NFL Star Makes Bold Claim About Beating Caitlin Clark
While Indiana Fever superstar guard Caitlin Clark is the most famous Iowa Hawkeyes sports alumna, just about every person after her is a former Hawkeyes football player who now plays in the NFL.
Among the most notable are tight ends George Kittle, Sam LaPorta, T.J. Hockenson, Tyler Linderbaum, and cornerback Cooper DeJean, who won a Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles during his rookie season earlier this year.
There's no question that DeJean (who played for the Hawkeyes from 2021 through the 2023 season before the Eagles selected him with the No. 40 overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft) is an extremely talented athlete.
In addition to his prowess as a defensive back, DeJean was once an elite basketball player. This is shown by the fact that he scored 1,832 career points in high school, which puts him behind only the aforementioned Hockenson for the most all-time in Iowa high school men's basketball history. DeJean's 218 career steals are also among the very best in Iowa state history.
DeJean and Clark were at Iowa at the same time and seemed to be friends. During a February 19 appearance on The Pivot Podcast, DeJean shared a message that Clark sent him after his Eagles beat her beloved Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX.
“I think us going to Iowa together, she was just saying that she was proud of me," DeJean said. "Congratulating me. Not only that I scored a touchdown, but winning the biggest game in football in my first year. I appreciate her for that, sending that message, even though she's a Chiefs fan. And she claimed that she was cheering for them throughout the game. But it was cool to get that message from her.”
Cooper DeJean Asserts He Could Beat Caitlin Clark in Basketball
DeJean was recently interviewed by Overtime SZN and was asked about what the score would be if he played Caitlin Clark in basketball.
"I'm not gonna give a score, but I think I would win. And I've told her that, too," DeJean responded, per an Instagram post from @overtimeszn.
Given how much of a competitor Clark is, she would probably have to disagree with DeJean's sentiment. Regardless, it would be fun to see these two face each other on the basketball court, and perhaps that's something that could occur in the future.
DeJean's athleticism and ability to dunk would carry a lot of weight. But there's no chance he can shoot as well as No. 22.
Recommended Reading:
Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the Indiana Fever and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.
Follow GrvntYoung