Rob Dunphy is living the dream of every rabid Philadelphia sports fan.
The heavily tattooed 26-year-old now has the personal phone number of the Phillie Phanatic, an image of whom graces Dunphy’s rotund midsection — the mascot’s elongated beak formed by the deep hole of Dunphy’s bellybutton.
Now, he’s getting recognized in the holiest of places in the City of Brotherly Love.
“I was in Wawa earlier and everyone was like, ‘Hey it’s you,’ ” Dunphy tells The Post. “This is all something I never thought would happen.”
Indeed it’s been a fairy-tale few days for Dunphy, who gained viral fame after a shirtless picture of him and his Philly-centric ink hit the airwaves during last Thursday’s matchup between his beloved Eagles and the Green Bay Packers.
The father of two instantly became a folk hero in his native city.
Yesterday he and the zany Phanatic took to the field at Citizens Bank Park, for a dance-off and a quad ride.
And the crowd went wild.
“I felt like everyone there was truly happy to see me. They were so passionate, and that’s how I am for the players. I just wanted everyone to scream and go nuts. When I was on the quad, Gabe Kapler was cheering for me. I drove by Bryce Harper, and he gave me a head nod.”
Now he’s parlaying his 15 minutes of fame into a good deed: raising money to combat a rare childhood brain cancer.
As a joke, he and a friend started a Facebook fund-raiser to finish the incomplete ink on his torso. His tattoo artist, Mike Nemo, agreed to do the work for free if Dunphy could raise $10,000 and donate it to charity.
He chose Storm the Heavens organization, which raises money for Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma research and awareness. It was started by the Stendardo family, who lost their daughter Philomena “Bean” Stendardo to DIPG in 2017, at the age of 8.
“They were honored to have me represent them. They educated me on it, and I was so touched. I have two kids of my own. I said, ‘Let’s do it.’ I can’t wait. Honestly, I want to spread awareness for this disease,” says Dunphy, who has a 5-year-old daughter, Sophia, and a 2-month-old son, Mickey, with his fiancée, Taylor Bond.
So far, more than $7,000 has been raised.
And for employers seeking a big-hearted hype man, Dunphy is a free agent. Most recently the unemployed sensation worked for the local gas company and is looking for full-time work. He hopes to get into the steamfitters union, which will be hiring in March.
But his real dream is to work in sports — and surely the Phanatic will be happy to provide a letter of recommendation.
“I would love to do any sports-related job,” Dunphy says. “I am an outgoing guy. I really like making people happy.”
But it doesn’t seem that Dunphy will be fading into the background anytime soon. He’s promising an upcoming performance with the Flyers’ beloved mascot, Gritty, whom he will also be inking on his stomach behind the Phanatic.
“I just keep thinking, how did this happen,” he says. “But I am also trying to enjoy the moment.”