Philadelphia Eagles Fan Tyler Sabapathy, 19, Dies After Falling From Lamp Post During NFC Championship Celebration

A student at Temple University died on Sunday during a wild celebration of the Philadelphia Eagles’ victory in the NFC title game.

The student in question, Tyler Sabapathy, was 18 and hailed from Toronto. He was a first-year at the university’s College of Public Health, concentrating in exercise and sports science. A skilled gymnast, he had won over 120 medals in competitions.

Following the Eagles’ 55-23 defeat of the Washington Commanders, fans took to the streets to celebrate the team’s ascent to the Super Boal on February 9, where they will compete against the Kansas City Chiefs. In Center City, at 15th and Market Streets, an excited Sabapath was climbing a light pole when he slipped, fell on his back, and hit his head on the pavement. He was quickly hospitalized with a brain injury and two days later was pronounced dead.

Climbing lamp posts first became a symbol of celebration in 2017 when the Eagles defeated the Vikings. When the Eagles beat the Patriots and won their first championship, the tradition continued, despite it having been heavily discouraged by authorities. In 2022, to prevent such activity, the local police started to grease the lamp posts ahead of big sporting events.

Philadelphia police did not reveal whether or not the pole Sabapathy was climbing had been greased.

Temple University President John Frey and Vice President Jodi Bailey released a statement grieving, “The loss of a promising 18-year-old man like Tyler is both tragic and traumatic.”

The statement expressed, “[There] are no words that can make sense of it, and the entire Temple community mourns his passing. Our hearts go out to Tyler’s family, friends, classmates, and all who knew and loved him.”

Another school administrator shared, “As a member of the university’s club gymnastic team, Tyler displayed exceptional self-discipline and work ethic, spending countless hours a week training and honing his craft. He was loved by his teammates, friends, and coaches here in Philadelphia.”