Eagles cornerback and special teams ace Zech McPhearson embraces his role on the NFL’s lone undefeated team, and the Baltimore native credits his close relationship with his family and his time at Riverdale Baptist as the building blocks of his NFL career.
The 5-foot-11, 191-pound corner has posted 11 total tackles and one pass defense this season. He also won NFC Special Teams Player of the Week back in Week 1 for his play against the Detroit Lions. McPhearson has found subtle ways to help his team, particularly on special teams. He is behind trusted veterans Darius Slay, James Bradberry and Avonte Maddox on the cornerback depth chart.
In addition to an onside kick recovery against the Lions on Sept. 11, McPhearson dove across the goal line to down a 46-yard punt at the 1-yard line against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Oct. 30.
McPhearson embraces his special-teams-heavy role on the Eagles and goes into every game grateful for the opportunity to play in the NFL. His selfless and appreciative mentality originates from his parents, Gerrick Sr. and Kim, and older siblings.
“Each and every day, even before I step out on that field, I’m so thankful and grateful for everything [my parents] have done,” McPhearson said on Glenn Clark Radio Nov. 2, the day before his game against the Texans. “Sometimes I can’t thank them enough for everything they’ve done. Me being the youngest, seeing all the sacrifices they made for all my older siblings and then it panned out for me. They put me in the right position to be successful in life, so I can’t thank them enough.”
McPhearson comes from a football family. His father played at Boston College in the ’80s and tried out for the New England Patriots. McPhearson’s brother, Gerrick Jr., played cornerback at Maryland (2001-2005) and was later drafted by the New York Giants in 2006, but never saw the field during his NFL career.
McPhearson has learned plenty of lessons on and off the field from his father and older brother, but he most appreciated his parents’ decision to send him to Riverdale Baptist School, a private high school in Upper Marlboro, Md. McPhearson admitted that baseball was the sport he originally loved most back in high school before being introduced to football.
“The football team [at Riverdale Baptist] needed some players,” McPhearson said. “And the coach for the football team came to the baseball practice one day and just saw me out there running around in center field, just doing whatever. He heard a word about my family [and] asked me to come out for a game and I ended up [playing football, too].”
McPhearson then had to choose between playing baseball or football before committing to Penn State. He ended up making one of the toughest decisions of his life and chose to play football since the scholarship money granted was significantly higher compared to baseball.
“I thought baseball was where I wanted to go,” McPhearson said. “Giving [baseball] up was hard.”
McPhearson went on to play football at Penn State (2017-2018) before transferring to Texas Tech (2019-2020). McPhearson had a productive final season at Texas Tech, recording 53 tackles, four interceptions and one touchdown before declaring for the NFL Draft.
The Eagles drafted McPhearson in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft. McPhearson was overwhelmed with emotion and was delighted to be a member of the Eagles.
“When I heard my name and got that phone call … I was so excited,” McPhearson said of being drafted by the Eagles. “I know that this was a team that at that time was rebuilding and building for something great and you knew it was going to come sooner or later. All the work that every person a part of this organization put in — players, coaches and staff included — is paying off this year.”
McPhearson has played very little on defense in two seasons with Philadelphia, but he believes the Eagles’ ability to buy into their roles is what has made them so successful in 2022. Maintaining a high-level culture and staying modest is what will keep the Eagles winning, according to McPhearson.
“I would draw [our success] all the way back to the connection everybody has in the building,” McPhearson said. “Whether it’s players or coaches, coaches with staff, everybody in this building [feels] comfortable around each other. We’ve got great chemistry. The vibes around this building are just unreal. It’s like home, home away from home.”
McPhearson looks to keep his humble approach and lean further into his special teams role as the Eagles strive for a perfect season.
“That’s a key to our success, just keeping our head level,” he said.
For more from McPhearson, listen to the full interview here:
Photo Credit: Courtesy of the Philadelphia Eagles