Eagles Super Bowl champion admits to some Tom Brady apprehension

USA Today

5 days ago

Chris Long played with and against Tom Brady. Recently, he shared a story about the latter.
Classic games often share similar ingredients. Huge stakes are helpful, but they aren't necessary. The bigger the stakes, the bigger the moment, though. The Philadelphia Eagles and New England Patriots once engaged in one of the best Super Bowls ever played. Ask Birds fans, and they may place it among their top two.
It helps that the right team came out on top. An exciting and stressful affair offered a night we'll never forget. Super Bowl 52 certainly meets the criteria of a classic.
Every masterpiece needs unforgettable scoring plays, a few twists, and great performances by its stars. On February 4, 2018, an underdog Eagles team hoped to topple perhaps the greatest quarterback, coach, and dynasty in NFL history.
Chris Long makes his confession about his feelings on the Tom Brady mystique.
One day, we'll all be old men and women. We'll tell the grandchildren about the 2017-18 Philadelphia Eagles. If you weren't paying attention then and think this current iteration is stacked with characters, you should do some research on that roster.
Philadelphia, the NFC's top-seeded team during the postseason, was often treated as an underdog. They bought dog masks. Fans followed suit, and before you know it, the world's supply had evaporated. They had become impossible to find.
One of the leaders of the charge was a former Patriot who had joined the Eagles.
Long was recently a guest on the "Green Legion" Radio. Naturally, he was asked about winning a Super Bowl in Philadelphia and his affiliation with both organizations. As always, Long on the microphone provided magic. Before the Eagles took the field to play the Minnesota Vikings for the right to play in Super Bowl LII, he watched as much as he could of the New England Patriots vs. Jacksonville Jaguars clash in the AFC Championship Game.
Long admits pulling for the Jags on that Sunday afternoon. He had seen the brilliance of Tom Brady firsthand, and he wanted no part of it two weeks later.
He believed facing Jacksonville would provide a smoother ride to the Eagles' first Lombardi Trophy. We all know how that turned out. Ultimately, Long didn't get his wish, but the Birds got the job done.
Honestly, that makes for a better story.
Had Philadelphia played the Jags and won on football's biggest stage, Birds fans would have appreciated the win, but beating Tom Brady, Bill Belichick, and the Patriots dynasty means a little more, right? Think about it. To win the franchise's first championship since the NFL/AFL merger, they conquered the QB and coach often viewed as the best pro football had ever seen.
To many, their Patriots dynasty is without equal, but on one night in 2018, they met their match. No, scratch that. They found a superior opponent. Long, now with the Birds, would hoist another Lombardi Trophy as green, white, and silver confetti fell.
Were those of us who were watching a little apprehensive and afraid? You're doggone right! That's Tom Brady, man! Have you seen all of those clutch moments and all of that elite play?
But a classic unfolded, one marked by a heroic performance from Nick Foles.