PLAYER: Haason Reddick.
COLLEGE: Temple.
TEAM: Philadelphia Eagles.
POSITION: Outside linebacker.
HEIGHT: 6-1.
WEIGHT: 240.
DRAFT: Round 1, 13, 2017
2022 STATS: 49 tackles, 16 sacks, 5 fumbles forced, 3 recovered, 3 passes defensed.
From David Tyree’s “Helmet Catch” to Malcolm Butler’s goal line interception, the Super Bowl is rife with stories of “B List” players who had a huge impact on the Super Bowl.
Tyree, of course, caught a 32-yard pass off his helmet with 59 seconds left that set up the Giants’ winning touchdown in a 17-14 upset of the undefeated Patriots. Tyree, a former sixth-round pick, had four receptions for 35 yards with no touchdowns during the regular season. He had three catches for 43 yards and one touchdown in Super Bowl XLII.
Butler had signed with the Patriots as an undrafted free agent out of West Alabama in 2014. His pick of a Russell Wilson pass with 20 seconds left in Super Bowl XLIX secured New England’s 28-24 win over the Seahawks. It was the first pick of Butler’s career. He became a starter the next season.
With Super Bowl LVII days away, who will emerge as the unexpected star?
This is the fourth in a BetBasics.com series intended to find the player worth a Super Bowl parlay, or dare we say, an MVP trophy bet.
Winning a Super Bowl is the pinnacle, the crowning achievement of any NFL player’s career. Now imagine that combined with a “Hometown Boy Makes Good Story.”
That’s the where the amazing journey of Eagles OLB Haason Reddick has landed.
Born in Camden, N.J. just across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, Reddick starred at Temple before the Cardinals made him the 13th pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. The Cardinals didn’t figure out how to use the hybrid defender until his fourth season, when he broke out with 12.5 sacks.
Arizona declined his fifth-year option, which ultimately started Reddick on the road to the team he grew up rooting for. He played one season in Carolina, putting up 11 sacks. The Eagles pounced on the free agent, signing him to a three-year, $45 million deal. It was a match made on Broad Street.
“All I got to say is go Birds, Fly Eagles Fly,” Reddick told reporters recently.
Playing behind one of the best defensive lines in the NFL, Reddick has emerged as the unstoppable force. He followed up a stellar regular season with an outstanding postseason, racking up 3.5 sacks and two tackles for loss in just two games.
It was Reddick’s hit on 49ers Brock Purdy that injured the rookie quarterback and decided the NFC Championship Game. Purdy suffered a torn ligament in his elbow that will require surgery.
It’s not out of the realm of possibility that Reddick determines the outcome of Super Bowl LVII. Two pass-rushing outside linebackers have won Super Bowl MVP honors in the last 10 years – Denver’s Von Miller and Seattle’s Malcolm Smith. Miller had six tackles, 2.5 tackles and one pass defensed in Super Bowl 50. Smith dominated Super Bowl XLVIII posting 10 tackles, a fumble recovery and a pass interception return for a touchdown.
Where Reddick could be especially impactful is keeping Patrick Mahomes in the pocket and running him down should the elusive Kansas City Chiefs QB escape. Mahomes’ mobility might be in question after he suffered a high ankle sprain in the team’s Divisional playoff victory over the Jaguars.
Imagine a Super Bowl parade in Philly. The entire city of Camden, not to mention Reddick’s family and friends, might be attendance. Winning the MVP would make this the ultimate hometown boy makes good story. The odds of Reddick winning are +4000, better than Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco (+5000) or teammate TE Dallas Goedert +7500.