Eagles fan goes viral after rescuing injured bald eagle from Florida highway

PHILADELPHIA - An Eagles fan in Florida is going viral, even getting a shout-out from the team, for rescuing a bald eagle he found injured on the side of the road. And, millions of people have been following the saga.

Avid Philadelphia Eagles fan, Ryan McEvoy, couldn’t believe his eyes when he spotted a distressed bald eagle as he was driving along the Suncoast Parkway in Land O’ Lakes, Florida, just before 11 a.m. Monday. He quickly pulled over.

"Honestly, I went out on a limb," McEvoy explained. "I grabbed my jacket out of my truck, slowly approached it, calmly putting it over its head and softly picked it up. Next thing you know, he was riding shotgun in my work truck."

Ryan contacted the Raptor Center of Tampa Bay and drove 55 minutes to get the bird to care, recording some of the rare rescue on his cell phone.

In the video, he spoke to the bird, saying, "Still not sure about me, are you? It’s alright. I promise I’m taking care of you, buddy. You’re gonna get the help you need. You’ll be back up there flying again."

Ryan explained his strategy, "I turned the music down. I drove very slowly. No sudden movements or stops. I just talked to her."

(Ryan McEvoy)

Of course, this 25-year Eagles fan couldn’t resist naming the bird after one of his favorite Birds. "You know what I’m going to name you? Saquon Barkley. Saquon Barkley. Saquon Barkley. Fly Eagles Fly baby."

He posted his adventure on TikTok and the Philadelphia Eagles happened to see it, responding:

"Thank you for rescuing Saquon"

Ryan commented, "It made it so much better. It made my whole entire year."

The Raptor Center of Tampa Bay was ready for Ryan as he pulled up with the injured eagle.

"I was a little surprised when I opened the door to find her just sitting in the passenger seat," President of the center, Nancy Murrah, stated.

Murrah says the bird was clearly hit by a car at a high rate of speed and the nearly 10 pound, 5-year-old female had fractured her beak, wing and femur.

Murrah said, "It was really way too many injuries to overcome, most notably the femur. The femur was inoperable."

After consulting with numerous wildlife experts, a day later, the sad decision was made to humanly euthanize the eagle. The raptor center says her loss is deeply felt.

"Not only is she our national bird, she was just a gorgeous bird," Murrah said. "Sad to have her life end that way. It was sad for Ryan, too. He was so excited when he brought her in. He had an eagle tattooed on his chest."