IOWA CITY, Iowa-- Former Hawkeye and current Philadelphia Eagles superstar Cooper DeJean is training back in Iowa City for the next few weeks before the NFL calendar picks up. On Wednesday, he found some time to make a visit to the Hawkeye basketball program and new coach Ben McCollum.
DeJean was a four-sport standout at Odebolt Arthur Battle Creek Ida Grove and likely could have played college basketball. His athleticism transferred across multiple sports and it's no surprise to see him have a stellar senior season. During his final season, he averaged 25.9 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 7.1 assists per game. He scored 1,832 career points.
The crossover you didn’t know you needed. @cdejean23 ? #Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/F4bJZOPh3R
— Iowa Men’s Basketball (@IowaHoops) June 19, 2025
During McCollum's opening press conference, he stated "I always dreamed of playing for the Hawkeyes, and I just wasn't good enough. So I didn't get to play for them, but now I get to coach them and hopefully bring success here."
The video showcased that McCollum still might have a little bounce and skill to his game. He displayed a crisp handle and even got by DeJean before the Uber-athlete recovered and blocked a layup attempt. DeJean also threw down a handful of dunks.
In the regular season, DeJean had 51 tackles, six pass deflections, with three tackles for a loss. DeJean has posted a Pro Football Focus grade of 77.7 with a run defense grade of 90.2 and a coverage grade of 74.0, which are all well above average. He also had one of the signature moments in the Super Bowl when he picked off Patrick Mahomes and returned it 38 yards for the touchdown.
DeJean was also a finalist for AP Rookie Defensive Player of the Year.
McCollum repeatedly rattled off names of former Hawkeye legends and has a deep understanding of what the program stands for. There was a debate among a few names when the Hawkeye job opened, but it became abundantly clear that he won over fans who were skeptical during his opening press conference.
"I was born here; I lived here for four, five, six years of my life and have cheered for the Hawkeyes for a long time, and now I get to be a part of their success, and I couldn't be more excited. My family is excited. And we want to bring this back to the championship culture that we think we can build here at the University of Iowa."
"In taking this job, I've always felt like you needed to take a job that you can win championships and compete for them on a consistent level. Beth Goetz has given me that opportunity and given resources to make sure that we can do just that, and that's our goal is to get Carver-Hawkeye Arena filled back up."
For the first time in the McCollum era, the local media will get to observe part of practice on Thursday. They'll also be interviewing a handful of players and coaches afterwards. Stay tuned to HawkeyeInsider for the latest.
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