Latest news with #DeJean
USA Today
a day ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
WATCH: Eagles traveled to Iowa to support Cooper DeJean at his celebrity softball game
WATCH: Eagles traveled to Iowa to support Cooper DeJean at his celebrity softball game Current and former Eagles turned out in droves to support Cooper DeJean at his celebrity softball game in Des Moines, Iowa. Cooper DeJean is entering Year Two in the NFL, and the former All-American defensive back has quickly developed into a star for the Eagles. The Odebolt, Iowa, native may play in one of America's biggest cities. Still, his heart is in the Midwest, and Philadelphia's young safety had a bunch of his current and former teammates make the trip to Des Moines for his first annual All-Star Charity Softball Game at Principal Park on Sunday, June 1. DeJean will be the captain of one of the softball teams. His former college teammate, fellow pro football player and Ankeny native Riley Moss will captain the other team. DeJean will be joined by some of his reigning champion current teammates including AJ Brown, Reed Blankenship and Isaiah Rogers. Moss will be joined by pro teammates Bo Nix, Wil Lutz, Alex Singleton and Mike McGlinchey. Also scheduled to participate are in-state pro athletes and college stars Jay Higgins and CJ Beathard along with pro football player Avonte Maddox. More athletes and stars are invited and may be added to the rosters. DeJean's game, which follows the Iowa Cubs game, is scheduled for 4:08 PM, and the gates open at noon. Darius Slay made the trip for his former teammate, along with a host of other former and current Eagles. All the proceeds from the special ticket package, auction, and a portion of the overall ticket sales for the game will go to the University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital. With the home run derby now concluded, here are sights and sounds from the event courtesy of The Inquirer's Devin Jackson.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Why this Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl hero was at the nearby Chesapeake Inn
Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Cooper DeJean made a name for himself with a standout pick-six touchdown during Super Bowl LIX. Off the field, he appears to be developing a new set of skills. In a 28-second clip posted on TikTok by the Chesapeake Inn, the Super Bowl hero is seen learning the ropes behind the bar. Advertisement DeJean, sporting an Eagles cap, stands beside a bartender—also repping the Birds—as she walks him through the restaurant's point-of-sale system. DeJean watches closely, studying the screen with the focus of a player reviewing game film. Gianmarco Martuscelli and Cooper DeJean at the Chesapeake Inn. DeJean, along with Philadelphia Eagles players AJ Dillon and Thomas Booker attended a fundraiser benefiting the Eagles Autism Foundation at the Chesapeake Inn on May 23, 2025. DeJean, along with fellow Eagles AJ Dillon and defensive lineman Thomas Booker, visited the waterfront restaurant in Chesapeake City, Maryland, on May 23 for a fundraiser benefiting the Eagles Autism Foundation. The "Evening On The Bay" celebration hosted the players to raise money for the Eagles' Autism Foundation. The $800-a-head event gave fans a chance to mingle with the champs, snap photos and support a great cause. Advertisement 'We raised a lot of money—probably close to $20,000, maybe more,' said Gianmarco Martuscelli, whose family owns the Chesapeake Inn, along with Delaware favorites Klondike Kate's and La Casa Pasta. DeJean was drafted by the Eagles in the second round of the 2024 NFL draft, a cornerback out of Iowa University. He finished fourth in the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Year race after a stellar season, capped by the interception in one of the Super Bowl's defining moments. Dillon signed with the Eagles this offseason on a 1-year deal, $1.3 million deal after 5 seasons with the Green Bay Packers. The running back experienced a neck stinger at an August 2024 training camp practice, and missed the the 2024 NFL season. He's expected to battle for the Eagles' backup running back spot with 2024 5th-round pick Will Shipley this spring. Booker IV signed with the Eagles' practice squad in August of 2023, a 2022 fifth-round pick by the Houston Texans out of Stanford University. Booker finished last year with 18 tackles and a sack, and is expected to have a larger role this season after the team's offseason departures on the defensive line. Advertisement After the event wrapped, Martuscelli invited the players downstairs to the restaurant's Tiki bar—a bit of a house tradition, he explained. 'When someone famous or popular is here, they usually hop behind the bar to hand out drinks or food,' he said. DeJean and the others embraced the moment, spending nearly two hours signing autographs, posing for selfies, pouring drinks and handing out pizza. 'It was amazing,' Martuscelli said. 'People were going crazy.' What is the Eagles Autism Foundation? The Eagles' Autism Foundation was founded in September of 2019. Eagles Owner Jeffrey Lurie has long been an advocate for the autism community, with his brother, Peter, diagnosed with the disease at the age of 6. Advertisement The organization hosts multiple events every year to raise money for autism research and care, the largest being the Eagles Autism Challenge. At the May 17th event, thousands of fans signed up for the 30 mile bike ride, 5K and sensory walk. It raised over $10 million, with Eagles players Jalen Hurts, Brandon Graham and others participating. In recent years, the organization built a "sensory room" at Lincoln Financial Field. Fans with sensory sensitivities can visit the room during games to receive a quiet break from the noise and volatility of games at "The Linc". How Can I Donate? Donations to the Eagles' Autism Foundation can be made online, where you can keep track of more events hosted by the organization, such as their "radiothon" with local Philadelphia sports radio stations. Advertisement You can contact staff reporter Anitra Johnson at ajohnson@ Adam Denn can be reached at Addenn@ This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Eagles star Cooper DeJean tends bar at Chesapeake Inn fundraiser
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
What's missing for Eagles, Cooper DeJean at OTAs − and in life. Why Dallas Goedert returned
PHILADELPHIA − In case anyone needed a reminder that the Super Bowl champion Eagles are an entirely different team, in many ways, from just 3 1/2 months ago when they pulverized the Kansas City Chiefs, it was evident in what you heard − and in what you didn't hear. Mostly, you heard silence and a business-like approach as the Eagles conducted their first week of organized team activities with a practice open to the media on May 28th. It was held inside the Eagles' practice bubble because of rainy conditions outside. Advertisement You didn't hear the cacophonous sounds of longtime defensive end Brandon Graham, who retired after 15 seasons. You didn't see veteran cornerback Darius Slay going step-for-step with a receiver, or safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson talking some trash. So yes, everything was different for the Eagles' young players, especially on defense, where second-year players like cornerbacks Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean, and edge rusher Jalyx Hunt − the Eagles' top three draft picks from 2024 − are quickly assuming leadership roles. And that mirrors their lives and new-found fame as well. DeJean became a media darling since his pick-6 in the Super Bowl, whether it was getting feted at the White House, or starting a podcast with safety Reed Blankenship, or running a football camp, or making a celebrity bartending appearance at the Chesapeake Inn in Maryland. Advertisement But DeJean insisted that none of it has changed him. "(Life) has been a little different," DeJean said. "Just walking around, I try to hide as much as I can. But it gets harder and harder. It's still not going to change who I am as a person. Just be myself, treat people the same way. I haven't changed, but things around me have changed a little bit. But I'm still the same person." That perspective is necessary for both DeJean and Mitchell in part because Slay, Gardner-Johnson and Isaiah Rodgers aren't around to lead the secondary. So it's Mitchell and DeJean who are helping rookie Drew Mukuba work in at nickel and safety as he and Sydney Brown vie for a possible starting role next to Blankenship. It should be noted that Blankenship was not at OTAs on May 28, which are voluntary. Advertisement It was like this on the defensive line too. Graham and Josh Sweat left in free agency, elevating Hunt and Nolan Smith into more prominent roles. "I learned how to follow (last season)," Hunt said about his rookie season. "We had the great BG, legendary BG, and Josh Sweat in the room ... a whole bunch of vets. "With the group that we have now, just the youth, and how excited we are to play, the speed I think is going to be a lot different ... It's a huge loss just knowing the amount of reps that they have gotten and the football that they've seen. "So you can't bounce as many questions off because they're not in the building. But I'm super excited for what we got in the room this year." Advertisement And like Hunt said, it's going to be different. Philadelphia Eagles safety Drew Mukuba (24) practices during OTAs at NovaCare Complex on May 28, 2025. Mitchell knows this well. He's rather reticent to begin with. So he said the Super Bowl hasn't changed him at all. "Nah, I just been the same dude," said. "I feel like I've always been the same dude ... I feel like we got a group of selfless guys. We've been helping each other out − the new guys who come in, the young guys. But I feel like we got a strong group. We got a strong bond and we just been connecting well."That brings us back to DeJean. He spent a good part of the OTA playing on the outside at cornerback in the Eagles' base defense. When the Eagles were in nickel, he would move there while Kelee Ringo would play on the outside. Advertisement EAGLES OTAs: 5 biggest battles for starting jobs, key roles begin at these positions J.T. JUXTAPOSITION: After Bryce Harper injury scare, this Phillies player is just as vital despite his slump That has always been one of the possibilities for the Eagles' secondary with Slay's departure. But DeJean said he would welcome just being on the field, and that it doesn't matter where. "It's definitely a tall task, no doubt," DeJean said. "I'll play wherever, to be honest. Wherever they put me on the football field, I'll play there. As long as I'm out there, I'll be ready to play no matter what position – whether it's corner, nickel or safety." Advertisement For DeJean, who grew up in Iowa and played collegiately at the University of Iowa, learned quickly about the mentality of an Eagles fan. "It's crazy," he said. "Everybody in this city loves Eagles football. And you can tell that, especially after you win a championship. Going into next season, they're going to expect that same thing again. So you gotta find a way to put that behind you and get back to work, and try to do it all over again the next season. Because once that next season comes around and that first game hits, I don't think anybody's really going to be remembering what we did last season, that Super Bowl." DeJean didn't need a veteran to tell him that. Celebrate the Eagles' Super Bowl win with our new book Dallas Goedert 'super stoked' to be back At first, Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert thought he was gone, a victim of having too large of a contract as GM Howie Roseman tried paring the payroll to fit young players into future salary caps. Advertisement Eventually, Goedert said the pull of staying − even for less money − was greater than that of leaving the only team he has ever known during his seven seasons and two Super Bowl appearances for more money elsewhere. Goedert said he had a salary range in mind of what he would take to stay, and it reportedly was a paycut from an average of $14.3 million per season to one year at $10 million, with incentives. "There was a little bit of uncertainty going into the offseason," Goedert said. "We came to the agreement of the contract I'm on, and I'm super stoked to be back here. I got a lot of love for the people in this building. I got a lot of love for Philadelphia, so super glad to be back and we have high expectations, and I want to help us get back to where we were last year." Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@ Follow on X @Mfranknfl. Read his coverage of the Eagles' championship season in 'Flying High,' a new hardcover coffee-table book from Delaware Online/The News Journal. Details at This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Eagles' Cooper DeJean, Quinyon Mitchell have new roles at OTAs, life
USA Today
5 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Eagles are planning to play Cooper DeJean everywhere in Vic Fangio's defense
Eagles are planning to play Cooper DeJean everywhere in Vic Fangio's defense Vic Fangio said, "I really like him as the nickel" when asked about what position Cooper DeJean will play for the Eagles in 2025, but the second-year DB lined up everywhere on Day 2 of OTAs Cooper DeJean was a primary reason the Eagles only lost one game after the Week 5 bye, and the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year finalist is already one of the most versatile defenders in the NFL. After Philadelphia saw Darius Slay (Steelers), Isaiah Rodgers (Vikings), Avonte Maddox (Lions), and James Bradberry (UFA) all exit, there was talk of DeJean moving to the outside cornerback spot opposite Quinyon Mitchell. Back in April, before the NFL draft, Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio was a special guest of the Phillies and watched Philadelphia defeat Colorado 4-1 to remain in first place. During a brief conversation with John Clark of NBC Sports, Fangio was asked about a potential position switch for DeJean, and shot that idea down. 'I really like him as the nickel. I'd like to see him stay at nickel. He plays it very well. He's got good size in there. I think he enjoys playing in that position.' The news means Kelee Ringo, Adoree' Jackson, and Eli Ricks will be among the early contenders to win a competition. On Wednesday, during Day 1 of the Eagles' OTAs, DeJean lined up at multiple positions and confirmed after the practice that he'll see action all over the field. We can confirm that DeJean took snaps at all three cornerback spots, as well as snaps at safety on Wednesday. DeJean logged 51 tackles (38 solo) as a rookie, including 0.5 sacks, one forced fumble, and three fumble recoveries across 16 regular-season games in 2024. DeJean's biggest and best moment came in Super Bowl LIX against the Chiefs, when he picked off Patrick Mahomes for a 38-yard interception return for a touchdown on his birthday.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cooper DeJean shows he's still got it by hammering home an alley-oop from Saquon Barkley
The Eagles value athleticism in their draft picks, and guys who played multiple sports in high school are always coveted on the big board. Jalen Carter, Cooper DeJean, Giles Jackson, Cameron Williams, Lane Johnson, and DeVonta Smith are among the former Birds who have succeeded on the basketball court. With Nick Sirianni looking to change the pace on a Friday, Philadelphia players rode to the storied Palestra for team building on the basketball court. DeJean competed in multiple sports throughout his childhood — mainly baseball, basketball, and football. Basketball was his first love, and he quickly became one of the best AAU players in the state. Advertisement DeJean returned in time and hammered home a nasty dunk off the alley-oop from Saquon Barkley. It's not just hoops. As a senior in high school, DeJean was an Iowa Class 2A Track and Field State Champion in the 100-meter dash and long jump. This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: Saquon Barkley tossed Cooper DeJean an alley-oop at the Palestra
