Can counter negative plays on film with splash plays. Dean's biggest knock. His contribution will help upkeep the bed, food and showers for one individual for two months. It's why he eventually wants to start a scholarship at his high school, and use his engineering degree to make prosthetics for athletes who need them. Watch all three days of the 2022 NFL Draft unfold on Sky Sports NFL, April 28-30, starting with live build-up to day one from 9pm on Thursday, April 28, with the first picks expected to be made just after 1am. Dean had a 3.5 GPA at Georgia in mechanical engineering, but he remains about two semesters shy of his degree, which he has said he intends to complete. But what many people didnt hear a lot about was his classroom smarts. | Ahmed El Bannany . Dean loves it. . Its also going to be such an added luxury to have Dean going through the whole NFL experience with Jordan Davis, his good friend and former college teammate at Georgia. He has been privy to the evolution of the off-ball linebacker and the added necessity to be able to join the line of scrimmage, operate off the edge, or retreat into coverage. Head coach Nick Sirianni only got see Dean for a few snaps on Friday. Georgia stifled Alabama and Heisman-winning quarterback Bryce Young, collecting a 33-18 victory for Georgias first football national championship since 1980. Dean, a mechanical engineering major with a 3.5 GPA, was the first name mentioned when I asked one coach what was the most impressive interview hed done at the combine. The jump from no compensation to millions was, at times, a culture shock. They're getting a tour of the facility and seeing the bed that Dean is sponsoring. section: | slug: eagles-select-nakobe-dean-scouting-report-three-things-to-know-about-philadelphias-newest-linebacker | sport: football | route: article_single_special | Mechanical Engineering major. Please check your email for a confirmation. 2020: Semifinalist for the Butkus Award, which recognizes the nations best linebackermade great progress in his second seasonstarted all 10 games and played 76 percent of Georgias total defensive snaps in the regular season, tops among linebackersthe Bulldogs' leading tacklerwith 71 total stops and 13 QB pressurescareer-high 15 tackles vs. Florida, 14 stops in the Bulldogs' win at Kentucky and 12 more in victory over Mississippi Stateteam-high seven stopsin Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl win over Cincinnatialso had four QB pressures vs. the Bearcatsone of his seven tackles was a key 2nd-down stop on UC's final drivehad four tackles and a QB pressure in win over Auburnthree solo stops and a QB pressure vs. Tennesseeled team in tackles with a then-career-best seven stops, including an assisted tackle for a 2-yard loss vs. Arkansasalso credited with two QB pressures vs. the Razorbackshad five stops, including a QB sack for a 7-yard loss, and three QB pressures vs. Alabamaearned a spot on the SEC Academic Honor Roll for Fall 2020. Not amazing. And nothing he does on the field would be as impressive as that accomplishment. He's a 4.0 GPA engineering majorhe's one of the premier linebackers in all of college footballand here he is with kip-up in full pads Nakobe Dean is ELITE! Change of direction is typically good. Nakobe Dean has a 3.55 GPA in mechanical engineering at Georgia. #GoDawgs pic.twitter.com/bSaLVoyDyX, RELATED: Brock Bowers' 88-Yard TD Proved Georgia's Freshman Tight End is Special. 17 . Nakobe Dean took his official visit to the University of Alabama this weekend and was thoroughly impressed. From providing food to the homeless, to street cleanups and more, Georgia LB Nakobe Dean, with the help of his mother, has made it a priority to give back to Athens and his hometown of Horn Lake, MS. Giving back has always been something near and dear to me.@sportsiren pic.twitter.com/YU4wwIM4rA, ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) January 10, 2022. Football . The latest Eagles news straight to your inbox! Design/Web/Multimedia. A number of athletes around the country have taken their NIL opportunities and flip them into impact beyond their own. Georgia junior inside linebacker Nakobe Dean was the surprise recipient of the 37th Butkus Award on Sunday. I dont think Im going to go in and be looked at as a leader. It's still going strong. Dean has been recognized for his performance as a Butkus Award semifinalist and a midseason All-American by ESPN and CBS Sports. The science subjects studied include thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, solid mechanics, dynamics and electro-mechanical systems. She claimed to have given him over $1,000 before his senior year of high school. Dean, who is a mechanical engineering major, slips on a fluorescent green hard hat and tilts it forward just enough so that, somehow, it looks cooler on him than it does on anyone else in the room. Was the team captain for the national champs. Dean, Channing Tindall, Trezmen Marshall, Rian Davis and Mekhail Sherman are Georgias returning inside linebackers. 1 in the nation and only kept growing from that point. Dean recorded 71 tackles and 1.5 sacks last season. Dean left Georgia boasting a 3.5 GPA and has vowed to finish his mechanical engineering degree, which is roughly two semesters short of completion. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful. Those two soldiers have been through quite a few wars together. Dean is majoring in mechanical engineering, but that did not stop him from picking an Alabama hat after the national championship. I had great people around me and we were able to execute a plan," former Oregon defensive lineman Kayvon Thibodeaux tells ESPN. Neketta gives her a hug. The Philadelphia Eagles selected Georgia linebacker Nakobe Dean in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft at No. Dean finished 2019 with 25 total tackles and played in all 14 games. Keyontae Johnson 'thanking God every day' for second chance at Kansas State after collapse. Neketta once organized a 5K run aimed at bringing together police and first responders and the local high school football team, which Dean was a part of. He was inspired and wanted to help make prosthetics for veterans in need. It's unmatched not just on the field, but in life. The Bulldogs' defense was arguably the best in the nation in 2021, led by Dean as the leader of the unit. The Monday night game in late November is on every screen, but tonight Dean's the main event, the reason everyone is there, wearing Georgia red, dropping off canned goods at the front of the store before coming up to say hello and take a picture. So my mother instilled it in me at a young age and it stuck with me.". Georgia won the game 37-10. Dean's mother once referred to him as a "math wiz," recalling a time when he entered a math competition and won it. Her goal was two-fold -- raise money for the football program and bring officers into a shared space with a football team that was largely Black. ", "For 99.9% of these kids, it's not necessarily like life-changing money, so they have to understand they need to put half of it away for taxes," says Zach Soskin, who founded a management company that facilitates NIL deals for college athletes. He'll be a leader on the Eagles' defense. *** 2021 Butkus Award Winner ***
Open up the Wikipedia page of his birth city Horn Lake and atop a seven-person list of 'notable people' is Nakobe Dean, recipient of the Butkus Award, which recognises the top linebacker in the nation, and College Football National Champion with Georgia. They noted beyond him having great intelligence that Dean also thinks incredibly quickly on his feet and can process information at an extremely high rate. That gave them confidence that he could handle anything they challenged him with, and better still they say, that he would also use his aptitude to impact those around him. Within that, there would well be at least five first-rounders. Uiagalelei thanks God for challenges: Jesus put me in this position, Ohio State WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba praises God after record-setting Rose Bowl, North Carolina QB Sam Howell declares for NFL draft: [Life is] about living for Jesus, Heisman finalist C.J. https://t.co/kFd8Bf0EUe @UGAAthletics. Georgia coaches have known just how special Dean is from the first day he arrived on campus. Off the field, Dean is a mechanical engineering student with a 4.0 GPA and is also a possible first-round NFL draft pick. He narrowed his choices to engineering and pre-med because of his interest in prosthetics. Dean helped Horn Lake High School win a 6A state championship as a senior. Try a week on us. Dean was considered to the top linebacker in the class of 2019. . "So I used that, I actually wanted to go into the field of prosthetics with it. "And so I wanted them to see each other in a different environment.". Defeat to Alabama in the SEC Championship was softened not only by his individual accolade but also a standout semi-final performance in which he logged seven tackles, two for loss, one sack, five pressures and a forced fumble against Michigan. He last received a B in his eighth-grade typing class. Ten Hag: Too soon to decide Weghorst, Sabitzer futures, How Spanish football is failing elite talent Vinicius Jr. Lewis Hamilton's race against time: Is eighth title dream still alive? On3 is a registered trademark of On3 Media, Inc. Along with his smarts, Dean believes he can bring plenty more to an NFL locker room. The watch parties have become vehicles to get game tickets for local kids as well as the canned foods for families in need. It was a tall task, but the Bulldogs chances rode on their top-ranked defense and how well it could slow the Crimson Tides high-powered offense. Dean has the potential to be the best linebacker to wear midnight green since Jeremiah Trotter. After Georgia won its national semifinal matchup over Michigan to advance to the national title game, Dean was asked what it would be like for a boy from Horn Lake to play for a national championship. Most definitely, Sirianni said of their relationship helping with the NFL transition. I'm most intrigued by Dean's Wonderlic score when he goes through the draft process. (Dean) ran with him stride for stride and then makes the tackle in open space. You work to the end, we saw all the hard work we put in work out.". "I feel like in high school they kind of asked that of me, to be able to cover running backs, to be able to cover receivers and stop the run and things of that sort, so when I got to college I got the same thing, but amplified, and I feel like in the league it will be the same thing," he said. But the player who was the best on that defense, middle linebacker Nakobe Dean, didnt work out in Indy although according to sources, he still wowed some NFL coaches. Dean, of course, is not alone in this endeavor. When Horn Lake made it to the state title game that season, Dean was reading opponents' plays to perfection. What comes second nature to Dean is what Neketta has been doing her whole life. In the midst of all the hoopla, Dean still can't turn off the part of his brain that gravitates toward the ball. Deans measurables in Indianapolis were modest by NFL linebacker standards: 5-foot-11, 229 pounds with 31 7/8-inch arms, but his film is elite. Because of the NCAA's sudden decision to allow NIL deals, the educational aspect has been done on the fly. Were constantly reminding each other every day that this is all just a blessing from God, Neketta told Dawg Nation in 2018. The junior has established himself as the leader on the best defense in college football by making plays all over the field. Personal: Full name NAKOBE RASHOD DEANmajor: Mechanical Engineeringrecipient of the Ken and Jody Jackson Family Scholarship, as well as the Ramsey Scholarship for Academic & Athletic Excellenceolder brother, Nikolas, played tight end at Ole Miss. The 6-0, 225 lb. Youd be on the phone with him and hed say, OK, Coach, I appreciate that, but I have to get off the phone and do my homework now. He has priorities. . So shes always going to the VA and everything. His versatility will be attractive to NFL teams, and he may be a highly touted . Listed on 2023-02-18. One of my dreams was to be successful in the NFL so I feel like we'll be more proud than it being a weird feeling (being on different teams).". For a kid who used to walk around Horn Lake talking with his childhood friends about how they'd make it out, or one who saw his stipend money at Georgia as more money than he'd ever had, Dean is still wide-eyed about where he finds himself. "For us, [NIL] hasn't really been about making money, it's about using this platform to help others.". "That's Kobe Dean," she tells him. Editor's note: This story originally published on Dec. 29, 2021. "When NIL deals started rolling in, my priorities were having them still let me focus on football and whether there was a way to give through the deals," Dean says. He definitely showed that today, and he showed that yesterday in our meetings., Former UGA teammates Nakobe Dean and Jordan Davis arrive together for their first Eagles practice, (via @DZangaroNBCS) pic.twitter.com/OdgNu3Nwcj. "He's a great player, I like the way he was versatile, he's got the size to be an outside backer and rush off the edge, but also take a step back and be a middle linebacker, so his versatility speaks volumes," he said. So I feel like youve just got to gain the respect of guys and the trust of guys, and youve got to know who youre playing with. High School: Horn Lake HS, coached by Brad Boyette2018 High School Butkus Award winner as the nations top prep LBselected for the 2019 Under Armour All-America Gamechosen as the 2018-19 Gatorade High School Football Player in Mississippi USA Today All-USA first team and listed at No. Whether by positioning or speed, Dean always appears to be at the right place at the right time -- right where the ball is. It was a unique situation where you felt like he could handle the cerebral piece as well as whats on paper, but it also translated to the field because hes very instinctual. In case youre wondering, the hardest class hes taken so far in his major is either thermal dynamics or machine design, but he knows both will help with what he plans to do beyond football. "It's. Bruce has covered college football nationally for more than 20 years and is the author of numerous books on the topic, including "Swing Your Sword: Leading The Charge in Football and Life" with Mike Leach and most recently "The QB: The Making of Modern Quarterbacks." This meant every time there was a community event, everyone knew Neketta's kids would be there. The 2021 Butkus Award winner, All-America first team linebacker, and captain of the AFCA Good Works Team now has a big NFL draft decision to make. He sees that part of his skill set translating to the gridiron. Nakobe Dean remembers his mother telling him his"mind would take him further than his feet" in life, such was the emphasis placed on education in a family absent of sporting reference points. When NIL deals started rolling in, my priorities were having them still let me focus on football and whether there was a way to give through the deals, Dean told ESPN, which highlighted him sponsoring a bed at an Athens, Georgia, homeless shelter, and working with the Boys and Girls Club. With serving others being a regular occurrence during his childhood, Dean continued serving others even when the NCAAs new name/image/likeness deals allowed him to earn money. "Trust me, this won't be the last time we're back here," she says. Dean, who was projected as a first-round pick, fell amid concerns of the linebacker declining surgery on a severe pectoral strain while working out this offseason. But on Monday night, the Bulldogs held the Tide to just 399 total yards and only 30 rushing yards. He would become a brains and brawn asset on the football field, a reconnaissance drone, a code-breaker and land soldier with the IQ and explosiveness as the most accomplished off-ball linebacker at the 2022 NFL Draft. "You're not getting rich off community service," Neketta says. If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. Dean reported for Eagles rookie minicamp on Friday with a wide smile on his face. Here is a scouting report and three things to know about Dean: Dean was the definition of a traditional linebacker on defense for Georgia last season, taking 582 snaps in the box for the national champions. Its no wonder the permanent team captain for the Bulldogs was so adept at reading opposing offenses in the middle of a stingy national championship defense. Thread starter jdecision21; Start date Today at 9:47 AM; Forums. Its a blessing, he said. Dean, a mechanical engineering major with a 3.5 GPA, was the first name . 2004-2023 CBS Interactive. 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