“Well, you know, it’s that Tom Brady moment,” Brandon Graham said with a grin, recalling the play that flipped everything for him. “It changed my whole career as far as my trajectory.” For Philadelphia Eagles fans, it was the highlight of Super Bowl LII—a strip-sack on Brady that secured their first-ever championship win. But for Graham? It was a personal redemption after years of doubt from Philly fans who weren’t always in his corner. So, what made this play so monumental?

Super Bowl LII was electric—a high-scoring shootout between the Eagles and Patriots that kept fans glued to their screens until the very end. With less than three minutes left in the fourth quarter, Tom Brady had possession, trailing 38-33. Everyone watching knew what was coming—another legendary comeback from the GOAT himself.

But wait, Brandon Graham wasn’t about to let that happen.

Charging through New England’s offensive line, Graham delivered a perfectly timed strip-sack on Brady. This forced a fumble that defensive tackle Derek Barnett scooped up. The Eagles held onto their lead, clinching their first Lombardi Trophy—and sending Philadelphia into chaos. Graham had finally proven himself to the fans.

“That play gave me confidence,” Graham revealed, in an episode of the Up & Adams Show with Kay Adams. “I unblocked a lot of people for Philly—for all the stuff they gave me in the beginning for not being Earl Thomas.” Drafted 13th overall in 2010, Graham had spent years under fire from fans who thought Earl Thomas (picked immediately after) was a better choice. The strip-sack wasn’t just a game-winning play—it was validation after years of grinding through criticism and setbacks.

Years after the Super Bowl LII game against the Patriots, before the Eagles–Steelers game in December 2024, Brandon Graham couldn’t resist having some fun with Tom Brady. Graham walked up behind Brady on the field and mimicked sacking him again, grabbing his shoulders and saying, “I just wanted to do that one more time!” Brady turned around with a grin and fired back, “How’re you gonna do me like that? Let me do it to you!” before playfully grabbing Graham in a mock sack. Brady even told Graham, “It couldn’t have happened to a better guy,” a moment of mutual respect that resonated deeply with Eagles’ fans. This playful interaction reminded everyone how far Graham had come—from facing years of criticism early in his career to becoming one of Philadelphia’s most beloved sports figures.

From bust to beloved – Brandon Graham’s journey

Philadelphia doesn’t sugarcoat its opinions—just ask anyone who’s worn an Eagles jersey. Fans here are passionate but brutally honest. And early on, they weren’t shy about voicing their disappointment in Graham. At one point, even his mom stopped wearing his jersey because of how harsh the criticism had become.

“I didn’t like Philly at first,” Graham admitted candidly during an episode of the New Heights podcast. “Fans were so tough—it wasn’t everything I wanted it to be.” But after that Super Bowl strip-sack? Everything changed. Suddenly, he wasn’t just another player—he was the player who brought home a championship.

Brandon Graham didn’t win Philly over with just one play—it was years of grit and grind that got him there. Early on, when Chip Kelly asked him to play special teams, it completely threw him. “Man, I ain’t never played special teams,” he remembered thinking. But instead of brushing it off, he leaned in. He did the work. And that mindset turned him into one of the most reliable, do-it-all guys on the roster.

By the time 2016 rolled around and Jim Schwartz took over the defense, Graham was locked in and ready to rumble. He’d figured it out. Every time he got knocked down, he just bounced back harder. That resilience? It became his signature. And that legendary strip-sack on Tom Brady in Super Bowl LII? That wasn’t luck. That was the payoff from years of straight-up grinding behind the scenes.

To Eagles fans, Graham has always been more than a player. He’s Philly through and through. Tough. Relentless. Real. And now, looking back on 15 seasons, two rings, and countless moments, he knows what it all meant. “Fifteen years don’t happen by accident,” he says. And he’s right—Graham didn’t just play for Philly, he became part of it.