Cody Mauch Has That Broad Street Bully Look
Cody Mauch has that Bobby Clarke smile.
You know the one where the front few teeth are gone, the one Clarke flashed so many times when the Flyers won Stanley Cups nearly 50 years ago.
That smile alone makes Mauch a natural fit for Philadelphia, except he wouldn’t be chasing Cups but Super Bowls as a member of the Eagles' offensive line.
The Eagles met with Mauch at the NFL Scouting Combine on Saturday.
“It was good, really good,” Mauch told reporters gathered in Indianapolis. “Really like the O-line coach there, a lot of energy, that was a really fun interview.”
Presumably, that O-line coach was Jeff Stoutland.
With the uncertainty of right guard Isaac Seumalo returning as he readies for the start of free agency, Lane Johnson turning 33 in May, and the Eagles’ philosophy of building on the line of scrimmage, Mauch makes a lot of sense for Philly.
He is 6-5, 303 pounds, and can play either guard or tackle. Perhaps even center in a pinch.
Mauch said the Eagles didn’t talk much about which position he would play should they draft him, but he can do whatever is needed.
“I think having that versatility I know is a good thing,” he said. “Just having the ability to play any of those spots.”
Mauch played nine-man football in high school growing up in North Dakota, becoming a walk-on tight end at North Dakota State, which is the same school that produced former Eagles QB Carson Wentz.
Mauch added 40 pounds to move to O-line in 2018. He was named a first-team All-American in 2022 by The Associated Press after starting all 15 games at left tackle.
It wasn’t football, however, that cost Mauch his front teeth.
He said it happened during a middle school basketball game. He tried to save them, with visits to various orthodontists and dental appliances but decided to embrace the look.
"Seventh grade, conference championship basketball tournament, I was diving for a loose ball and so was one of my buddies.,” said Mauch, explaining exactly what happened. “I kind of dove right into his head.
“My teeth were all kind of loose in there, so I had to get sent to the ER and they pulled them out that night. I went through the process of getting them fixed -retainers, braces, these flippers with teeth on them, just all sorts of stuff - and eventually I just kept breaking and losing my retainers all the time.”
He added that his mom would get mad at him because she had to keep bringing him back to the orthodontist and paying for new retainers.
“Eventually, I just kind of stopped wearing it and kind of embraced the no two front teeth look,” he said. "I say that I'm going to get them fixed after football, but I don't even know if I ever will. I don't really mind it at all; it's kind of just part of me, I guess."
Philly fans certainly relate to the look.
Ed Kracz is the publisher of SI.com’s Fan Nation Eagles Today and co-host of the Eagles Unfiltered Podcast. Check out the latest Eagles news at www.SI.com/NFL/Eagles or www.eaglestoday.com and please follow him on Twitter: @kracze.
