The Eagles might be on their bye, but two Birds alumni will man the sidelines at Lincoln Financial Field this week during Thursday’s clash between Delaware State and Norfolk State.
DeSean Jackson and Michael Vick, who spent five seasons together in Philly, will clash for the first time as college football head coaches in the stadium they once called home. Here’s everything you need to know about the prime-time showdown between the former Birds:
Delaware State and Norfolk State will face off at 7 p.m. Thursday at Lincoln Financial Field.
Thursday’s game will be the first at Lincoln Financial Field to feature two historically Black colleges or universities and the first matchup between the two former Eagles standouts as head coaches.
The game, a Delaware State home contest, originally was scheduled to be played in Dover, Del., but was moved to the Linc after Jackson pushed for the game to be played on a bigger stage. With the coaches being former Eagles, the Birds’ home stadium was a natural choice, and the team made it happen.
“To be on this platform right now, to be looking at the Linc, to be here where we practiced every day, we battled together, and now we get to go in there and we’ll have a night we’ll reflect on for years,” Vick said in August. “… It comes full circle, and I couldn’t be more proud to be here with my brother right now.”
» READ MORE: Michael Vick and DeSean Jackson say they wouldn’t be coaching without Eagles greats Andy Reid and Big Dom
What channel and streaming service is the game on?
The game will be televised by ESPNU with Tiffany Greene and Jay Walker on the call. It also will stream on ESPN+.
Tickets are available for as little as $35.90 on Ticketmaster on the primary market. They also are available on resale sites.
Deion Sanders started the trend of former NFL players coaching at HBCUs when he accepted the head coaching job at Jackson State. Sanders recruited top prospect and future Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter to follow him and won two Southwestern Athletic Conference titles in his three seasons there before leaving for Colorado.
“Without Deion’s success, our success would not have been presented to us,” Jackson said earlier this year.
Philadelphia-born Eddie George, a Heisman Trophy winner and four-time Pro Bowl running back, coached for four seasons at Tennessee State before leaving for Bowling Green this year. Now, Vick and Jackson are the latest former NFL stars to get their start in coaching at HBCUs.
» READ MORE: Michael Vick talks coaching, wanting to be like Andy Reid, and getting career advice from Deion Sanders
How are Vick and Jackson doing in their first years as coaches?
Jackson’s Delaware State Hornets are 5-3 and 1-0 in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference play. They haven’t had a winning season since 2012 and were 2-21 over the last two seasons. Vick’s Norfolk State team is 1-7 (0-1 MEAC).
HBCUs are famous for their electric marching bands, and Delaware State is no exception. Its band, called the “Approaching Storm,” will perform at halftime. The band plays everything from old-school classics to modern hip-hop and R&B hits.
On Thursday, the two schools will combine for a “vibrant pregame experience” from the bands, a step show performance, and more.
Delaware State’s quarterback is Kaiden Bennett, who has thrown for 945 yards with six touchdowns and three interceptions. The Hornets’ leading rusher, Marquis Gillis, has racked up 831 yards and seven touchdowns on 124 carries.
Norfolk State’s quarterback, Otto Kuhns, has 1,585 passing yards and 11 touchdowns with five interceptions this season. His favorite target is receiver Kam’Ryn Thomas, who leads the team with 33 catches for 512 yards and a touchdown.
» READ MORE: DeSean Jackson and Michael Vick are walking parallel paths as they adjust to being head coaches in the MEAC