After suffering a torn patellar tendon during the Eagles’ postseason run, Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean is doing everything he can to make a speedy but effective recovery ahead of the 2025 NFL season. Even if it means partaking in an activity that NFL players aren’t exactly known for partaking in.
Speaking with NBC 10 in Philadelphia, Dean openly discussed his rehab process this offseason, which happens to include ballet exercises to increase his flexibility and how light he is on his feet.
“There’s way more flexibility, of course. Way more mobility,” Dean said of the results of his ballet training. “It’s definitely something that’s helping with my rehab. You just feel a change immediately. After you stretch, you’re not as tight or as sore.”
The correlation naturally makes sense, as there are certainly some similarities in how light a ballet dancer needs to and how quickly a linebacker needs to read a play and react on the field.
Further speaking to the effectiveness of this kind of training, Dean’s ballet trainer, Keelan Whitmore spoke to how Dean’s body will be better prepared for NFL action through the use of ballet, outlining that the exercise is important for his muscle memory and overall muscle strength.
“Any sort of cross-training is good for his muscle memory, his muscle build-up,” Whitmore said. “Anything that is going in one direction, if he goes against that grain, then he’s going to be even more stronger and more agile.”
Fortunately for Eagles fans, Dean has no particular interest in actually pursuing ballet, instead using it as a tool to help him return to the field as “the best version of himself”.
“I’m more interested in the performance, looking at it… but I’m a football player through and through,” Dean added. “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.”
Getting Dean back as soon as possible will certainly be important for an Eagles team looking to repeat as Super Bowl champions in 2025, as he was a fixture on their defense in the regular season last year, starting in 14 games.