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He has traveled a long road: starter and castoff Michael Gallup Color Rush Jersey , journeyman and backup. Now Nick Foles stands at the summit of his sport.

How did it happen? Oh, sure, there was the mid-December injury to rising star Carson Wentz, with Foles stepping in and stepping up. But how, in a breathtaking championship game Sunday night, did this quarterback beat Tom Brady at the five-time Super Bowl winner’s specialty, a shootout?

For Foles – and for his Philadelphia Eagles – there is one underlying theme to it all: perseverance.

”The big thing is don’t be afraid to fail,” Foles, the Super Bowl, MVP, said sleepless hours after he guided the drive of a lifetime for the winning points in a 41-33 victory over league MVP Brady and the defending champion New England Patriots.

”In our society, with (social media) it’s a highlight reel. I think when you have a rough day, you’re feeling you can’t – failure is a part of your life. I wouldn’t be up here if I hadn’t failed a million times.

”You share that. I’m human, not superman. When you struggle in your life, it’s an opportunity to grow. If there’s something going on in your life, embrace it.”

That’s exactly what Foles and coach Doug Pederson said Monday was the approach throughout the 2017 season by the Eagles. They had gone 7-9 the previous year with rookie Wentz as the starter. He improved meteorically this season and was a leading MVP contender before tearing up his knee in Week 14.

That was one of many key injuries the Eagles had to deal with on the way to their first Super Bowl title and the Lombardi Trophy – their first NFL crown since 1960, when they beat coach Vince Lombardi himself and the Green Bay Packers. Veteran tackle Jason Peters, versatile running back Darren Sproles, specials teams ace Chris Maragos and starting linebacker Jordan Hicks all were lost for the season.

Adversity.

”It’s tough,” said Pederson, whose willingness to stay aggressive was a major reason the Eagles won the NFC East at 13-3, then won three more times in the postseason. ”It’s something you spend a lot of time thinking about how you want to talk to the team. Part of it was entrusting the players a little bit, allow them to sort of embrace it and the `next man up’ mentality.”

Foles, of course Dorance Armstrong Jr. Color Rush Jersey , was the next man behind center. He hardly was a stopgap, though, and Pederson recognized that.

The coach went back to tapes of Foles’ work with the Eagles under Chip Kelly, and then to his games with the Rams and Chiefs. Pederson made some adjustments to fit what made Foles most comfortable – the wheel route to backs and tight ends was particularly effective for Foles – and then turned lose his No. 2 QB.

”It was just a matter of him spending time with the guys, take a lot of repetitions in practice,” Pederson said. ”We knew in the building we’d be OK with him.”

OK? Doug, you and the Eagles are NFL champions.

”I think this team is full of great character men,” said Pederson, who was a player and coach for Andy Reid, his mentor, and now, perhaps ironically, has the trophy Reid hadn’t been able to hoist. ”The leadership in the locker room – part of the message was putting it back on the players and the players own it. Not having selfish coaches and players gives you a chance to win this game.”

Philadelphia is a young team. Indeed, it might have arrived at the top ahead of schedule. It definitely arrived in a different manner than it expected.

That leaves the question of Foles’ future. He’s under contract for one more year and the Eagles can afford to keep him. Wentz clearly is the franchise QB, though his rehab could make him unavailable for much of the preseason.

”I knew I couldn’t get off the stage” without being asked about the quarterback situation, Pederson joked Monday morning. ”We’ll just enjoy this moment, celebrate it with our fans in Philly. It’s not about one guy, it’s about the team.”

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SCOREBOARD

Sunday, Feb. 4

Philadelphia vs New England, 6:30 p.m. EST. Tom Brady and the New England Patriots are going back to the Super Bowl in search of a sixth title. They’ll face a Philadelphia Eagles team looking for their first Lombardi Trophy. The Patriots will try to match the Pittsburgh Steelers’ six Super Bowl trophies when they face the Eagles in Minneapolis.

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STARS

Passing

– Tom Brady, Patriots, was 26 for 38 for 290 yards with two touchdowns passes, both in the fourth quarter, in New England’s 24-20 win over Jacksonville in the AFC championship game.

– Nick Foles Dalton Schultz Color Rush Jersey , Eagles, was 26 for 33 for 352 yards and three touchdowns in Philadelphia’s 38-7 win over Minnesota in the NFC championship game.

– Blake Bortles, Jaguars, was 23 for 36 for 293 yards and a touchdown in Jacksonville’s 24-20 loss to New England.

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Rushing

– Leonard Fournette, Jaguars, had 24 carries for 76 yards and a touchdown in Jacksonville 24-20 loss to New England.

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Receiving

– Danny Amendola, Patriots, had seven catches for 84 yards and two fourth-quarter touchdowns in New England’s 24-20 win over Jacksonville.

– Alshon Jeffery, Eagles, had five catches for 85 yards and two touchdowns in Philadelphia’s 38-7 win over Minnesota.

– Brandin Cooks, Patriots, had six catches for 100 yards in New England’s 24-20 win over Jacksonville.

– Torrey Smith, Eagles, had five catches for 69 yards and a touchdown in Philadelphia’s 38-7 win over Minnesota.

– Zach Ertz, Eagles, had eight catches for 93 yards in Philadelphia’s 38-7 win over Minnesota.

– Allen Hurns, Jaguars, had six catches for 80 yards in Jacksonville 24-20 loss to New England.

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Special Teams

– Josh Lambo, Jaguars, went 2 for 2 on field goals, including a 54-yarder, and 2 for 2 on extra points in Jacksonville 24-20 loss to New England.

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Defense

– Patrick Robinson, Eagles, returned an interception 50 yards for a touchdown in Philadelphia’s 38-7 win over Minnesota.

– Dante Fowler Jr. John Franklin-Myers Color Rush Jersey , Jaguars, had two sacks in Jacksonville 24-20 loss to New England.

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SUPER BOWL SET

Tom Brady and the New England Patriots are going back to the Super Bowl in search of a sixth title. They’ll face a Philadelphia Eagles team looking for their first Lombardi Trophy. Brady led the Patriots (15-3) back from a 10-point, fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Jacksonville Jaguars 24-20 in the AFC championship game. Starting his 36th playoff game, Brady shook off an injury to his right hand and the loss of top target Rob Gronkowski to rally the Patriots to their record 10th Super Bowl appearance. The Patriots will try to match the Pittsburgh Steelers’ six Super Bowl trophies when they face the Eagles (15-3) on Feb. 4 in Minneapolis. Nick Foles, the backup QB who was thrust into the starting role when Carson Wentz blew out his left knee last month, led the Philadelphia to a 38-7 rout of the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC championship game. Foles threw for 352 yards and three touchdowns, showing poise and moxie in going 26 for 33.

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STREAKS & STATS

The Patriots were called for one penalty against the Jaguars. It is the fewest penalties called on one team in a playoff game since the 2011 AFC championship when the Patriots were called for one penalty in a win over the Ravens. … In the first three quarters against Jacksonville, the Patriots’ Tom Brady had an 87.5 passer rating; in the fourth quarter, Brady had a 136.3 passer rating. … Nick Foles’ 53-yard TD pass to Alshon Jeffery by the Eagles in the NFC championship game is the longest touchdown pass by any player against the Vikings this season, including the playoffs. … Philadelphia’s 38 unanswered points are the most by any team in a playoff game since the Jets scored 41 straight points against the Colts in the 2002 wild-card round. … The Eagles are the seventh team since 1970 to win a conference championship game by 30 or more points, and the first since the 2015 Panthers, who beat the Cardinals 49-15. … The AFC has been represented by either Tom Brady, Peyton Manning or Ben Roethlisberger in 14 of the past 15 Super Bowls. The exception is the Ravens’ Joe Flacco in Super Bowl 47.

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MILESTONES

Tom Brady and Bill Belichick will be making their eighth Super Bowl appearance as a quarterback-coach duo, as many as any other team (excluding the Patriots) in NFL history. … The past four times the Patriots have trailed by double digits in a playoff game, they came back to win. On Sunday, New England trailed 20-10 against the Jacksonville Jaguars before rallying for a 24-20 win. In Super Bowl 51, New England trailed 28-3 before rallying for a 34-28 overtime win over the Atlanta Falcons. In Super Bowl 49, New England trailed 24-14 before rallying for a 28-24 win. In the AFC divisional round on Jan. 10, 2015, they trailed 28-14 before rallying for a 35-31 win over Baltimore.

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SPEAKING

”He’s a tough guy, we all know that. But we’re not talking about open heart surgery here.” – Patriots coach Bill Belichick on quarterback Tom Brady playing with a right hand injury and throwing two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter to rally the Patriots to a 24-20 win over Jacksonville.

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”Words can’t describe what I feel right now. All glory goes to God. I’m grateful and humbled to be part of this team. No one in the