2 weeks Ago
A pair of University of Illinois alumni, both members of the Philadelphia Eagles organization, take center stage Sunday when Super Bowl LIX kicks off at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. Current Eagles safety Sydney Brown becomes the 38th different former Illini to play in the big game, while former Illini receiver Aaron Moorehead will be on the sidelines as Philadelphia’s wide receivers coach. Brown, who wears No.
21 for the Eagles on Sunday, entered the NFL as a third-round draft choice by Philadelphia in 2023. He was the 66th player taken in that year’s draft. In 2024, after sitting out the team’s first five games due to injury, he appeared in 11 games.
This season’s biggest highlight came when Brown intercepted New York Giants quarterback Drew Lock with 36 seconds remaining to seal the Eagles’ 20-13 victory in early January. In a November victory againstJacksonville, he recorded a forced fumble. Brown has appeared in all three of Philadelphia’s NFL playoff games.
As a rookie in 2023, Chase Brown’s twin brother started six of the 14 games in which he appeared and paced the Eagles’ special teams with seven tackles. At Illinois from 2018 through 2022), Sydney was a team captain, a three-time All-Big Ten choice and a 2022 All-America honoree. His 51-game Illini career stats included 319 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 26 pass deflections, 10 interceptions, four forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and three defensive touchdowns.
Moorehead is in his fifth season as the Eagles’ receivers coach, having joined the team during the 2020 offseason. He has mentored two of the NFL’s best pass catchers in second-team All-Pro A.J.
Brown and DeVonta Smith. This past season, Moorehead’s proteges combined for 135 receptions, 1,912 receiving yards and 15 touchdown catches. The previous two seasons both Brown and Smith eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark as receivers.
Prior to joining Nick Sirianni’s staff, Moorehead had coached at Vanderbilt, Texas A&M, Virginia Tech, Stanford and also as a graduate assistant coach at New Mexico. He spent five seasons (2003-07) in the NFL as a receiver for the Indianapolis Colts, including a Super Bowl XLI title. Moorehead and his father, Emery (Chicago Bears), were the first father-son combination to play in and win a Super Bowl.
At Illinois from 1999 through 2002, Moorehead caught 85 passes for 1,293 yards and nine TDs while playing for coach Ron Turner. Moorehead and his wife, Rosalyn, have three children: Aliah, Avari and Mason. Saturday: Raina Terry, volleyball Sunday: Bob Easter, football (83) Monday: Will Riley, basketball (19) Tuesday: D.
J. Richardson, basketball (34) Wednesday: Doug Dieken, football (76) Thursday: Fiona McDermott, swimming & diving Friday: Jerry Ramshaw, football (67) By Mike Pearson, author of Illinois Legends, Lists & Lore (Third Edition available online). Get more Illini birthdays, trivia and historical tidbits daily on X at IlliniLegends and on Facebook at SportsLegendsListsLore.
His websites are www.SportsLLL.com and www.
IlliniPosters.com ..
