Eagles’ DeVonta Smith and Kyron Johnson among the players out in the community this holiday season

Several Eagles players are giving back to the community this holiday season.

On Monday evening, wide receiver DeVonta Smith hosted his second annual coat giveaway benefiting children from the Boys and Girls Club of Camden County. As part of the event, Smith surprised a large group of kids and gifted them each with a new winter coat and a shopping spree at the Dick’s Sporting Goods in Moorestown.

“When I think of Philadelphia, I’m planning to — I want to be here for my whole career,” Smith said. “So doing stuff in the community with the kids around here is going to be a regular thing for me.

“This whole experience is fun. Getting to interact with some of them, some of them say funny things to me like, ‘You can’t score a touchdown on me.’ At one point, I was a kid just like them. So these moments are something you want them to remember forever. No matter what, you always hold this with high [regard] because as a professional athlete, you want to be an inspiration to the kids you meet.”

Last season, Smith led the Eagles with 64 receptions and he set a franchise rookie record for receiving yards (916). He’s on pace to top that mark soon with three regular-season games remaining.

Smith is coming off his third 100-yard outing this season. The team’s 2021 first-round pick now is just 99 receiving yards from eclipsing the 1,000-yard mark. That would give the Eagles a trio of 1,000-yard performers with Smith hoping to join wide receiver A.J. Brown (1,201 receiving yards) and running back Miles Sanders (1,110 rushing yards).

“I’m just trying to keep stacking my days,” Smith said. “Keep getting better day in and day out. I’m going to practice and keeping the main thing the main thing. [Reaching 1,000 receiving yards] would mean a lot.”

Linebacker Kyron Johnson is embracing every moment of his rookie season with the Eagles.

Playing behind a stacked edge rush group led by veterans Haason Reddick, Josh Sweat, and Brandon Graham, Johnson has been relegated mostly to special teams. The 6-foot, 235-pound Johnson has six tackles on special teams, which is tied for third on the team behind Zech McPhearson and Nakobe Dean. Several times, coordinator Michael Clay has labeled Johnson, who recorded a sub-4.4-second 40-yard dash at Kansas’ pro day, as one of the team’s quickest players.

“It’s been so nice going through this rookie experience on special teams together,” Dean said of Johnson. “We go back and forth all the time in meeting rooms, on the field, just being around each other. He gives me someone to compete with in everything we do with trying to get tackles on kickoff coverage and just running down the field. We definitely keep tabs on each other.

“He’s a freaky athlete. One of the fastest guys on the team if you ask me. You see it on the film every time, how fast is he is getting down the field.”

On Tuesday evening, Johnson held his inaugural Christmas charity with the Youth Emergency Service Shelter in Philadelphia, a nonprofit organization that focuses on providing housing and respite to local youths facing housing insecurity or who are unable to safely live with family. As part of the event, Johnson surprised each child with a shopping spree at the Target in Fairmount.

“I know a lot of them might’ve not had father figures or parents growing up, so I’m just trying to give them a little sense of joy, a little sense of happiness,” Johnson said. “I hope it brings smiles on their faces. It’s really not about me, it’s all about them. All these kids around the Philadelphia area deserve that sense of joy.”

Johnson, a native of Arlington, Texas, is looking forward to playing in front of family and friends this weekend. He labeled his rookie season as a drastic change compared to college. During his five seasons, Kansas went 9-48 with a 3-41 Big 12 record, and Johnson played for three head coaches.

The Eagles are 13-1 and on the verge of clinching the NFC East title, along with the NFC’s No. 1 seed.

“It’s a huge turnaround from Kansas to being here,” Johnson said. “You go from a poor situation to a very high-class situation. So this experience is excellent. All of the guys and coaches have been so welcoming, and we’re very detailed here.”

Inquirer Eagles beat reporters EJ Smith and Josh Tolentino preview the team’s Week 16 game against the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday at 3 p.m. Watch at Inquirer.com/EaglesGameday