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Philadelphia Eagles fans will soon get to revisit one of the greatest sports moments in the city’s history. A game-changing trick play in Super Bowl LII that resulted in quarterback Nick Foles snagging a touchdown reception lives on the memory of Philadelphians everywhere. It is the defining image of the Eagles’ improbable run to their first Super Bowl championship.
ESPN is set to release “The Philly Special” on Friday, a new “30 for 30” documentary produced by NFL Films detailing the meaning behind the historic play. Almost eight years later, the play still has tremendous meaning to the City of Brotherly Love. It is in many ways a demonstration of Philadelphia’s identity. The film features interviews with various prominent Philadelphia personalities, including retired WIP radio host Angelo Cataldi and the owners of Termini Brothers Bakery.
“Sometimes Philadelphia gets a bad rap,” said NFL Films co-director Shannon Furman. “So it was cool to be able to show where that personality comes from. That’s why I think we included all the different fans to just really show the underdog spirit of the city and how it was so important to all these different walks of people.”
The documentary, which is co-directed by Angela Zender, centers on the four players who touched the ball during the memorable play and their head coach. Six-time All-Pro center Jason Kelce, running back Corey Clement, tight end Trey Burton, Foles and coach Doug Pederson were all interviewed for the piece. Much of the film documents the group traveling around Philadelphia in a trolley, reminiscing on the 2018 season and the play itself.
“I felt like they could have talked about this for 10 days straight and not been bored,” Furman said. “There are some scenes in the film that we were technically not even rolling, per se. They were just so excited to be back together talking, and we just said to our camera people, ‘Just go shoot this.’”
The “Philly Special” play captures the spirit Furman and Zender aim to convey about Philadelphia. Burton and Clement were undrafted players, most notable for their involvement in this play. Kelce was a sixth-round draft pick who evolved into a future Hall of Famer. Foles had only received an opportunity thanks to Carson Wentz’ injury, and had been traded away from Philadelphia just three years prior. Pederson was a career backup quarterback. It made the choice to feature the group easy.
“All five of those guys are underdogs in their own way,” Zender said. “Their stories are so rich that we really wanted to go deep with those five guys and just tell it from a different perspective.”
Throughout the filming process, the directors spent time all over the city, looking to capture the unique personalities of its various communities. The unifying force is often the Philadelphia sports landscape. It provides something to rally around.
“Philly is a city of neighborhoods, and we wanted to represent each neighborhood,” Zender said. “We went to South Philly, and that’s where we did our cheesesteak shoot. And then we went to the Italian market. We did Termini Brothers. And we also went to the Jersey Shore. We just wanted to try to get a variety of different voices to help tell the story of the play and what it meant to them.”
In Philadelphia, the memory of the play is just as poignant now. It is commemorated by murals around the city, as well as T-shirts and fans’ tattoos. Zender and Furman were blown away at Philadelphians’ ability to recall the Xs and Os of the trick play.
“We brought diagrams with us just in case,” Furman said. “But I mean, the Termini Brothers, those guys knew everything. I didn’t really even need to direct them. They were experts on everything. And even just people had seen our clips. … It was kind of crazy to see that.”
The vivid recollections of the play speak to the broader meaning of the Eagles’ Super Bowl win. It was a victory for a city where life isn’t always simple.
“I remember having a conversation with one of my co-workers about it,” Zender said. “She was talking about it like, there are big moments in your life that you remember, and that was one for her. A seminal moment in her life was that play. We just really wanted to go around and make sure people understood how much that team meant to the city, how much that Super Bowl win meant to the city.”
For the city’s residents, the win is not only meaningful because it marked the Eagles’ first Super Bowl title. It was also the victory over Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, winners of five prior Super Bowls and clear favorites entering the game.
“It’s David versus Goliath,” Zander said. “I think when you can achieve what people think is impossible, it’s inspirational. I hope that’s something that not only fans in Philadelphia can appreciate, but fans across the country can appreciate that universal message of the underdog spirit, of what it means to overcome something in the face of long odds.”
“The Philly Special” airs at 9 p.m. ET Friday on ESPN and the ESPN app.