play against Philadelphia but was active for the game. Nourzad saw action on 85 special teams snaps throughout the year. He also played 31 offensive snaps at center, all coming in the Chiefs' regular- season finale against Denver. Looking ahead, Kansas City's goal next season will be to make its fourth consec- utive Super Bowl appearance and restart the winning streak that ended with the Eagles' romp in New Orleans. For Philadelphia, the focus will be on repeating. With Barkley under contract for two more years and most of its other key players set to return in 2025, the Ea- gles' window of opportunity would still seem to be wide open. "I said after the game, why can't our dynasty start now?" Barkley said. "I probably had a little bit of Champagne and other stuff in my system at the time. "But you really can't focus on that. You've just got to enjoy the moment. It's hard to win one. And so you take it in, you enjoy the moment and you start all over." ■ Barkley, Dotson Help Philadelphia Roll To Super Bowl Victory GREG PICKEL | GREG.PICKEL@ON3.COM PSU IN THE PROS After taking part in only two playoff games during his six seasons with the New York Giants, Saquon Barkley won a championship in his first season with Philadelphia. PHOTO COURTESY PHILADELPHIA EAGLES