NEW ORLEANS — When it was throughout Sunday evening within the Large Straightforward, Tremendous Bowl 2025 closing in a 40-22 Eagles dismantling of the two-time defending champion Chiefs, the largest participant in uniform, whose social media deal with is “Large Ticket,” wept on the winner’s sideline.
Mekhi Becton was having issue comprehending the second, contemplating the seeming black gap from which he escaped.
There have been occasions in his first 4 years within the NFL when Becton certainly needed to cry however for a lot totally different causes than Sunday evening.
And possibly he did that in quiet moments alone as he was being ridiculed as one of the vital large first-round draft busts in a Jets historical past already plagued by them.
“That is the happiest and most emotional I’ve ever been apart from my son being born,’’ Becton instructed The Publish after the sport. “As a participant, that is one thing you dream about.”
What was going by way of his thoughts on that sideline?
“Simply life,” Becton mentioned. “Interested by all of the trials and tribulations I’ve been by way of, all of the doubters, everyone who instructed me I couldn’t do it.
“I’m a child from Richmond, Virginia,” Becton went on, getting emotional once more. “Individuals don’t make it out of Richmond from the place I’m from. I’m not presupposed to be right here proper now. I used to be interested by that and interested by all of the individuals watching me again residence. I used to be doing it for them, man.”
Becton, a left sort out chosen by the Jets with the Eleventh-overall choose in 2020, battled weight issues and knee accidents — the primary concern possible resulting in the opposite — and at last was launched after the 2023 season.
The Jets lastly admitted their mistake and moved on.
Becton moved on, too, signing a one-year, prove-it contract with the Eagles earlier than this season and becoming a member of extremely regarded offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland.
Stoutland, an old-school, tough-love coach, moved Becton from left sort out to proper guard and rescued his profession.
Becton, who performed just one sport within the 2021 season and didn’t play in any respect in ’22, began 15 regular-season video games for Philadelphia and all 4 within the Tremendous Bowl run this postseason.
His prove-it season become not solely a Tremendous Bowl ring for him however possibly a profitable long-term contract this coming offseason.
These are two issues Becton by no means might have imagined simply 9 months in the past, when the crew that drafted him lastly gave up on him.
“There have been positively darkish days, for certain,” Becton mentioned. “I used to be in these darkish days for a very good little minute. It simply feels good to really cry tears to pleasure.”
Becton admitted that whereas standing on that sideline as the ultimate seconds burned off the clock and later when the confetti showered the sphere, it was tough to consider the place he’s in.
“I’m a kind of guys that’s going to work it doesn’t matter what,” he mentioned. “I’m simply going to maintain my head down it doesn’t matter what anyone says. I simply work. Good issues come to individuals who do good issues. I’ve put the work in, and now I’m being rewarded for it.”