Nick Foles: Difference between revisions

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Nicholas Edward Foles (born January 20, 1989) is a former American professional football quarterback who's best known for leading the Philadelphia Eagles to victory in Super Bowl LII as Super Bowl MVP. His unlikely playoff run in the 2017 season ranks among the greatest underdog stories in NFL history.

NFL Career

Early Career

The Eagles drafted Foles in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft. His breakout came in 2013. That season, he threw 27 touchdowns with just 2 interceptions and earned Pro Bowl honors. His quarterback rating hit 119.2, the third-highest single-season mark in NFL history at that point.^[1]

Things didn't always stay smooth. He got traded to the St. Louis Rams, then spent time with the Kansas City Chiefs before returning to Philadelphia in 2017. This time he came back as a backup.

Super Bowl LII

Everything changed when starter Carson Wentz suffered a season-ending knee injury in December 2017. Foles stepped in as the starter for the Eagles' playoff push. Nobody gave them much of a chance, but they didn't care. The run went like this:

Defeated the Atlanta Falcons in the Divisional Round
Beat the Minnesota Vikings 38-7 in the NFC Championship Game
Led the Eagles to a 41-33 victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII

In the Super Bowl itself, Foles threw for 373 yards and 3 touchdowns. He also caught a touchdown pass on the famous "Philly Special" trick play. That earned him Super Bowl MVP honors.^[2]

The Philly Special

That play. The "Philly Special" became one of the most iconic plays in Super Bowl history. Here's what happened: 4th-and-goal from the 1-yard line just before halftime. The Eagles called a trick play where Foles lined up in the shotgun, shifted to receive a direct snap-back from tight end Trey Burton, and caught a touchdown pass to extend the lead. It was audacious. It was perfect. That call showed exactly how fearless the Eagles were playing throughout the entire playoffs.

Philadelphia Legacy

Foles' Super Bowl run cemented his place in Philadelphia sports lore. He wasn't ever considered an elite quarterback. Not by a long shot. Yet his calm demeanor, clutch performances, and ability to deliver when everything was on the line made him beloved among Eagles fans. They still remember him that way.

The underdog angle fit Philadelphia perfectly. A backup quarterback leading his team to an unlikely championship against the heavily favored Patriots? That's the kind of story this city loves. It became an instant classic.

The Eagles commissioned a statue of Foles for display near Lincoln Financial Field. He remains one of the most popular figures in franchise history, even though he was only a starter for one magical season.

Post-Philadelphia Career

After Philadelphia, Foles signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2019. Later he played for the Chicago Bears and Indianapolis Colts before retiring. These days he's pursued religious ministry work and obtained a degree in divinity.

References

↑ "Nick Foles wins Player of Year". ESPN. January 2014
↑ "Nick Foles named Super Bowl LII MVP". NFL.com. February 4, 2018

[1] "Nick Foles wins Player of Year". ESPN. January 2014

[2] "Nick Foles named Super Bowl LII MVP". NFL.com. February 4, 2018

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[2]

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-'''Nicholas Edward Foles''' (born January 20, 1989) is a former American professional football quarterback best known for leading the [[Philadelphia Eagles]] to victory in Super Bowl LII, where he was named Super Bowl MVP. His improbable playoff run in the 2017 season is considered one of the greatest underdog stories in NFL history.
+'''Nicholas Edward Foles''' (born January 20, 1989) is a former American professional football quarterback who's best known for leading the [[Philadelphia Eagles]] to victory in Super Bowl LII as Super Bowl MVP. His unlikely playoff run in the 2017 season ranks among the greatest underdog stories in NFL history.
 == NFL Career ==
@@ Line 15: / Line 15: @@
 === Early Career ===
-Foles was drafted by the Eagles in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft. In 2013, he had a breakout season, throwing 27 touchdowns against just 2 interceptions and earning Pro Bowl honors. He recorded a quarterback rating of 119.2, the third-highest single-season mark in NFL history at the time.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/10201877/nick-foles-philadelphia-eagles-wins-air-player-year |title=Nick Foles wins Player of Year |publisher=ESPN |date=January 2014}}</ref>
+The Eagles drafted Foles in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft. His breakout came in 2013. That season, he threw 27 touchdowns with just 2 interceptions and earned Pro Bowl honors. His quarterback rating hit 119.2, the third-highest single-season mark in NFL history at that point.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/10201877/nick-foles-philadelphia-eagles-wins-air-player-year |title=Nick Foles wins Player of Year |publisher=ESPN |date=January 2014}}</ref>
-After being traded to the St. Louis Rams and spending time with the Kansas City Chiefs, Foles returned to Philadelphia in 2017 as a backup quarterback.
+Things didn't always stay smooth. He got traded to the St. Louis Rams, then spent time with the Kansas City Chiefs before returning to Philadelphia in 2017. This time he came back as a backup.
 === Super Bowl LII ===
-When starter Carson Wentz suffered a season-ending knee injury in December 2017, Foles stepped in to lead the Eagles through the playoffs. Despite being significant underdogs, Foles:
+Everything changed when starter Carson Wentz suffered a season-ending knee injury in December 2017. Foles stepped in as the starter for the Eagles' playoff push. Nobody gave them much of a chance, but they didn't care. The run went like this:
 * Defeated the Atlanta Falcons in the Divisional Round
@@ Line 27: / Line 27: @@
 * Led the Eagles to a 41-33 victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII
-In the Super Bowl, Foles threw for 373 yards and 3 touchdowns, caught a touchdown pass on the famous "Philly Special" trick play, and was named Super Bowl MVP.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nfl.com/news/nick-foles-named-super-bowl-lii-mvp |title=Nick Foles named Super Bowl LII MVP |publisher=NFL.com |date=February 4, 2018}}</ref>
+In the Super Bowl itself, Foles threw for 373 yards and 3 touchdowns. He also caught a touchdown pass on the famous "Philly Special" trick play. That earned him Super Bowl MVP honors.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nfl.com/news/nick-foles-named-super-bowl-lii-mvp |title=Nick Foles named Super Bowl LII MVP |publisher=NFL.com |date=February 4, 2018}}</ref>
 === The Philly Special ===
-The "Philly Special" has become one of the most iconic plays in Super Bowl history. On 4th-and-goal from the 1-yard line just before halftime, the Eagles ran a trick play in which Foles lined up in the shotgun, shifted to receive a direct snap-back from tight end Trey Burton, and caught a touchdown pass to extend the lead. The audacious call encapsulated the Eagles' fearless approach throughout the playoffs.
+That play. The "Philly Special" became one of the most iconic plays in Super Bowl history. Here's what happened: 4th-and-goal from the 1-yard line just before halftime. The Eagles called a trick play where Foles lined up in the shotgun, shifted to receive a direct snap-back from tight end Trey Burton, and caught a touchdown pass to extend the lead. It was audacious. It was perfect. That call showed exactly how fearless the Eagles were playing throughout the entire playoffs.
 == Philadelphia Legacy ==
-Foles' Super Bowl run cemented his place in Philadelphia sports lore. Despite never being considered an elite quarterback, his calm demeanor, clutch performances, and ability to deliver when it mattered most made him a beloved figure among Eagles fans.
+Foles' Super Bowl run cemented his place in Philadelphia sports lore. He wasn't ever considered an elite quarterback. Not by a long shot. Yet his calm demeanor, clutch performances, and ability to deliver when everything was on the line made him beloved among Eagles fans. They still remember him that way.
-His story resonated particularly because of its underdog nature—perfectly fitting Philadelphia's identity. The backup quarterback leading his team to an unlikely championship against the heavily favored Patriots became an instant classic.
+The underdog angle fit Philadelphia perfectly. A backup quarterback leading his team to an unlikely championship against the heavily favored Patriots? That's the kind of story this city loves. It became an instant classic.
-A statue of Foles was commissioned for display near Lincoln Financial Field, and he remains one of the most popular figures in franchise history despite his limited time as a starter.
+The Eagles commissioned a statue of Foles for display near Lincoln Financial Field. He remains one of the most popular figures in franchise history, even though he was only a starter for one magical season.
 == Post-Philadelphia Career ==
-Foles signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2019 and later played for the Chicago Bears and Indianapolis Colts before retiring. He has since pursued religious ministry work, having obtained a degree in divinity.
+After Philadelphia, Foles signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2019. Later he played for the Chicago Bears and Indianapolis Colts before retiring. These days he's pursued religious ministry work and obtained a degree in divinity.
 == See Also ==