After the final seconds ticked off the clock at the Super Bowl in New Orleans, there was an emotional moment when Philadelphia Eagles coach Nick Sirianni held up his young son and the two spelled out E-A-G-L-E-S.
Thousands of miles away in Alliance, Ohio, it warmed the heart of Larry Kehres.
"That's the warmest feeling for Nick— pick up his little one and give him a hug and the other two (kids) are right there," Kehres said.
Kehres is the legendary former football coach for the University of Mount Union Purple Raiders. The stadium has been named in his honor.
Kehres won 11 Division III national titles, and Sirianni was a long, lean wide receiver on three of those teams between 1999-2003.
Asked what stood out about Sirianni as a player, Kehres responded, "He was an excellent player. He was a very good route runner."
Sirianni also got his start in coaching as an assistant coach developing wide receivers at Mount Union. He was part of the staff when the team won another national championship in 2005.
"He was passionate as an assistant coach on the practice field. He was that way as a player," Kehres recalled.
Kehres said Sirianni never forgot where he came from, and in the days leading up to Super Bowl 59, he publicly gave credit to Mount Union for part of his success.
The global shout-outs meant a great deal to the small Northeast Ohio university in Stark County.
"What was it, $8 million for an ad last night? Nick has given us a lot of free ads, so it's invaluable," Kehres said.
While the exposure for Mount Union is indeed invaluable, Mike Parnell, the director of athletics, said Siranni's rise to success at the highest level also serves as a lesson to young athletes.
"That certainly propels, I think, a lot of students to believe that anything is possible, and at Mount Union, you can make it happen," Parnell said.
Kehres and Parnell are part of the Purple Raider nation that has proudly watched Sirianni grow in the NFL, even while he faced criticism as head coach for the Eagles.
The trophy he received on Sunday validated what many at Mount Union already feel: Sirianni is super.
"It has to be very fulfilling to see Nick prove his approach to coaching the Eagles this year was the correct way to do it," Kehres said.
The many memories, photos and videos of Sirianni playing football at Mount Union take on extra meaning now.
His time at the university a few decades ago was special, and now, he and his Eagles are flying high.
"Nick is the one who won the Super Bowl and today we're talking about him," Kehres said.
