On a defense full of Georgia Bulldogs, the leader of the pack for the Philadelphia Eagles has a long road ahead of him.
After a career season in 2024 was cut short due to a torn patellar tendon in his left knee during the Eagles wild card victory over the Green Bay Packers, Nakobe Dean is looking to prove he can still play at a high level.
And as part of his recovery, Dean is rehabbing at BalletX, a contemporary ballet company in Philadelphia, to help supplement his recovery from the injury as reported by NBC Philadelphia.
There is reason for this course of action from Dean. Many NFL players have taken up ballet throughout their careers for better footwork and balance on the field. In the case of the Georgia linebacker, ballet may be the secret to getting on the field faster.
"I'm more interested in the performance, looking at it... but I'm a football player through and through," Dean said. "My whole thing is trying to be the absolute best version of myself. For me, that's greatness. If I'm striving to be that everyday, and doing whatever it takes to be that."
Dean is about to enter the final year of his rookie contract with the Eagles. As a vocal leader of the defense, there's reason to believe Philadelphia will want Dean to return past the 2025 season.
If he isn't able to come back from this injury, though, there's some concern that the heartbeat of what was once the Georgia Bulldogs National Championship unit could be on the outs.
And the rest of the Eagles' stars from Georgia may not be too happy about that.