sports

What can be said for a stellar SuperBowl-bound Eagles team? The "underdogs" that personify the city of Philadelphia, have continuously been discredited and counted out again and again, time after time. This team, both gifted in talent and character, has been nothing short of consistent and impressive on the football field. But, my love and appreciation for the Philadelphia Eagles is not solely attributed to the grit and grind of the collective team that reps the brand, but the individual players that go outside the lines (yeah you right, it's original term of phrase) as citizens and add something unique to the culture of this city. I want to snapshot both Eagles' Defensive End Chris Long and Eagles' Strong Safety.

• Chris Long - In August, following a white nationalist rally in the man's hometown of Charlottesville, Virginia which evolved into chaos (I remember receiving the news noti.) when a Nazi supporter plowed their car into a crowd of protestors, killing one and wounding others, Long donated six weeks worth of paychecks to fund scholarships in Charlottesville. In October, Long donated the remaining 10 paychecks to help underserved youth in the three cities he played for: Philadelphia, Boston, and St. Louis. 
• Malcolm Jenkins - Starting in 2010, the man created a 501(c)(3) nonprofit to "emphasize mentorship, character development, leadership, education, life skills, health and recreation" through various programs and activities on a national scale. Jenkins recently was honored with the Byron “Whizzer” White Award for community service — and a $100,000 donation to his charitable foundation.

Maybe yous (let's get the vernacular going) could argue there's a correlation between the men they are off the field and the success they've had on it, but that would require some research into the Pats that I frankly am not inclined to get into. Brian Hart, Founder of a Philly PR agency Flackable, wrote a compelling piece in testament to what these men have accomplished. As the old saying goes, actions speak louder than words. 

This team has far exceeded my expectations, plain and simple. They straight up owned the NFC this year and are ROLLING right now and it seems that everyone is on board. As far as community engagement goes though, these men have defined civic duty to the highest degree and have exemplified what it means to be a human of virtue. This is the quality of player and person I want my future children to look up to. What a time to be an Eagles fan. #FlyEaglesFly