Philadelphia Eagles honor their Coach of the Year, Damon Brockington of Frankford High School
The Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday surprised a local football coach as the team's High School Coach of the Year.
For Frankford High School coach Damon Brockington, who won the award, coaching is about more than wins and losses; it's about family and community.
"I walked through these halls, and they've seen me play through these halls. I grew up in this neighborhood," he said.
Brockington graduated from Frankford in 2006.
He returned to his alma mater as a teacher and dean of 11th grade.
In 2021, in his first season, he coached the Pioneers to an undefeated record and a division title.
"I got the majority of the people I played with to come back and coach with me," Brockington said. "I feel like that's why I had a successful season because the people that went through the hallways with me and played with me previous years knew what it took for these kids to win."
Former Eagles wide receiver Fred Barnett and Swoop helped surprise Brockington at a school assembly.
"It's a unique position to be in. It's one thing to be an All Pro or MVP, but to be a coach, you're responsible for a lot of personalities, and in your case a lot of teenage personalities … to be Coach of the Year, it's amazing," Barnett told Brockington.
"At the end of the day, I'm just blessed and grateful for the opportunity to be recognized amongst a lot of coaches in the city, and just to come back to Frankford, the school that I graduated from, it's a positive thing," Brockington said.
Brockington has also made an impact on his players off the field.
"He's everything. Honestly, he's a second father," Frankford wide receiver and defensive end Jarron Whitehead said. "Honestly, I could go to him for anything and … I know he got my back."
