Philadelphia Eagles fans descended upon State Farm Stadium with hopes of cheering on their team to victory. But they also stayed true to form in booing a member of their biggest rival.
Eagles fans made their presence felt just before kickoff, when they booed Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, who was on the field to accept the Walter Payton Man of the Year award, which recognizes an NFL player for his excellence off the field.
Despite the booing, Prescott looked unfazed as he accepted the trophy from last year's winner, Andrew Whitworth.
True to form, Eagles fans in the house heartily boo Cowboys QB Dak Prescott when he’s presented as Walter Payton Man of the Year pic.twitter.com/SiXBDGCSDG
— Jori Epstein (@JoriEpstein) February 12, 2023
The Eagles-Cowboys rivalry was a surprise Super Bowl storyline after Cowboys owner Jerry Jones criticized the Eagles for "betting it all" to win this year while possibly compromising the long-term health of the franchise. Jones compared the Eagles to the Rams, who went 5-12 a year after winning Super Bowl LVI.
Jones' comments were so baffling that Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie called former Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson to see if he saw any legitimacy regarding Jones' comments.
"I said, 'I have no idea,'" Johnson said, via the Philadelphia Inquirer. "Philadelphia has a couple of first-round picks in the [2023] NFL Draft. They've got extra picks down the road. They've got some very talented players. They've got some talented young players. ... I think the Philadelphia Eagles are gonna be good for a long time."
The Eagles have a ways to go if they are going to match the Cowboys' total of five Vince Lombardi trophies. Philadelphia entered Sunday night's game with just one Lombardi Trophy, which was one five years ago. The Cowboys have five Lombardi's but have not won one since capturing Super Bowl XXX at the end of the 1995 season.
Prescott became the fourth Cowboys player to win the Walter Payton Man of the Year award. Along with his other community work, Prescott is the creator of the Faith Fight Finish (FFF) Foundation, which focuses on colon cancer research, mental health and suicide prevention, bridging the gap between law enforcement, youth and the communities they serve, and offering assistance to those facing life-challenging hardships.
According the Prescott, the FFF Foundation was created in order "to support families and communities and invest in the future of our youth."
