Inside The Hawkeyes

Former Iowa Hawkeyes Star Gets Major NFL Recognition

A former Iowa Hawkeyes football star has received major NFL recognition.
Evan Massey|
Dec 22, 2024; Landover, Maryland, USA; Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Cooper DeJean (33) reacts during the second quarter against the Washington Commanders at Northwest Stadium.
Dec 22, 2024; Landover, Maryland, USA; Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Cooper DeJean (33) reacts during the second quarter against the Washington Commanders at Northwest Stadium. | Peter Casey-Imagn Images

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Iowa Hawkeyes

The Iowa Hawkeyes have quite a few former stars finding major success at the NFL level. One of those is Cooper DeJean, a rookie with the Philadelphia Eagles.

During his time with the Iowa football program, DeJean was a clear star in the making. He was an elite playmaker in the secondary and was one of the best defensive backs in the nation.

Following his career with the Hawkeyes, DeJean was able to earn being the No. 40 overall pick in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft. He has made an immediate impact on the Eagles.

Throughout his rookie season, DeJean ended up playing in 16 games. He racked up 51 total tackles to go along with 0.5 sacks, a forced fumble, and six defended passes.

Due to his strong performance as a rookie, DeJean is receiving some much-deserved recognition.

As shared by Philadelphia on X, DeJean is one of the finalists for the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award. His teammate, Quinyon Mitchell, is also a finalist.

Most Hawkeyes fans knew that DeJean was going to be a high impact player at the NFL level. The way he played on Saturday's was the kind of style that translates perfectly to playing on Sunday's.

DeJean ended up playing three years at Iowa. In his time with the team, he totaled 120 tackles, seven interceptions, three defensive touchdowns, and 13 defended passes.

Even though he's no longer playing for the Hawkeyes, fans are loving the success that he's finding. DeJean was a fun player to watch and he brought everything he had to every single game.

Hopefully, he is able to continue building on his early success. He has shown legitimate star potential in his first year with the Eagles. His work ethic should help him continue taking that success to the next level.

All of that being said, congratulations go out to DeJean for being a finalist for the coveted rookie award. It's just the start of what looks likely to be a very good NFL career.

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Evan Massey
EVAN MASSEY

Evan Massey is a sports reporter and analyst who covers college football, the NFL and NBA. He has contributed to the On SI network since July 2021. He has also written for ESPN, Yahoo! Sports, Forbes, Bleacher Report, NFLAnalysis.net, NBAAnalysis.net and many other publications. In his free time, Evan enjoys spending time with his wife and son.

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