Eagles’ Zech McPhearson looks forward to Year 3, but first, he’ll host a 7-on-7 prep football event
McPhearson has been a key special teams player for the Eagles. He along with defensive tackle Milton Williams are looking to give back by hosting a 7-on-7 event for high school teams.
In an effort to help create additional exposure for local athletes, Eagles cornerback Zech McPhearson and defensive tackle Milton Williams are hosting a 7-on-7 football tournament on Saturday morning at Eastern Junior Vikings Field in Voorhees Township.
The inaugural event will feature players from four participating teams: Eastside (Camden), Roman Catholic, St. Joseph Academy (Hammonton), and Millville High.
“The past couple of years, we’ve been talking about doing something for the Philly/New Jersey area,” McPhearson said in a phone interview. “We thought this was a great idea to have as our first big event in terms of football and getting the kids involved.
“We’re hearing feedback from high schools, other teams wanted to join in, but we wanted to keep it a little bit exclusive for this first year. We eventually want to make it a bigger two-day-type tournament thing.”
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The winning team in the double-elimination tournament will receive a $4,000 prize from McPhearson, Williams, and their marketing agency, Kool Vibe Sports.
“We want to bless one of the high school teams with whatever they want to use the money for, whether it’s new equipment, cleats, jerseys, you name it,” McPhearson said. “That’s what we’re really looking forward to out of this camp. Creating competition and showing off local talent.”
McPhearson and Williams are entering Year 3 of their careers. Williams was selected in the third round (No. 73) of the 2021 draft, while McPhearson was taken in the fourth round (No. 123).
“Me and Milt are really close,” McPhearson said. “We got close way before the draft when we trained together at EXOS. We’ve got a really good connection. We hang out a lot during the offseason. I’m excited Milt is here on the ride with me. He works really hard, and he pushes me every day of the year.”
Williams has appeared as a rotational defensive lineman over his first two seasons. He has logged 851 defensive snaps with 66 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, six sacks, and 12 quarterback hits. Even following the addition of first-round draft pick Jalen Carter, Williams figures to be part of the constant churn in the trenches.
Meanwhile, McPhearson has been limited to a backup role in the secondary. Last season, he logged just 99 snaps behind Pro Bowlers Darius Slay and James Bradberry. McPhearson also has developed his own niche as a special-teams ace. Over two seasons, he appeared on 687 special-teams snaps. McPhearson tied with safety K’Von Wallace in 2022 for most special-teams tackles with 10.
The defensive back room is crowded heading into training camp. Cornerbacks on the roster include Slay, Bradberry, McPhearson, Avonte Maddox, Josh Jobe, Josiah Scott, 2023 fourth-round pick Kelee Ringo, free-agent signees Greedy Williams and Tristin McCollum, plus undrafted rookies Mekhi Garner and Eli Ricks.
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“I’m feeling good,” McPhearson said. “The team looks really good. It’s like we haven’t missed a beat in OTAs. Obviously, we have a lot of new faces, so the chemistry is going well already. That’s always a good sign.
“For me personally, I’m looking forward to the challenge ahead. I’ve still got a lot of work to put in. Nothing is given — and that’s for everything in life. I’ve got to go out there and earn it, man. I’m hungry. I’ve got a chip on my shoulder like I always do. I’m not going to let myself down. I’m going to give it everything I’ve got because that’s what I want.”
During OTAs this month, McPhearson appeared at nickel cornerback while Maddox was sidelined. At first glance, it seemed to be a position change for McPhearson, who served as the team’s primary backup at outside cornerback during his first two seasons. When Maddox was injured last year, it was Scott who replaced him in the starting lineup.
However, McPhearson revealed that the coaching staff actually started using him in the slot during practices throughout the 2022 season.
“I felt good being in there,” McPhearson said. “It’s definitely a learning thing, so as long as I keep stacking days and keep doing my progressions, I feel like the sky is the limit for me at nickel being able to fill in when I can. I’m just trying to fulfill my role of being one of 11 on the team.”