Sydney Brown is set to join an exclusive club in just his second NFL season.
The London, Ont. native will be the only Canadian on the field when his Philadelphia Eagles face off with the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX on Sunday. He is the 28th player from north of the border and the first Canadian defensive back to ever take part in football’s biggest spectacle.
“I’m excited. What an opportunity, especially being the only Canadian in this game,” Brown told TSN this week. “We’ve got a bunch of Canadians across the league to represent the NFL but to be at this stage representing Canada, it’s pretty cool, and I take pride in that.”
No Canadian player has reached the Super Bowl since 2022, when defensive lineman Michael Hoecht and offensive tackle Alaric Jackson hoisted the Lombardi Trophy with the L.A. Rams. That capped a three-year run of Canadian victors, with tight end Antony Auclair winning with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2021 and offensive linemen Laurent Duvernay-Tardif and Ryan Hunter earning rings with the Chiefs in 2020.
Brown is unique amongst his Canuck peers, becoming the first to ever play safety in the NFL’s championship game. The 24-year-old has seen action in 11 games this season, primarily on special teams, making seven total tackles, two pass knockdowns, one interception, and one forced fumble. He has also dressed for all three of the Eagles’ postseason contests, making a tackle in each one.
Originally selected in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft, Brown had worked his way into Philadelphia’s starting lineup as a rookie but suffered a torn ACL late in the year that kept him out of action until October of this season. That forced him into a smaller role upon return but his confidence remains unshaken.
“Man, it was tough. When I tore it back in January, I got down on myself for a little bit but I kind of flipped that switch and just realized that I have an opportunity in front of me to prove that I can overcome anything,” he recalled. “I just kind of took that dog mentality, just looking at the next opportunity and that opportunity came in October. Obviously, things change, roles change, but I hold my role for what it is right now and take a shot at what it is next year.”
Through 25 career NFL games, Brown has recorded 52 defensive tackles, one tackle for loss, two forced fumbles, five pass breakups, and two interceptions, including one returned 99 yards for a touchdown. The University of Illinois product believes there is no limit to what he can accomplish in the sport now that he is healthy.
“Anything that I put my mind to. No matter what I achieve, no matter what I do, no matter what I reach, the ceiling only gets higher. I just want so much more to this and that’s the addictive part of the sport,” he said. “I’m addicted to seeing results in myself, I’m addicted to seeing results on the field. I’m addicted to seeing results in myself as a man. Every aspect, I just continue to try and grow. Whatever I put my mind to, I’m gonna achieve in this league. I just gotta keep working, keep preparing, and make sure that I’m putting myself in the right position to be successful.”
His identical twin brother, Cincinnati Bengals’ running back Chase Brown, has an equally high ceiling and fell just short of a thousand yards rushing in 2024 while tying the single-season touchdown record by a Canadian. The prolific back arrived in New Orleans to support his sibling on Thursday.
“We’ll have a great moment together and be able to kind of share this experience as one. He’s going to get here one day, I’m sure of it,” Brown said. “He’s got that mentality part of him and right now, it’s me and I kind of hold that up to him and say, ‘Hey man, it’s time to get it.'”
For now, Sydney will have the spotlight all to himself when the Eagles (14-3) take to the field at the Superdome in the hopes of stopping the Chiefs (15-2) from achieving a historic Super Bowl three-peat. If they do, Brown will become the 18th Canadian player to capture NFL glory.
“It’s going to hit me on Sunday, that’s for sure,” he said of the moment. “But I just focus on the game plan and what I can do to help the team.”
Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. EST on Sunday, February 9.
