VOORHEES TOWNSHIP, NJ - Two of the Philadelphia Eagles’ better young players – cornerback Zech McPhearson and defensive tackle Milton Williams – were back in the Delaware Valley a little early this summer to host their first 7-on-7 football tournament.
The action featured four high-level high school programs in the area - Millville, Eastside (Camden), and St. Joseph Acamedy from South Jersey, as well as Philadelphia’s Roman Catholic.
A Baltimore native, McPhearson noted that he hopes to turn the event into an annual affair, and already nationally known DeMatha wanted to get involved.
“We wanted to keep it small at first and maybe grow from there, McPhearson told SI.com's Eagles Today before the tourney kicked off at Eastern High School Junior Vikings Field.
McPhearson and Williams arrived in Philadelphia together in the 2021 draft and were repped by the same agency, so the two became fast friends in their new surroundings. Williams, a third-round selection in 2021, wants to get his own tourney set up in his native Texas but for now, he was happy to support his teammate.
So it turned into a double-elimination Team Zech vs. Team Milton affair.
“Me and Milt are really close,” McPhearson, a 2021 fourth-rounder, said. “We have the same agency. We trained together before the draft and got drafted by the same team.”
The winners got $5,000 from McPhearson, Williams, and their marketing agency, Kool Vibe Sports.
The competition was great, led by Roman Catholic star quarterback and Alabama recruit Semaj Beals, but it's more than that for McPhearson.
“I mean just this is home,” the 2021 fourth-round pick said. “We've been here for the past going on three years now so we feel like you know we owe the city something. They support us so we got to support them. ... Just wanted to come together.”
McPhearson comes from a very athletic family. His father, Gerrick, once had a tryout for the New England Patriots as a defensive back, and his mother, Kim, played in the National Women's Football League. McPhearson also has brothers who played major college football and in the NFL as well as for Major League Baseball organizations, as well as a sister who played college soccer.
The memories came flowing back for the Texas Tech product via Penn State.
“Definitely flashbacks,” McPhearson said while watching the young talent warm up. “I remember having my big brothers come out, watch me play the 7-on-7 but, man time flies.”
The offseason has flown by quickly for both McPhearson and WIlliams after a lengthy campaign that ended with Super Bowl LVII and a short respite.
With training camp set to begin on July 25 and both players in the running for bigger roles, McPhearson has planned a trip to Los Angeles to train at former teammate Marcus Epps’ gym, and Williams is headed back to the heat of Texas, which could make the training camp grind in South Philadelphia a walk in the park. Until then, it was about giving back.
“The city is tough,” Williams admitted. “They are gonna let you know when everything is going good and when things are going bad but that’s what you want in life. … Giving back to the community is just something I always wanted to do.
“Growing up, I didn’t have any athletes coming back so I just always wanted to do that.”
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