'Party at the Star'. The Kevin Byard INT vs Cowboys Dak Prescott that fits Eagles rivalry

PHILADELPHIA − New Eagles safety Kevin Byard should fit in well with Eagles fans, mainly because of what he has done to Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott during his career with the Tennessee Titans.

It just so happens that Byard's first home game as an Eagle will come this Sunday against Prescott and the Cowboys. The Eagles acquired Byard in a trade with the Tennessee Titans on Oct. 24, sending safety Terrell Edmunds and two late-round draft picks to the Titans.

Byard has played against the Cowboys only two times in his career, which has spanned eight seasons. But Byard has intercepted Prescott three times, including twice in a Dec. 29 game last season. The Cowboys won that game.

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But it was Byard's first interception against Prescott, on Nov. 5, 2018 − the five-year anniversary of Sunday's game − that should earn the undying love of Eagles fans against the team they despise the most.

In that game, Byard picked off Prescott in the end zone, with his momentum carrying him out of bounds. Byard then got up and ran to the midfield star at AT&T Stadium and spread his arms in celebration.

"It was a party at the Star," Byard said Wednesday about his midfield celebration. Of course, Byard knows all about the Eagles-Cowboys rivalry, having grown up in Philadelphia before moving to the Atlanta area at the age of 14.

"Obviously, everyone and their mom was hitting me up, saying how cool it was, and that they were super excited," Byard said. "(Titans coach) Mike Vrabel didn’t like it a lot, and also the league didn’t like it a lot because they fined me $10,000.

"But it was worth it. It was a good fine."

Byard would certainly love to get another interception against Prescott, but he also knows it won't be easy.

Last season, Prescott led the NFL with 15 INTs. He's been much more efficient this season, throwing only five through seven games. The Cowboys are 5-2, just behind the Eagles (7-1) in the NFC East.

"Over Dak’s career, he wants to push the ball down the field," Byard said. "I wouldn’t say that’s different this year. But I will say that first and second down, they really want to work more of the quick passing game and things like that. Kind of get him going early, and make him be efficient ... so they can be in third-and-short."

And Byard knows that Prescott will often look for star receiver CeeDee Lamb, who'll often line up in the slot or work the middle of the field. Lamb is among the NFL's leading receivers, with 633 yards in seven games.

Byard said he can't wait to find out for himself the intensity of the Eagles-Cowboys rivalry. It was something he knew about as a kid, but only experienced from afar.

Byard has plenty of family members still in Philadelphia, mainly uncles, aunts and cousins. He said his grandmother has more than 70 grandchildren, and yes, he has gotten a plethora of ticket requests.

But Byard said he's trying to avoid all of that. He moved into an apartment on Tuesday, and hasn't interacted much with his family members yet. That's because he's focused on learning the Eagles' defense, spending as much time as possible with the coaching staff and teammates.

Byard made his Eagles debut last Sunday in their 38-31 win over the Washington Commanders. He played every snap on defense. Byard was candid about his performance after the game, something that he's determined to improve upon against the Cowboys.

"There’s a certain standard that we need to have as DBs, period," he said. "I think that we didn’t live up to that standard obviously. We won. It’s great, and I’m happy that we won. I just think as a whole, and that’s something we’re going to talk about this week, we have to practice harder, we have to meet better."

Then he added: "I’m not exempt from any of this."

That's why Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said new players like Byard and wide receiver Julio Jones have a far greater impact than what they do on the field. Byard is a two-time Pro Bowl selection, and his 27 career interceptions rank third among all players dating back to Byard's rookie season in 2016.

Jones, of course, is one of the most prolific wide receivers in NFL history, ranking 16th all time with 13,640 receiving yards. Jones was signed as a free agent a week before the Byard trade. Jones' touchdown in the fourth quarter against Washington put the Eagles ahead to stay.

The Eagles promoted Jones from the practice squad to the 53-man roster on Wednesday.

"I think both of those guys have just been mainstays in the NFL for so long that when you add a veteran like that, people notice," Sirianni said. "Our players notice, and know they can learn things from them, and they can gain valuable growth from these guys, and they're the right types of guys, too."

Until Byard feels like he's up to speed, then his Philadelphia family will have to take a back seat.

"I haven’t really spent a whole lot of time with my family because I’m trying to play football," he said. "It’s one thing I had to tell them, ‘I’m working.’ When I have time, I’ll spend some time with family. But for right now, I’m working."

By the way, Byard will get his first chance to relive his "Star" celebration on Dec. 10 when the Eagles play the Cowboys at AT&T Stadium.

Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on X @Mfranknfl.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Why Kevin Byard gesture vs Cowboys, Dak Prescott worth Eagles fans love