Former Eagle Jason Avant fails ‘American Ninja Warrior’ qualifying round
Watch former Eagle run through the American Ninja Warrior course.
Eagle fans got a nice throwback treat on NBC's American Ninja Warrior on Monday thanks to an appearance from former Birds wide receiver Jason Avant. Unfortunately, though, it doesn't look like the ex-Eagle will be appearing on the show again this season.
Avant appeared as the first contestant on Monday's episode, which was filmed earlier this year at Philly's old Richmond Power Plant. While Avant was able to make it through the course's first three sections, it was the fourth area — the Wingnuts — that was his downfall.
The former Eagle kicked things off confidently with a nearly stumble-free run of the American Ninja Warrior's Floating Steps:
Followed by a much-improved shot at the course's Spinning Bowties:
And a near-perfect run of the balance-centric Broken Bridge:
But it was the final part of the Wingnuts obstacle that finally did him in:
That far into the course, Avant only had two more sections to get through: Lighting Bolts and the infamous Warped Wall. According to fan site American Ninja Warrior Nation, five contestants in total were taken out by the Wingnuts, while 12 overall completed the entire course. Avant was not included on the list of Philadelphia City Finals competitors.
Online, many American Ninja Warrior fans were disappointed by Avant's elimination, but commended the ex-Eagle on his efforts:
A native of Chicago, Avant joined the Eagles back in 2006. He remained the Birds' wide receiver until his release from the team in 2014, after which point he also played for the Carolina Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs. Some 116 of his 148 NFL games were with the Eagles.
These days, Avant is a businessman who owns Launch, a trampoline park in Deptford, New Jersey, which opened last year. A longtime Eagle, Avant also currently lives in the Philadelphia area, NBC reports.
American Ninja Warrior airs Mondays at 9 p.m. on NBC. Check out Avant's full run below: