Former Dukes Rashard Davis and John DeFilippo Win Super Bowl LII with Eagles

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – For two former James Madison football players, the title "Super Bowl champion" will forever be synonymous with Rashard Davis and John DeFilippo.

The Philadelphia Eagles won their first Super Bowl title with a thrilling 41-33 triumph against the New England Patriots on Sunday night in Super Bowl LII at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minn.

It is the first NFL championship for both Davis and DeFilippo. Davis, a rookie, is a member of Philadelphia's practice squad, and DeFilippo is in his second season as quarterbacks coach for the Eagles.

Philadelphia racked up 538 yards of offense, including 374 passing yards and four scores through the air. DeFilippo's starting quarterback, Nick Foles, was named Super Bowl MVP after going 28-of-43 for 373 yards and three touchdowns while also catching one pass for a one-yard touchdown.

Davis and DeFilippo became the first former JMU players to win a Super Bowl title since 2013 when D.J. Bryant won the Super Bowl with Baltimore. Other JMU stars to win a Super Bowl include five-time winner Charles Haley, who's in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and two-time champion Gary Clark. Haley won three times in San Francisco and two times in Dallas, while Clark won both of his titles in Washington.

It was the Eagles' first Super Bowl win in three attempts, as they previously won the NFC in 1980 and 2004.

While at JMU, Davis played in 50 games from 2013-16, finishing his career with 114 receptions for 1,549 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also had four career punt returns for a touchdown, all in 2016, to lead the country, and threw one touchdown pass on his only collegiate pass attempt.

As a senior, he was a First Team All-American by STATS, the Walter Camp Foundation and HERO Sports while earning Second Team All-America honors from the Associated Press. Davis was a First Team All-CAA punt returner and was voted 2016 Colonial Athletic Association Special Teams Player of the Year.

DeFilippo was a quarterback at JMU from 1996-99. He played in 11 games as a senior, serving in a reserve role in helping the Dukes win the 1999 Atlantic 10 championship to advance to the playoffs.

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