Cooper DeJean celebrates his 22nd birthday with the 1st birthday TD ever in the Super Bowl

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — What a way to celebrate a 22nd birthday for Cooper DeJean.

DeJean became the first player in Super Bowl history to intercept a pass or score a touchdown on his birthday when he returned a poor throw by Patrick Mahomes 38 yards for a TD to give Philadelphia a 17-0 lead over Kansas City in the second quarter on Sunday.

DeJean undercut a route by DeAndre Hopkins and picked off Mahomes before racing in for the first pick-6 in a Super Bowl since Robert Alford had one for Atlanta against Tom Brady and New England eight years ago. That one gave the Falcons a 21-0 lead that grew to 28-3 in the second half before the Patriots mounted the biggest comeback in Super Bowl history.

That's the only time a team has lost a Super Bowl after returning an interception for a touchdown with the other 12 teams all winning, including Tampa Bay in a game with three pick-6s against the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl 37.

DeJean and teammate Saquon Barkley are the 15th and 16th players to appear in a Super Bowl on their birthdays, according to Sportradar. None of those players had scored a touchdown or intercepted a pass before DeJean.

Barkley has rushed for 31 yards on 12 carries in the first half and set the NFL season rushing record, postseason included, topping the mark of 2,476 yards set by Terrell Davis.

DeJean was a second-round pick out of Iowa this year and his insertion into the starting lineup early in the season was a key part of Philadelphia's defensive rebound.

His big play delighted his fans in his small hometown of Odebolt, Iowa, who came out for a Super Bowl watch party.

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