15 things to know about Alshon Jeffery
FIFTEEN THINGS to know about Alshon Jeffery, who signed with the Eagles after five seasons with Chicago.
FIFTEEN THINGS to know about Alshon Jeffery, who signed with the Eagles after five seasons with Chicago.
1. Signed a one-year deal for $14 million.
2. Just turned 27; was born on Feb. 14, 1990. Some other notable NFL players born on St. Valentine's Day include Jim Kelly, (1960) Drew Bledsoe (1972), Steve McNair (1973) and Jadeveon Clowney (1993). Thanks to Pro-Football-Reference for that gem.
3. Listed at 6-3, 218. Heights and weights for the other top wide receivers on the Eagles roster: Jordan Matthews (6-3, 212), Torrey Smith (6-0, 205), Nelson Agholor (6-0, 198), Paul Turner (5-10, 193), Dorial Green-Beckham (6-5, 237).
4. Picked in the second round (45th overall) by the Bears in 2012. His best season was 2013 when he had 89 receptions for 1,421 yards and seven touchdowns and was selected to play in the Pro Bowl.
5. Has 26 TDs in 63 games - 20 thrown by Jay Cutler, four by Josh McCown and one each by Matt Barkley and Jimmy Clausen.
6. The Bears only winning season during Jeffery's career was in 2012 when they went 10-6, but missed out on the playoffs by a tiebreaker.
7. Suspended for four games last November for PED use. Issued a statement taking "full responsibility . . . And I'm deeply upset with myself for not doing the proper research on this supplement." If he fails another test, it will mean a 10-game suspension.
8. Also missed six games as a rookie in 2012 and seven in 2015 due to injuries.
9. Born in St. Matthews, S.C. (pop. 2,000) and attended the University of South Carolina.
10. Was one of three finalists for the Fred Biletnikoff Award given to the nation's top receiver when he was a junior in 2010. Oklahoma State's Justin Blackmon (winner) and Oklahoma's Ryan Broyles were the others.
11. Supported the other pro teams in Chicago. Is a big Bulls fan, attended Blackhawks playoff games and tweeted frequently during the Cubs World Series run.
12. Twitter handle is @TheWorldof_AJ, though he hasn't tweeted much in 2017.
13. Current Eagles wide receivers coach Mike Groh held the same position with the Bears from 2013-15 and told the Chicago Sun-Times that Jeffery was very serious about his craft, saying "He's one of those gym-rat kind of guys."
14. Had six mostly meaningless catches for 76 yards in his only career game at Lincoln Financial Field - a 2013 contest the Eagles won, 54-11.
15. Was a Bears team captain in 2016 when he played the season under the club's franchise tag designation and made $14.6 million. That PED suspension cost Jeffery significant money.
@EdBarkowitz