Siposs has shot at history with Philadelphia Eagles

| News | 01/12/2022

After 18 weeks of hard graft, the 2022 NFL playoff picture is complete. For 14 teams, dreams of hoisting the Vince Lombardi trophy aloft remain intact, while 18 have been forced back to the drawing board.

The Philadelphia Eagles are still in the hunt for football’s biggest prize, with Nick Sirianni’s side sneaking in via the back door with a 9-8 regular season record. Hope, rather than expectation, is the overriding emotion at Lincoln Financial Field right now, but – as the old saying goes – you have to be in it to win it.

Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers represent the next hurdle to overcome, with any path to Inglewood set to go through Florida and the defending world champions. History dictates that anything is possible, though, and collective sights are being set as high as possible. Bet on the Super Bowl ahead of the Wild Card Round and you can get the Eagles at 50/1 to go all the way. They are very much outsiders to repeat their heroics from 2017, but who is to say that they have not found a winning ticket in a prestigious sporting lottery?

Underdogs can be a dangerous proposition when let off the leash, with opportunities to silence doubters and upset the odds being embraced by those that are written off by many before a snap is made in anger.

The Eagles are in the mix and have plenty within their ranks that need no added incentive to start ripping up the form book in pursuit of record-setting achievements.

Down Under

One of those daring to get caught up in thoughts of what could be is former Australian rules footballer Arryn Siposs.

The Melbourne native has taken a scenic route to the NFL, with glass ceilings broken en route to reaching the very top of a global game. Having got this far, why not allow yourself to believe that anything is possible?

Siposs was snapped up by the Eagles and handed a reserve/futures contract in January 2021. Some 12 months on and he now has 16 competitive outings to his name. He has fired off 55 punts, averaging 43.9 yards per attempt, and is very much part of Sirianni’s plans heading into all-or-nothing encounters.

If he were to play a small part in a successful charge towards the SoFi Stadium on February 13, then a slice of history could be his for the taking.

Only one Australian has ever claimed a Super Bowl ring, with Jesse Williams earning that honour with the Seattle Seahawks in 2014. Others have graced the biggest stage in American sport, but all have ultimately been left empty-handed.

It must, however, be noted that Williams was injured when adding his entry to the record books and never got onto the field. That means Siposs could go one better if he is able to reach a Super Bowl, see some action and ultimately emerge victorious.

We are a long way from any of those boxes being ticked at present, but a man from Down Under is looking to write a blockbuster Hollywood script.

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