BLOOMINGTON, Minn. — Along this indescribable, unforgettable journey full of self-doubt and self-discovery, learned a valuable lesson about himself, the business of football and the redeeming power of failure.
There were so many times he had fallen short of his goals, so many times he had failed to meet expectations, so many times when he wasn’t sure where his path would lead.
But as he stood on the podium during the morning-after news conference, in between the Vince Lombardi and Pete Rozelle Trophies, Foles spoke of how embracing the struggle and finding beauty in the setbacks can transform a life and even a football career.
“The big thing is: Don’t be afraid to fail,” said Foles, who was named the Super Bowl’s Most Valuable Player after throwing for three touchdowns and catching a TD pass on a perfectly executed trick play in the Eagles’ thrilling 41-33 victory over the New England Patriots Sunday night in Super Bowl LII.
“Failure is a part of life, that’s a part of building character and growing. Without failure, who would you be?” asked Foles, who was traded from Philly in March 2015, re-signed with the Eagles two years later to serve as Carson Wentz’s backup and was then propelled into the starting role after Wentz suffered a season-ending knee injury in December. “I wouldn’t be up here if I hadn’t fallen thousand of times and made mistakes. … When you look at a struggle in your life, just know that’s just an opportunity for your character to grow.”
Foles completed an impressive 77 of 106 passes (72.6 percent) during the Eagles’ playoff run. Only two other quarterbacks in history had a higher completion percentage in a single postseason (minimum of 75 attempts): Joe Montana and Troy Aikman. Both are in the Hall of Fame.
Foles, however, isn’t even guaranteed to be on the Eagles’ roster in 2018.
Less than 12 hours after Philly pulled off the improbable by defeating the defending champions, head coach Doug Pederson was pressed on his somewhat complicated quarterback situation. The team that belonged to Wentz won a Super Bowl on the arm strength and accuracy of Foles, a backup-turned-starter who out-dueled future Hall of Famer Tom Brady. With Wentz coming off major knee surgery, it’s unclear when he’ll return to action. But the Eagles, who currently don’t have a second- or third-round pick in this year’s draft, likely will field trade offers for their No. 2 quarterback.
“I knew I couldn’t get off the stage without that question,” Pederson joked. “You know what? We’re just going to enjoy this moment. I’m going to tell you right now: We’re going to enjoy it. We’re going get on this plane and go back to Philadelphia, and we’re going to celebrate with our fans back in Philly. We’ve got a long offseason — really a short offseason now. We’re just going to enjoy this moment.
“I’m happy for Nick,” added the coach, whose team will celebrate on the streets of Philly during Thursday morning’s championship parade. “I’m happy for the team. It’s not about one guy. It’s about the team. We’re going to enjoy these next few days.”
Foles said as much, too, reiterating that he’s not concerned about what next season will bring. “I’m not really worried about my future right now,” he said. “There will be a time and place to handle all that. But I take a lot of pride in wearing the Philadelphia Eagles’ jersey. …I’m excited for Carson Wentz coming back healthy. I get to work with him every day. Dude’s a stud. I’m just living in the moment. I’m not thinking ahead.”
In fairness, this team was never his. Foles was merely the fill-in tasked with keeping the offense on track and the team together after the devastating loss of their star quarterback. And the Eagles, a team that appears to be on the verge of building something special in South Philly, have already begun envisioning championship seasons with Wentz under center.
“I had a chance to talk to Carson actually on the field, on the podium, last night after the game and just told him to take this in, just enjoy this moment,” Pederson said. “He’s a great quarterback and he’s a big reason. I told him, ‘You’re a big, big part of why this team won this championship and won this game.’ I told him that hopefully we’ll be back in this game with him leading the way.”
While 31 other NFL teams have eagerly turned the page on the 2017 season, the Eagles are content to revel in their success just a little while longer. Foles, especially.
As he said all last week, this journey was about the importance of faith, family and football in his life. And on Sunday, all three converged in an indescribable, unforgettable moment for a man who proved under spotlight’s hot glare that he always was more than just a backup.
“My daughter won’t know anything that’s going on. She’s seven-and-a-half months old. But just to the look in her eyes the whole world slowed down,” Foles said of standing on the field immediately after the win. “Seeing her look at the confetti, to look in my wife’s eyes and embrace her and just know that I get to spend the rest of my life with her and she’s been there. But then, all around us, my teammates, my coaches, their loved ones, that’s what it’s about. It’s about that moment where you can just enjoy the love, the joy, everything you do with one another, the support. … That’s what it’s about.”
