Not long ago fellow Iowa Hawkeyes athlete Cooper DeJean claimed he could beat Iowa women’s basketball star Caitlin Clark in a one-on-one basketball matchup.
DeJean, who was recently drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles, said that Clark responded to his comments that went viral.
Caitlin Clark doesn’t think Cooper DeJean could beat her in a one-on-one matchup
While Cooper DeJean was explaining that Caitlin Clark responded to his viral comments, he mentioned that she said he didn’t believe he was right.
Clark, who is widely considered the greatest women’s college basketball player of all time, texted DeJean privately to tell him how she felt. DeJean explained her response in an article from TheSpun.
“Caitlin is a special player. She’s done so much for women’s basketball and the University of Iowa in general. So I have nothing but respect for her. She took a shot back at me after she texted me, saying that she doesn’t think that I could beat her. I let her say that… I think it’d be fun though,” DeJean said.
Cooper DeJean has elite basketball talent
While discussing whether he would be able to beat Clark at her own game, DeJean’s high school basketball clips resurfaced.
DeJean went on to say that basketball was his first choice when he was coming into high school, but he was better suited to play football at a high level. While taking nothing away from his basketball skills, it seems as if DeJean was correct as he was recently taken with the No. 40 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles.
Many draft analysts were surprised to see DeJean fall to the second round as he was considered one of the better cornerbacks available in the draft.
Cooper DeJean’s athleticism bodes well for the Philadelphia Eagles
One of the main concerns many draft analysts and Philadelphia Eagles fans had about DeJean playing the cornerback position in the NFL is his athletic ability.
While the basketball highlights may seem like a cool, yet trivial display of how good DeJean is at Clark’s sport, they also show just how athletic DeJean is.
DeJean didn’t run a 40-yard dash at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine, but he did run a 40-yard dash at Iowa’s Pro Day. DeJean ran a 4.42-second 40-yard dash at Iowa’s Pro Day, which contributed to a fairly high Relative Athletic Score (RAS) of 9.85.
RAS takes into account every athletic measurement from height and weight to vertical jump and broad jump. DeJean tests well, but many fans second-guess his athleticism due to his appearance. His RAS score is comparable to that of fellow Philadelphia Eagles cornerback James Bradberry, who has earned Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro honors in the past.
DeJean was also an elite returner, which could go a long way for the Eagles in an NFL with new return rules. While DeJean has dealt with serious injuries, many analysts are saying the Eagles got a steal by taking him with the No. 40 overall pick.
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