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Eagles Cut Shirtless Parade Folk Hero

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Mike Fisher | Last updated Feb 19, 2025 12:39 AM ET

The Philadelphia Eagles are still riding high after pounding the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX. But now that the parade is done? Alas, one folk hero's ride in Philly is over.

Following the team's 40-22 lopsided win over the back-to-back defending Super Bowl champs, the Eagles and their city celebrated in (often drunken) style with a parade through Philadelphia that apparently drew more than 1 million fans into the streets.

Players rode on floats but also walked the route. ... braving the chilly temperatures.

But one man stood alone ... by going shirtless.

That man was offensive lineman Nick Gates, who achieved folk hero status in large part because of the photo you see below.

There's Nick - once upon a time a promising self-made prospect with the New York Giants who actually climbed to the position of team captain even after having gone undrafted in 2021.

Gates' run with the Eagles ended on Tuesday afternoon when the club released him.

But the memories are not going away.

"The Eagles released offensive lineman Nick Gates on Tuesday," the team said in a statement on Tuesday. "Gates was signed by the Eagles during Training Camp as a veteran insurance option with 41 career regular-season and playoff starts across four of the five starting offensive line positions before arriving in Philadelphia."

The story is actually a bit better than that dry account, as Gates, now 29, climbed from being undrafted rookie out of Nebraska in 2018 to being a legit NFL player - he was the Giants' starting center for a time.

But he suffered an unfortunate lower leg injury in 2021, and while he went on to sign with Washington before joining the Eagles ahead of the 2024 season, he was never quite the same guy.

But for one big, bright day in Philly, where taking your shirt off in cold weather means something (ask Jason Kelce!)? Nick Gates was the man.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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