Tag: philly

Jalen Hurts & DeVonta Smith give youth football team a moment to remember

From Tuscaloosa to Philadelphia, these two are doing amazing things!

Former Alabama and Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts is the presumed starter for the 2021 Philadelphia Eagles squad. As he heads into his second NFL season, the team’s front office decided to go out and draft a former teammate of Hurts’, who also just so happened to be the 2020 Heisman winner, DeVonta Smith.

The two college friends, turned NFL teammates, have already shown flashes of their chemistry without having participated in a game together yet.

Whether it be on the field at practice, or even spending time together away from the game, this quarterback-wide receiver duo is close knit.

While they were walking off the field from a recent practice, the two Eagles stars stopped by a group of youth football players who were there to see the practice. Football in-hand, Smith and Hurts threw the ball back and forth with the young group. They were screaming with excitement and even fighting over the ball.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to cover Smith and Hurts as they prepare for the 2021 NFL season.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion.

Landon Dickerson inks rookie contract with Philadelphia Eagles

Pen to paper! Landon Dickerson has inked his rookie deal.

Former Alabama offensive lineman Landon Dickerson was a favorite in the locker room and on the field with his fellow teammate and was undoubtedly very popular among fans. Despite only spending two seasons with the team after transferring from Florida State, he was a big key to the Crimson Tide’s success.

Dickerson was drafted in the second round of the 2021 NFL draft by Philadelphia, following shortly after former teammate, DeVonta Smith.

The Eagles now have a nice trio of Alabama products in Dickerson, Smith and former Crimson Tide quarterback, Jalen Hurts.

Dickerson signed his rookie contract just in time for training camp. A standard 4-year deal for Dickerson worth up to $8.6 million with a $3.6 million signing bonus.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion.

New Jalen Hurts hype tape just dropped

If this doesn’t get you excited for Jalen Hurts’ sophomore season in Philly, we don’t know what will.

Former Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts is now QB1 in Philadelphia. The Eagles drafted the Alabama and Oklahoma product in the second round of the 2020 NFL draft, and has since made moves to suggest they are looking to have him lead their offense for the long run.

The team traded their former franchise quarterback Carson Wentz, and even traded back in the 2021 draft, a move that suggested the team was not interested in taking a quarterback with their then-top-10 pick.

Instead, they got him a former teammate of his, and an offensive weapon that will have an immediate impact on the offense: Heisman-winning wide receiver out of Alabama, DeVonta Smith.

Last weekend, Hurts was back in Alabama to host a camp, and he managed to get some reps in with the upcoming rookie wide receiver.

Hurts to Smith, with Smith wearing his old Alabama helmet is just what we needed.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Jalen Hurts and DeVonta Smith as the 2021 NFL season approaches.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion.

WATCH: Jalen Hurts takes over, throws first NFL TD

Former Alabama QB Jalen Hurts has taken over QB duties for the Eagles as they take on the Green Bay Packers. He throws his first NFL tou..

Former Alabama and Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts was drafted in the second round of the 2020 NFL draft by the Philadelphia Eagles to sit behind incumbent starter Carson Wentz and be utilized in some offensive play packages.

After Wentz has been struggling throughout the season, many fans and players have called for him to be benched in place of Hurts.

Well, in the second half of the Eagles’ contest against the Green Bay Packers, Hurts got the nod.

This is not the first time Hurts has seen action, but it’s the first time he’s been given the reigns as the consistent quarterback for multiple drives.

His first touchdown pass was a memorable one; a fourth-and-18, 32-yard pass into the end zone. It fell right into the arms of Greg Ward.

WATCH: Jalen Hurts takes over, throws first NFL TD

Former Alabama QB Jalen Hurts has taken over QB duties for the Eagles as they take on the Green Bay Packers. He throws his first NFL tou..

Former Alabama and Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts was drafted in the second round of the 2020 NFL draft by the Philadelphia Eagles to sit behind incumbent starter Carson Wentz and be utilized in some offensive play packages.

After Wentz has been struggling throughout the season, many fans and players have called for him to be benched in place of Hurts.

Well, in the second half of the Eagles’ contest against the Green Bay Packers, Hurts got the nod.

This is not the first time Hurts has seen action, but it’s the first time he’s been given the reigns as the consistent quarterback for multiple drives.

His first touchdown pass was a memorable one; a fourth-and-18, 32-yard pass into the end zone. It fell right into the arms of Greg Ward.

Steph Curry reacts to Joel Embiid’s signature Under Armour shoe debut with hilarious impression

After Joel Embiid revealed his new signature Under Armour shoes, Stephen Curry responded with a hilarious impersonation of the All-Star big.

On Friday against the Orlando Magic, Joel Embiid rolled out the first edition of his signature Under Armour shoes. After the debut of the Embiid One, Stephen Curry welcomed the Philadelphia 76ers big to the Under Armour signature shoe family.

On Instagram, Curry shared a video from the gym with an impression of the Sixers All-Star center. From the moment he crossed halfcourt, the two-time Most Valuable Player transformed into Embiid. Curry caught the ball at the top of the 3-point line and pump-faked from beyond the arc. The point guard turned center proceeded to take the ball inside before flipping in a turnaround shot from the key.

Curry capped off his impression with an Embiid themed celebration routine. In the caption, Curry welcomed the Kansas Jayhawk product with Embiid’s signature “trust the process” mantra.

Via @StephenCurry30 on Twitter:

Trust the process! Welcome to the signature shoe family, @JoelEmbiid! #embiid1 @UAbasketball

On Instagram, Curry posed for a photo with his own personal pair of Embiid’s new signature Under Armour shoe.

Via @StephenCurry30 on Instagram:

For a better look at Embiid’s new kicks, the 26-year-old shared a pair of photos that feature his signature shoes on Twitter.

Via @JoelEmbiid on Twitter:

In his first game donning the new signature shoes, Embiid tallied a double-double with 23 points and 13 boards in the Philadelphia 76ers win against the Orlando Magic. Through four games in the Orlando Bubble, Embiid is averaging 30.2 points and 13.3 rebounds per contest.

Via @NBA on Twitter:

[lawrence-related id=21515,10451,8567,29336]

[vertical-gallery id=29502]

NFL Draft: Denzel Mims admits he was very scared during his first visit to Philly

Baylor wide receiver Denzel Mims says he was scared when he visited Philadelphia to meet with the Eagles.

Denzel Mims could easily move to Jersey if drafted by the Eagles but it was good to hear the former Baylor wide receiver speak honestly about his feelings.

During a virtual sitdown with Adam Caplan, Mims was asked about his previous visit to the city of Brotherly Love with a couple of teammates and his head coach.

Mims didn’t mince words when he admitted that he was scared of the city during his visit. His description of the city certainly won’t gain him any of the diehard fans.

Mims has stated that the Eagles have shown the most interest in him during the predraft process and he could be a player of value for the Birds if they move back from No. 21.

Hopefully, Mims can have a different experience the next time he visits.

After impressive game vs. 76ers, Damion Lee gets support from Steph Curry and Kevin Durant

After Damion Lee recorded 24 points against the 76ers, Kevin Durant and Steph Curry posted support for the former two-way guard on social media.

In Stephen Curry’s return to the Golden State Warriors against the Toronto Raptors, Damion Lee quietly stole the show. The former two-way guard matched Curry with 23 points while adding five rebounds, three assists and a steal against the defending NBA champions.

However, Lee’s game was defined by how he finished. Down four points with 26 seconds remaining, the Drexel product missed two crucial free throws that followed with a missed 3-pointer. Toronto was able to seal the game with two free throws on the other end.

In Golden State’s next game on the schedule, Lee found redemption. Against the Philadelphia 76ers, the 27-year-old guard racked up 24 points on 10-of-17 shooting with six rebounds and three assists in 34 minutes.

In Golden State’s comeback win, Lee punched in a critical left-handed baseline runner while he was fouled. The Golden State guard knocked down his free throw attempt to give the Warriors a two-point lead with under two minutes remaining. In the fourth quarter alone, Lee registered seven points and three rebounds.

After his impressive night against the Sixers, Lee received support from two former Most Valuable Players.

As Lee was chosen to participate in a postgame interview, Kevin Durant shared a picture of his former two-way contract teammate on his Instagram story.

Curry missed Golden State’s comeback win against the 76ers due to the flu, but after the game, he tweeted praise for his backcourt mate.

Over the last eight games, Lee is averaging 16.5 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.9 assists per contest. The Baltimore native will get another chance to build off his hot play when the Warriors welcome Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers to San Francisco.

Preview: Three 76ers-Warriors questions with Sixers Wire’s Ky Carlin

Warriors Wire caught up with sister site editor Ky Carlin of Sixers Wire to help preview Golden State’s matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers.

The playoff-bound Philadelphia 76ers are in the final leg of a four-game road trip as they come into San Francisco for a matchup with the Golden State Warriors. In round two between Philadelphia and Golden State, things could not be more different for both clubs.

After moving a bevy of players at the NBA trade deadline, The Warriors will welcome back Glenn Robinson III and Alec Burks as members of the 76ers. In their second matchup, Golden State will roll out essentially a new rotation with Stephen Curry back from injury. For Philadelphia, both Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid will be out due to injury against the Warriors in Chase Center.

To help break down the Golden State’s matchup with the 76ers, Warriors Wire teamed up with USA Today’s sister site Sixers Wire.

Sixers Wire Editor Ky Carlin answered three questions for Warriors Wire leading up to Philadelphia’s Saturday night tilt with Golden State.

1) What’s changed since they last met?

Well, for one, a few Warriors are now Sixers. Alec Burks and Glenn Robinson III are donning red, white, and blue jerseys after being acquired by the 76ers at the deadline. Another thing is, the Sixers are banged up by a lot of injuries. Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid, as well as possibly Josh Richardson, are not available for this matchup.

Due to that change, the offense is a lot faster. Things are sped up and the team relies more on Tobias Harris and Al Horford to create for themselves. 

2) What will it take for each team to win?

For Philadelphia, it’s simple: continue to knock down open threes and hope Horford and Harris can be effective. Also, Shake Milton has to hold his own against Stephen Curry. He has done a great job so far on this trip of holding the fort in place of Simmons. Philadelphia will also need more big performances from Burks, Furkan Korkmaz, and Robinson III to win this one.

For Golden State, it’s an uphill battle. Not having Embiid to deal with will help them a bit. However, if Horford can carry over his performance from their win over the Sacramento Kings, then that changes things. Curry will have to have a classic superhuman performance. 

3) Is there anything else we should know about the matchup, or the Warriors?

Philadelphia is shooting 45% from deep on their road trip so far. That is a huge number when considering they could not hit the side of a barn from deep on the road prior to this trip. The Sixers have been able to play with more space, there’s more ball movement, and shots have come easy for them without the stars. Keeping an eye on their shooting will be a true storyline for this one.

Report: 76ers acquire Alec Burks and Glenn Robinson III from Warriors for draft picks

According to reports, the Golden State Warriors are trading Glenn Robinson III and Alec Burks to the Philadelphia 76ers for a bundle of draft picks.

Multiple trips to the NBA Finals have spurned the Golden State Warriors activity in the NBA trade deadline. Yet, during the 2019-20 season, things are changing. With a losing record, the Warriors have been busy leading up to the NBA’s trade deadline.

Starting with a trade that sent center Willie Cauley-Stein to the Dallas Mavericks, the Warriors are dealing two more of their veteran players before the deadline. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Philadelphia 76ers are acquiring both Alec Burks and Glenn Robinson III from Golden State.

The news of the deal comes after Golden State held both Robinson III and Burks out of the lineup shortly before tip-off against the Brooklyn Nets on the eve of the trade deadline.

According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Philadelphia is sending draft pick compensation that includes three second-round picks for the pair of Golden State veterans. Including the Cauley-Stein trade, the Warriors now have a draft haul of five future second-round picks.

Burks and Robinson III have registered breakout seasons with the Warriors in their first year in San Francisco. Robinson III has started all but three games for Golden State, averaging 12.9 points and 4.7 rebounds in 31.6 minutes per game. Robinson is shooting a career-high 48.1 % from the field while adding 40.0 % shooting beyond the arc.

Burks has been one of Steve Kerr’s best offensive options in the 2019-20 season, stamping games of 30 points or more twice this season. Burks is scoring a career-high 16.1 points per contest in 48 games this season.

Now that Burks and Robinson III have been moved, 23-year-old guard D’Angelo Russell is the remaining member of Golden State being linked to trade rumors. The Warriors will now have one day to decide on either holding onto Russell past the deadline or trade the former Brooklyn All-Star.