EAST ORANGE, NJ – Most football players dream of playing in the Super Bowl.
East Orange native Rasul Douglas will get to fulfill that dream.
Douglas is a rookie cornerback for the Philadelphia Eagles, who will play the defending champion New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII on Feb. 4 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minn.
The top-seeded Eagles knocked off the second-seeded Minnesota Vikings in convincing fashion, 38-7, in the NFC Championship game on Sunday night, Jan. 21, at Lincoln Field in Philadelphia. The No. 1-seeded Patriots rallied to beat the third-seeded Jacksonville Jaguars, 24-20, in the AFC Championship earlier that day, overcoming a 20-10 fourth-quarter deficit.
Douglas, listed at 6-foot-2, 209 pounds, was selected in the third round, 99th overall, by the Eagles in the 2017 NFL Draft last spring after playing for the University of West Virginia for two seasons.
Douglas, who wears jersey No. 32, has two interceptions in his rookie season for the Eagles. He made his first career start against the New York Giants in Week 3 on Sept. 24 in which he recorded his first interception of his career when he picked off Eli Manning in the second quarter.
His second interception of the season came against the Carolina Panthers in Week 6 as he picked off Cam Newton.
Douglas is an East Orange Campus High School graduate who played for then-Jaguars head coach Marion Bell. Upon his graduation, he continued his career at Nassau Community College for two seasons. During his time at Nassau CC, he was on his own financially and battled hunger in which he often ordered off the dollar menu at McDonald’s, eating half his meal and saving the rest for later, according to the Eagles website. He also lived in an apartment eight miles from campus and took the bus to and from school and practice.
Douglas transferred to West Virginia and played there for two seasons. In his senior season in 2016, he tied for the NCAA lead in interceptions with eight and was named to the All-Big 12 Conference First Team and Associated Press All-America Second Team.
The Eagles website also mentioned that Douglas credits his East Orange little league baseball coach, Mike Davis, as the person who turned his life around. Davis also served as the PA announcer for EOCHS athletic events.
Douglas and the Eagles will get to face Tom Brady, one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history. The Patriots are looking to tie the Pittsburgh Steelers for most Super Bowl titles with six. Their five titles have come with Brady and head coach Bill Belichick. This marks the Patriots’ eighth Super Bowl appearance with Brady and Belichick since the 2001 season, and a record 10th overall.
In last year’s Super Bowl at NRG Stadium in Houston, Tex., the Patriots overcame a 28-3 deficit to beat the Atlanta Falcons, 34-28, in the first overtime game in Super Bowl history. It was also the largest deficit overcome in Super Bowl history.
The Eagles are making their third Super Bowl appearance. They lost to the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl XV following the 1980 season and lost to Brady and the Patriots in Super Bowl XXXIX after the 2004 season. The Eagles last won an NFL title in 1960.
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