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Tale Of Two Eagles Rookies And Their Dallas Cowboys Backgrounds

Originally posted on Philadelphia Eagles on SI
By Ed Kracz | Last updated Sep 2, 2025 7:12 PM ET

The first-round rookie grew up across the river from Philadelphia in New Jersey as an Eagles fan. The second-round rookie grew up in Texas, where he said, “everybody rooted for the Cowboys.”

Now, those two picks – Jihaad Campbell and Drew Mukuba – have joined forces with one common goal as they begin their pro careers, and that is to beat the Dallas Cowboys in the season opener on Thursday night.

“That being my first game against them, it’s kind of crazy,” said Mukuba, the safety who left his home state to play at Clemson for three years before returning to spend his final year at the University of Texas.

“I was dreaming about being in this situation, in this position. Now that I’m here, it’s surreal. But when it’s time to go, you gotta put all your emotions and everything to the side and go out there and do what you love. It’s been what I’ve been doing my whole life. So, I’m excited.”

Mukuba was listed as a full participant in Tuesday’s practice, a day after being listed as limited with a hamstring injury. He is in the mix to start opposite Reed Blankenship, but even if he doesn’t, and the nod goes to Sydney Brown, he could still see snaps vs. the Cowboys.

Weaned On Dislike Of Dallas

Campbell is in a different situation. The linebacker will likely start next to Zach Baun, and he grew up an Eagles fan, which means he was weaned on not liking the Cowboys. He knows better than to badmouth them, especially as a rookie.

“To each his own, you know what I'm saying,” was all he would say, but laughed when he said it.

"The biggest thing is keeping the main thing the main thing,” he said. “Worry about today. It's a process and I gotta embrace it. There's gonna be challenges. There's gonna be difficulties, but it's about overcoming them. It's just being well prepared and having the will to win.”

Campbell has already made his love for winning clear. It was one of the first things he said in his postgame interview after the Eagles beat the Bengals in the preseason opener, harping on how important it was to get the win. It’s the preseason, where the win didn’t count.

After the Eagles lost their second preseason game, doing so against the Browns, not getting a win was one of the first things he said in his postgame interview. Again, the game didn’t count.

Technically, though, he has worn the uniform of his childhood team already, but this game will count. Asked how it felt to wear the Eagles’ colors, he said, “Surreal? At first it did. But now, it's more so just about locking in and making sure I gotta do what I gotta do to execute and making sure I know my role.”

This article first appeared on Philadelphia Eagles on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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