One of the most memorable moments prior to the kickoff of Super Bowl LVII was provided by Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni. As eight-time Grammy winning country artist Chris Stapleton sang the National Anthem, the camera panned to Sirianni for a moment, showing him with tears running down his face. After the game, Sirianni explained what triggered his emotions in that moment.
“I’ve dreamed about this since I’ve been two years old,” Sirianni said. “I said to our guys, ‘Some of you guys have been dreaming about this since you’ve been two, some of you since you’ve been in peewee football, some of you since high school, college or even when you got to the pros. But we’ve all been dreaming of it.’ “
There’s no doubt it was a big moment for Sirianni, who led the Eagles to a 14-3 regular season record and Super Bowl appearance in his second season as an NFL head coach. It’s been a long journey for him, spending 13 seasons in the NFL serving in various assistant coaching roles before landing the head coaching job in Philly in 2021.
Sirianni and family
“You know, growing up in a family with a dad that’s a football coach, older brothers that play football, this is what you dream of, being in this moment. It’s just emotional because there’s a lot of work, not just by myself, but a lot of people,” Sirianni explained.
Sirianni’s father and brother were both former head coaches Southwestern Central High School in New York, the school he attended. He’s a family man who’s brought his young children with him to the podium for press conferences, who were also on his mind during the anthem.
“Starting with my wife and my kids, my brothers, my dad and just so many people – coaches that I’ve had, teammates that I’ve had that helped me get to this moment. So it’s just emotional in that moment knowing where we were at that moment.”
Sirianni’s team didn’t secure the win on Super Bowl Sunday, defeated by the Kansas City Chiefs 38-35, but it’s clear that it was still a moment and memory he’ll cherish forever.
