Watch: Eagles players heap praise on former captain
Former NFL safety Malcolm Jenkins just released his memoirs in a book called “What Winners Won't Tell You, Lessons from a Legendary Defender,” but it sounds like his old Eagles teammates have stories of their own.
Jenkins spent the first five years of his career in New Orleans before joining the Eagles as a free agent in 2014. He spent the next six years in Philadelphia, earning three Pro Bowl nominations and helping the team win their first Super Bowl.
Off the field, Jenkins's leadership skills were considered just as important as his on-field statistics. When arriving in Philadelphia, he spoke of lessons learned from Saints players like Jonathan Vilma and Drew Brees and vowed to put in extra hours to make the team successful.
"In the NFL, you're leading men, it's not like you're leading boys,” Jenkins told reporters. “I just plan on coming in and doing what I normally do – if that turns into me standing out as a leader, that'll play out."
As anyone can see from the video, Jenkins's time as an Eagle still resonates with his former teammates. What’s not as obvious is the respect he’s garnered with the front office since he’s been gone.
Before trading for safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson in 2022, Eagles general manager Howie Roseman reached out to Jenkins, who spent two years as Johnson’s teammate in New Orleans. According to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Roseman asked many questions but mostly wanted to know if the 24-year-old could fit into the team’s culture and handle playing in an Eagles-obsessed city.
When not advising Eagles brass, Jenkins keeps busy with podcasting, philanthropy and art shows as well as being a full-time dad. His new book was published on Oct. 3.
More must-reads: