In the farm town where Cooper DeJean drew up football plays in elementary school and taught classmates to run them at recess, residents plan a huge party to watch the town's native son in the Super Bowl. The Philadelphia Eagles defensive back has lifted spirits in Odebolt, Iowa, a town of 920 people once known as the Popcorn Capital of the World, per the AP. Residents say he's also inspired children in the four towns that make up the local school district in this remote region of Western Iowa, where he played quarterback in stadiums carved out of cornfields.
On Sunday they'll gather in the Odebolt Community Building for a Super Bowl watch party they're calling the "Cooper Bowl." Many plan to wear special Eagles green T-shirts printed up for the occasion that feature DeJean's No. 33. It's also a birthday party for DeJean, who turns 22 on Super Bowl Sunday. "The whole town is just ecstatic," said Cory Duff, who owns The Bolt Drive-In, a local restaurant. "I would say it has brought a renewed energy back to the community," he said. "It has definitely uplifted everybody around here."
DeJean's father, Jason, said he was touched by a video that school employees made featuring dozens of children and teachers wishing his son the best in the Super Bowl. "They all got on the playground and spelled out 'Cooper,'" Jason DeJean said. Ever since DeJean began flying around the football field at the University of Iowa , "the support around this community has been just crazy," Jason DeJean said. "Now you see Eagle jerseys and 33 and all that stuff. It's great to see, and you couldn't ask for any more support than what this community gives." Read the full story.
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