unCovering the Birds, Season 3, Episode 3: Needle in the Haystack
How did the 25-year old go from undrafted rookie free agent to starting safety? The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Eagles beat reporter Jeff McLane profiles an emerging member of the team’s roster.
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Reed Blankenship could feel it — the tingling, the puncture. He couldn’t bring himself to look, but he knew it wasn’t good, and immediately called out for help. For a perpetually persistent, hardworking kid from northern Alabama farm country, Blankenship was confronted with a major hurdle. In the months ahead, it would only get more daunting. Suddenly, he wasn’t so sure whether the dream he always envisioned for himself was possible to attain. Fast-forward a few years later, and Blankenship, who went undrafted in 2022, has staked his claim on a pivotal role in the Philadelphia Eagles’ defense. What helped Blankenship overcome adversity? Which factors in his life shaped his character? How did the 25-year old go from undrafted rookie free agent to starting safety? The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Eagles beat reporter Jeff McLane profiles an emerging member of the team’s roster.
Follow Jeff McLane on X. You can read his work at Inquirer.com.
unCovering the Birds is a production of The Philadelphia Inquirer and KYW Newsradio Original Podcasts. Look for new episodes in Season 3 dropping throughout the spring.