Former Iowa football defensive star Cooper DeJean has quickly earned the respect of his new peers.
After a standout 2024 rookie season for the Philadelphia Eagles that culminated in a Super Bowl victory, aided by the former Hawkeye’s pick-6 off of superstar Patrick Mahomes, DeJean was voted onto the NFL’s annual top-100 players list.
The list, compiled from votes by the league’s players, provides insight into how individuals are perceived by their colleagues and competitors. DeJean ranked 60th, NFL.com announced on Monday, just behind former Super Bowl MVP and 2009 No. 1 overall pick Matthew Stafford and in front of fellow 2024 star rookie Brian Thomas Jr.
DeJean and All-Pro teammate Zack Baun both seemed pleasantly surprised by DeJean’s inclusion on the list. Baun clapped and said, “Let’s go,” after hearing the news, while DeJean’s initial reaction was, “Really?”
“Just thinking about where I’ve come from, a small town in Iowa to the NFL, is pretty cool,” DeJean said in the video.
“The most impressive thing about Coop is just the way he goes to work, the way he preps his body for practice,” Eagles All-Pro running back Saquon Barkley said in the video. “You go into the weight room and he’s in there first. He came in and when things got rolling, he never looked back.”
Cooper DeJean stats
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Ex-Iowa football star Cooper DeJean makes NFL Top-100 list. See where the Eagle ranks
Reporting by Gus Martin, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
