Connor Barwin and Chris Long host second ‘Team Dinner’ charity event with more than just former teammates
Attendees could bid on signed memorabilia from Long and Barwin, including a signed Underdog mask from the Eagles’ Super Bowl LII run and Sixers tickets, among other experiences.
Connor Barwin and Chris Long brought the Eagles family together for a team dinner. Only this “Team Dinner” was for charity — and its attendees weren’t only Eagles players.
While Barwin and Long will never expose what a real team dinner is like, they wanted to bring together old friends, current Birds, and the Philadelphia community to raise money for the Chris Long Foundation and Barwin’s Make the World Better Foundation.
“For me, defensive line dinners during my 10-year career were one of the things I missed the most,” Barwin told The Inquirer. “Every Thursday night, I would go out with the defensive line, my position group, we would go out and hang out and talk and learn about each other, and all that kind of stuff. Those were a special time, a special thing to be a part of. Chris played D-line too, and I think he experienced the same thing. We had this idea to continue it, making a fundraiser that was inspired by those dinners that we all had as players.”
Barwin spent four seasons with the Eagles from 2013-16, and now serves as the organization’s head of football development and strategy. Long spent two seasons with the Eagles from 2017-18, becoming a critical part of the Birds’ Super Bowl-winning defense in 2017.
Former Eagles Harold Carmichael, Brandon Graham, Fletcher Cox, and Seth Joyner — as well as security boss Dom DiSandro — joined the numerous attendees at Center City’s Steak 48 to celebrate the cause. And it didn’t take much prodding to get their former teammates out — including one who attended many team dinners with Long and Barwin.
“Chris and Connor, they’re really good teammates, and they’re friends,” said Cox, who overlapped with both players for their entire Eagle careers. “I got a call to come out and support those guys, and I said, man, sure. I’ll be in town that weekend, and I’ll be there.”
Those in attendance could bid on signed memorabilia from Long and Barwin, including a signed Underdog mask from the Eagles’ Super Bowl LII run, Sixers tickets, and exclusive experiences, like dinner with former Pennsylvania governor Ed Rendell.
The Make the World Better Foundation supports public infrastructure projects in Philadelphia and beyond, and the Chris Long Foundation is expanding its EdZone operations to Philadelphia, providing students with school supplies and essentials.
After Barwin and Long’s first attempt at Team Dinner in 2023 was a massive success, they brought it back to Philly for the second year.
“Last year it was really successful,” Barwin said. “Most importantly, I think everybody had fun. Me and Chris had a good time, all the former players that showed up had a good time, and we were able to raise a good amount of money, so it was a no-brainer to do it again.”