Right at Home
Eagles living in – and lovin’ – South Jersey
By Dave Spadaro

Dave Spadaro; Courtesy Philadelphia Eagles

If you keep your eyes open and happen to notice someone who looks like somebody famous in the neighborhood – “Hey, isn’t he…” – you aren’t going crazy. In fact, you’re probably right on the mark.

A large handful of Philadelphia Eagles players – and coaches, for that matter – live in South Jersey. And when you ask them why, they’ll quickly shoot back it’s because they love it.

 

 

 

 

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Tight End Trey Burton:
It’s About The Family

A father of a young daughter and son, Eagles tight end Trey Burton appreciates the family aspect of South Jersey. It is, he says, a wonderful place to raise a family.

“I love it. I love how you have more space. We lived in Deptford for three years, and now we’re living in Cherry Hill with two young kids, and we love all the space. Where we live, there are a lot of really nice parks for children and the family. Everyone has kids. Everyone watches out for each other.”

“Cherry Hill is a much larger kind of community than Deptford was for us. Deptford has a mall, but Cherry Hill has the mall, and so we enjoy going there and hanging out,” he says. “There are a lot of great restaurants and things to do for us as a family and places for me and my wife to go when we want some alone time. The community is wonderful. We love it there. And the commute to work is easy getting over the bridge and back. It’s a great place to live.”

 

 

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Offensive Tackle Jason Peters:
Home Away From Home

Jason Peters is a quiet man who lives a quiet lifestyle, so living on three acres in Swedesboro fits him perfectly.

“I love it. Where I live reminds me of home in East Texas, where there are fields and open land, and it’s just very peaceful,” Peters says. “I’m a country boy, so I like that there isn’t much traffic and it’s quiet. But at the same time, I can get out and get a good meal easily. I can get to the city easily if I want to do that. Where I live, I feel like it’s close to everything.”

“I’ve been there for a long time now, and it’s great,” Peters adds, “The drive to work is over the Commodore Barry Bridge and it’s only 20 minutes, 25 if there is traffic. That works fine for me.”

 

 

Cornerback Ron Brooks:
A Great School System

It takes some time to become familiar with an area, and that is something cornerback Ron Brooks is learning. Brooks lives in Voorhees, and his family just joined him there this spring.

So he has a lot of catching up to do.

“I don’t know a whole lot yet, but I’m going to find out,” Brooks says. “I do know this: the school system is really good. I have young kids, and that was a priority for us. I’m very happy about that. So far, it’s been quiet and away from all the hype of the city. In my neighborhood, I see kids everywhere. I’ve got kids ages 7, 7, and 4 months, so having all of those kids around is exactly what we wanted.”

The 7-year-old twins finished first grade in Louisiana and entered second grade in South Jersey last month. The Brooks family spent the summer exploring the area.

“It’s been a lot of fun – checking out the area, seeing the kids make new friends,” Brooks says. “That wasn’t hard. The area is all kids and families.”

 

 

Defensive Tackle Fletcher Cox:
Really Just A Kid

Defensive tackle Fletcher Cox is an imposing man at 6 foot 4, 310 pounds, but that doesn’t stop him from being a kid when the moment strikes.

Living in South Jersey is the perfect mesh for the country boy in Cox, who grew up in Mississippi, a young man in search of some solitude, and the little kid who just wants to have fun.

“I love it, man. The commute is really peaceful, and it gives me a chance to get my mind right for when I’m on my way to work. The drive wakes me up,” Cox says. “And on the way out of here and back to home, I clear my mind and I’m excited to get to my house. I wanted a driveway and a garage, and I have that on about two acres of land. I love it.”

Cox will often see a bunch of kids down the street, and he’ll get on his bicycle and join the kids and play with them.

“It’s cool. My neighbors are all great,” he says. “I’m around a lot of my teammates and when I see those kids out having fun, man, it makes me smile.”

 

 

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Quarterback Carson Wentz:
In The Middle Of Nowhere Is Perfect

Imagine the crazy lifestyle change if you grew up in North Dakota and worked in Philadelphia, one of the largest cities in the United States. Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz is in that exact situation, but he’s found the perfect home in the rural environment of South Jersey. He even named his puppy – born late last year – Jersey.

“I just like the space. I like the quiet. Being in Philadelphia is great. I love it, and I love the way the fans are and how much energy there is in the city, but when I’m finished my work day, I just want to get away and decompress,” Wentz says. “When I’m at work, the lifestyle is already crazy enough. I love that part of it. When I’m home, I want to do my thing at my own pace, keep it simple and quiet.”

“My drive is about 30 minutes, and it’s very easy. The fact that I can go from this major metropolitan city to the country – and I’m very much in the country – is very appealing. I remember when I came to Philadelphia last year before the NFL draft, I was driving in from New York City, and I noticed all these farms and a lot of land, and I thought that was really unusual. I’m from North Dakota, so we don’t have the big cities of the East Coast, obviously.”

“To get away so easily makes it really refreshing for me,” he says. “I am not a person who socializes in public a whole lot. I kind of keep to myself. I have everything on my land that I want. I can hunt legally there with my brother and enjoy the peace and quiet of the county, and I’m an easy drive to work. I love it.”

 

October 2017
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