Philadelphia Eagles coach Jeremiah Washburn keeps NC roots close at the Super Bowl

When Jeremiah Washburn arrived in New Orleans on Sunday and opened his bag, he found a note from his wife, Susan, tucked inside. Attached was a photo of the two from high school with the message: Just two kids from Shelby.

It took a moment for it to sink in. Now in his sixth season as the Philadelphia Eagles’ defensive ends/outside linebackers coach, the reminder of home was more than nostalgia — it was a reflection of the journey that led him from a small town in North Carolina to the NFL sidelines.

Family ties

Jeremiah has never been a stranger to football. His dad, Jim Washburn, coached at the NFL level for 18 years, which caused the family to travel a lot when he was young.

When the Washburns moved back to Jim’s hometown of Shelby, Jeremiah was quick to follow in his father’s footsteps as a standout player at Shelby High School.

Jim’s career may have inspired Jeremiah, but he never wanted his son to feel pressured in following his footsteps.

“When he was 13 or 14, he finally came to me about playing,” Jim said. “I said, ‘Don’t feel like you have to.’ And he said again, ‘Dad, I want to be a football player.’”

At 14, Jeremiah served as the ball boy for the London Monarchs — a former professional football team. There, Jeremiah completely fell in love with the game and since then, his passion has only grown.

Small town roots

Burney Drake, longtime football and track coach at Shelby High, was very familiar with the Washburn name. Having known the family for 25 years, he knew Jeremiah would make an immediate impact once he started high school in 1992.

As a player, Drake described Jeremiah as passionate, hardworking and extremely coachable. Chris Norman, another former Shelby High School coach, watched Jeremiah develop his leadership capabilities through football, even at a young age.

“He did the little things,” Norman said. “He was not a ‘rah, rah’ guy — he led everyone by example. He worked hard and he came to work every day.”

Although his love for the game was evident, Drake was confident Jeremiah would one day be a coach.

“I knew when he was in high school that he was going to be a coach because he had the best role model anybody could ever ask for,” Drake said.

When he could, Jim would stand outside of the practice field and watch Jeremiah play as a high schooler. As a Shelby High alum, Jim knew playing there would have a positive impact on his development.

During Jeremiah’s senior year of high school, Jim took a coaching position at the University of Arkansas, causing Jeremiah to transfer schools in his final year of eligibility.

“He had big old tears in his eyes when he said he was transferring to Fayetteville (Arkansas) to play ball in his high school senior year,” Drake said. “He gave everything to Shelby and he inherited the love for Shelby high school football from his dad.”

Despite not being his coach anymore, Drake has stayed in close contact with Jeremiah over the years. He knew that he would go on to do great things.

“He is what you want,” Drake said. “If I was a boss, he’s the type of person that I want to hire, if it is football or whatever else. Nobody will outwork him. Nobody cares as much as he does.”

The extra yard

Even though he left Shelby for his senior year, football remained at the center of Jeremiah’s life. His playing career at Arkansas eventually paved the way for his next chapter — coaching.

After graduating from the University of Arkansas where he played guard, Jeremiah worked for the Razorbacks as a graduate assistant for a year. Following that, he took on various jobs before joining the Baltimore Ravens as a player personnel assistant in 2003.

“I tried to avoid it for the longest time,” Jeremiah said. “My dad was a coach so my mom wanted me to do something different, so I tried to do some different stuff but I think it was always pointing back to that.”

Now in his 22nd NFL season, Jeremiah has built strong relationships with his players over the years. Eagles outside linebacker Nolan Smith has only worked with Jeremiah for two years but in that time, he has learned a great deal about how to properly study and prepare for games.

Josh Sweat, another Eagles outside linebacker, credits much of his development as a player to Jeremiah.

“He’s been with me every step of the way,” he said. “We basically built our careers together. We have found out what works, what doesn’t. I owe him a lot.”

Outside of his technical skills, cornerback Cooper DeJean also noted that Jeremiah brings a high level of energy to both meetings and practices which in turn, inspires the team.

The hard work isn’t just noticed by the players - his dad sees it too. Despite all of Jim’s football accolades, he credits his son with being a better coach than he was.

“I was more emotional, but he’s so smart. He is just a smart guy,” Jim said. “I don’t think there’s anybody in the league better. Of course I am his father but I’m also a football coach with 18 years of experience in that league. I’m really proud of where he’s been and what he’s done, and I think it’s only the beginning.”

Even though it’s been two years since Jeremiah has been back at Shelby High School, he still leans on the lessons he learned and his community in the big moments.

“I’m proud to be from Shelby and proud to be from North Carolina,” Jeremiah said. “I certainly carry a piece of coach Norman, coach Drake and coach Taylor with me every time I’m on the field.”

And back home, they’ll be watching.

“You don’t know how many Eagles fans there are until Jeremiah is in the Super Bowl,” Drake said. “Shelby is so happy for him.”

Maya Waid is a student with UNC Media Hub, a program with the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media, reporting from the Super Bowl in New Orleans.

This story was originally published February 5, 2025 at 10:30 AM.