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Furry hats to confetti: Eagles dish on Super Bowl mementos

PHILADELPHIA -- U.S. Bank Stadium is sacred ground to many Philadelphians.

It's where the "Philly Special" unfolded. Where the Tom Brady strip sack happened. Where the first Super Bowl in Philadelphia Eagles franchise history was delivered.

The Eagles return to Minneapolis Sunday for the first time since Super Bowl LII to take on the Minnesota Vikings (1 p.m. ET, Fox).

As for the players, the last trip out there meant so much, they had to take a part of the experience home with them. Suitcases were stuffed with swag on the return flight, and can now be found prominently displayed in their homes or hanging from their locker-stall walls at the Eagles' practice facility.

We surveyed the room to see what favorite memorabilia Eagles players stashed away during that trip to Minnesota, and what they're expecting when they step back onto hallowed ground this weekend:

Fletcher Cox, defensive tackle: "The confetti. It wasn't just regular confetti. It had the Lombardi trophy [design] carved out. I got a bag of that."

Jake Elliott, kicker: "You know what I'm upset I didn't do? I had confetti in my shoe and I didn't keep it. That was a big mistake. I just threw it out, didn't think about it. I think just my jersey itself. Just having that at home is special. It's hanging up at home with our nametags from our lockers that we had at the Super Bowl. I'd say that's probably the coolest thing that we put together."

Brandon Graham, defensive end: "We killed everything [in the locker room]. The bottles [of liquor], all of that. We got all the gear. Our nametags and stuff. And then obviously, that trophy. We brought home the trophy and that's always the No. 1 thing when you go to the Super Bowl, right?"

Of note: There are Super Bowl LII nameplates from U.S. Bank Stadium in dozens of the locker stalls at Philadelphia's NovaCare Complex.

Zach Ertz, tight end: "The touchdown ball that I caught to win the Super Bowl. That'd be No. 1. It's at our place in a little case and everything, got it all done up, so it's something that I'll have 'til, forever. I have my cleats from the Super Bowl [in my locker]. Haven't been touched. Still down there. Never going to be worn again."

Nelson Agholor, wide receiver: "When we got off the plane, they gave us that furry hat. At first, I was like, 'This is goofy.' Then I was like, 'This is dope,' because it was super cold there. It was super dope. I think I still have that somewhere. Maybe I should wear some gear to Minnesota."

Rick Lovato, long-snapper: "I actually forgot to get one [of those hats] and when I saw everyone with one, I sprinted back to make sure I got one. It had a really cool Super Bowl logo on it and the earmuffs and everything. Perfect for Minnesota. I tried to keep everything. We got a new suitcase, and I just filled it up with everything I could. [Grabs a wood box from his locker stall] I don't really know what these wood things are. I guess one's kind of like a key tag and this is a [replica] coin or a golf spot? But they're actually pretty neat."

Rasul Douglas, cornerback: "A ring. That's what I brought back. That's the only thing I brought back is a ring."

Are you going to allow for a moment of nostalgia while you're out there?

Graham: "I'm going to have my moment. I'm going to enjoy just being there. Just thinking about where I was at, what I was thinking about in the moment of stripping that ball and getting that championship, what I did on the field after the game. But I'm going to be focused on the Vikings because we're trying to get us another one ... I'm trying to stay undefeated in there. That's what I am trying to do."

Malcolm Jenkins, safety: "Hell no. No. I'm trying to win this game. It's not a time to reminisce and be sentimental and all that stuff. It's time to get ready to play. It's going to be a physical game. That's where my mind is going to be at."

Lane Johnson, offensive tackle: "Probably not. The only nostalgia I'm going to get is a good edge rush. That's the only thing I care about. I don't give a f--- about anything else. Getting off that ball. Getting off that snap. That's all I care about."

Carson Wentz, quarterback: "It's just another regular-season game."

Lovato: "It's going to be weird because it's going to be all Minnesota fans and they're all going to be cheering against us, especially the way we handled them the last time they were here. But yeah, I'm excited. It's going to be fun just to be back there and hopefully we can bring the same energy we did during the Super Bowl."

Elliott: "I think regardless, when you walk into that stadium, you're going to feel a little bit of something."