The Eagles’ dominant 41-7 win over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday was a game full of milestones. The Birds clinched the NFC East as well as the number two seed in the playoffs, Saquon Barkley became only the ninth running back in NFL history to surpass 2,000 rushing yards, and third-string quarterback Tanner McKee threw his first ever NFL touchdown pass.
But McKee’s 20-yard touchdown pass to A.J. Brown – which extended the Eagles lead to 34-7 – was almost tainted. After scoring the touchdown, Brown threw the ball into the stands and into the hand of Eagles fan Patrick Driscoll.
“I grabbed it with one hand right here,” Driscoll told NBC Sports Philadelphia’s John Clark.
Brown said he didn’t realize his mistake at first.
“When Nick came over and told me like, ‘You threw Tanner’s first touchdown pass into the stands,’ and I was like, ‘Ah, man.’ I wasn’t thinking about it. I don’t know what I was thinking about,” Brown said.
McKee said he didn’t realize what happened at first as he was too busy celebrating with his team.
“I actually had no idea that he launched it into the stands because I was hugging the O-linemen, I was pretty excited,” McKee said. “And then I run off. And I’m like looking for A.J., like, you know, I was going to say congratulations, thanks for catching my first touchdown. Then someone’s like, ‘Oh, he hucked it into the stands. He’s trying to go get it back.’”
After being asked to return the ball, Driscoll was happy to oblige.
“A.J. looked at me from the sideline and he told me, he said, ‘Let’s get that ball back and send you a signed jersey when the game’s over,’” Driscoll said.
When A.J. Brown caught Eagles third-string quarterback Tanner McKee’s first NFL career touchdown, he threw the ball into the stands without thinking. Fortunately Patrick Driscoll, the fan who caught it, returned the ball in exchange for an autographed jersey from A.J. NBC Sports Philadelphia’s John Clark spoke with Patrick, A.J. and Tanner about how it all went down.
After Driscoll gave the ball back, Brown kept his promise and gave him his signed jersey.
“Shout out to Patrick for catching the ball first and giving it back,” Brown said.
Driscoll said the thought of selling the football never crossed his mind.
“No, let’s get them that ball back,” Driscoll said. “Let’s keep this thing rolling and into the playoffs baby. Let’s win this Super Bowl. Sirianni and the Eagles baby. Let’s go. Let’s do it.”
You heard him, Eagles. Let’s do it! Go Birds!
On a recent episode of “1-on-1 with Eagles fan who gave Tanner McKee his 1st TD ball back”, we sat down with the generous fan who made headlines for returning quarterback Tanner McKee’s first touchdown ball.
In a heartwarming moment captured on camera, the fan caught the ball after McKee’s first touchdown pass and instead of keeping it for himself, he selflessly gave it back to the quarterback. The gesture touched the hearts of many, including McKee himself, who was grateful for the fan’s act of kindness.
During our interview, the fan shared his story of why he decided to return the ball, his love for the Eagles, and the special connection he felt with McKee in that moment. It was a touching conversation that highlighted the power of sports to bring people together and the impact that small acts of kindness can have.
Stay tuned for the full interview on NBC10 Philadelphia to hear more about this heartwarming story and the bond that was formed between a fan and a player over a simple football.
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