Cooper DeJean reacted to AJ Epenesa joining the Philadelphia Eagles after the team signed the former Buffalo Bills edge defender. The two former Iowa stars built a close friendship through their Hawkeye connection.
DeJean and Epenesa never shared the field in college because they attended the university during different years. Epenesa played for Iowa from2017 to 2019 before Buffalo drafted him in the 2020 NFL Draft. The defensive lineman spent his first six professional seasons playing for the Bills.
DeJean arrived at Iowa in 2021, shortly after Epenesa left. Thedefensive back playedthree seasons with the Hawkeyes before the Eagles selected him in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Their different collegiate eras yielded several notable trophy wins but no Big Ten conference championships. Still, the two maintained a close friendship and sometimescaught up after regular-season games.
Philadelphia Eagles cornerback C.D. in attendance of the Cleveland Cavaliers game against the Phoenix Suns.
Cooper DeJean Reacts to AJ Epenesa’s New Philadelphia Eagles Contract
Their bond was also evident in their social media interaction. On Friday, Epenesa posted about his move to Philadelphiaon Instagram.
He shared a photo of himself in an Eagles uniform with the word “Home” in the background. The 27-year-old defensive end accompanied the post with a strong message.
“New HOME! Fly Eagles Fly!!!” he wrote in the caption.
The post quickly drew reactions from fans and teammates, including DeJean.
“😎” the 23-year-old cornerback commented.
Thesmiling face with sunglasses emoji is commonly used to mean “cool” or to convey a sense of confidence and approval.
Epenesareached an agreement with the Cleveland Browns in March, but Cleveland did not finalize the contract after his physical.
The now healthy Epenesa joins a Super Bowl contender with championship aspirations. The veteran edge rusher will line up alongside DeJean on the Eagles’ defense.
This new on-field conncetion will give both prominent Iowa alumni a chance to chase a title together in Philadelphia.