Super Bowl LIX turned into a birthday bash for Cooper DeJean. And he took his celebration to another level. DeJean couldn’t have picked a better time to record his first career NFL interception.

The CB intercepted a pass from Patrick Mahomes which he returned for a touchdown. Not just that. DeJean became the only NFLer to score a touchdown on his birthday, and that too, in the Super Bowl.

We have seen many white players excel in positions such as tight end (Travis Kelce & George Kittle), but it has been the opposite in the cornerback position. There have been very few white cornerbacks in recent years. But the Eagles‘ Cooper DeJean and Broncos‘ Riley Moss are making a dent in that theory.

Playing in his rookie year, the 40th overall pick of the Eagles has shone. The 6-foot, 198-pound athlete has played 16 games (9 starting) this year, recording 6 defended passes, 1 forced fumble, 0.5 sacks, and 51 tackles (38 solo). It was incredible. Boy oh Boy! He turned heads with the first touchdown in Super Bowl history with his pick-six against the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX.

Riley Moss, Broncos CB & 3rd round (83rd overall) pick in the 2023 NFL draft emerged as a force in the 2024 season. He didn’t start any game in his rookie year. But in 14 games (started) in 2024, he recorded 1 interception, 8 defended passes, 1 fumble, and 86 tackles (65 solo). In the week 5 game against the Raiders, he became the first cornerback in 22 years to make an interception. Cooper DeJean and Moss are the only ones who have left an impression.

There is another white CB in the NFL, Dolphins’ Ethan Bonner. The 25-year-old Bonner was not drafted into the NFL but was signed by the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent on May 12, 2023.

However, one of the most successful cornerbacks of the last three decades was Jason Sehorn. He played nine seasons in the NFL and provided insight into why there were fewer white cornerbacks in the game. DeJean is definitely following a similar trajectory.

Cooper DeJean is on the path to greatness like Jason Sehorn

“Rarely will you find a photo of me in the NFL without long sleeves. I just didn’t want it to matter. To me, this whole white cornerback thing was never a race issue. I’ve always seen it as a cultural issue and a confidence issue. And that goes back to how I was raised,” said former NY Jets player for 8 seasons from 1994, who retired in 2003 after 1 season for St. Louis Rams (renamed LA Rams).

Unlike Cooper DeJean, Jason Sehorn grew up in a single-mother household with no contact with his father. His mother earned around $25k per year. The situation was so bad that he drank milk using food stamps. But the desire to play was strong. At last, his tenacity overcame the hurdles.

In 9 seasons as cornerback, Sehorn played 117 games (76 starting), recording 19 interceptions, 55 defended passes, 5.5 sacks, and 443 tackles (377 solo). But his impact was enormous. It gave the white boys hope that they could also do it. Cooper DeJean and Riley Moss are following in his footsteps. And looking at their initial years, we can say, their careers would be epic.