GLENDALE, Ariz. — James Bradberry threw his shoulders back late Sunday night, fixed the clasp to close his sleet black suit jacket, and, with an almost-imperceptible nod of his head, signaled that the inquisition could begin. He had committed a penalty that had cost the Eagles any reasonable chance of victory in Super Bowl LVII, grabbing JuJu Smith-Schuster’s jersey for less than a second — a holding infraction that led to a first down for the Kansas City Chiefs, a 27-yard field goal for Harrison Butker, and a 38-35 Eagles loss. Now cameras and notepads and smart phones were recording his every word, his explanations and apologies for what had gone wrong.
Jonathan Gannon didn’t signal anything. Not intentionally.
Five minutes … 10 minutes … 20 … Bradberry stayed there, answering one hard question after another about his mistake. The small crowd around him was like an amoeba, shifting in shape and size. Reporters hovered around him. Reporters moved on to interview other players. More reporters sidled up. And all the while, Bradberry never raised his voice, never objected to any of the endless reminders that he had made one of the biggest mistakes in the biggest of games. He didn’t blame anyone. He didn’t display any outward anger or frustration. All he did was admit to his error again and again and again.
