Haddon Heights football coach recalls Haason Reddick's early football career: 'He never quits'
PHILADELPHIA - Haason Reddick's football career has come full circle.
The Camden County native and Temple alum is a week away from playing in the Super Bowl for his hometown team as a stalwart defensive back in the first year of a three-year free agent contract.
But long before Reddick was a veteran linebacker and former Pro Bowler, he was wow'ing coaches on both sides of the ball at Haddon Heights High School.
"The head coach and I were standing at mid-field, the kids were running, and we just noticed one of these kids moves differently," Haddon Heights Head Coach Chris Lina said.
He recalled one of Reddick's best games where he scored a touchdown on an interception and another on a rush.
Reddick looked destined for one of the country's top football schools, but a broken femur during his senior year limited his playing time to just four games.
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Reddick made Temple's football team as a walk-on and worked his way up the team's depth chart. By the time he was a senior, Reddick caught the attention of NFL scouts, and he was selected 13th overall by the Arizona Cardinals in the 2017 NFL Draft.
"He never quits," Lina said. "When you're watching him pass rushing, a guy will go block him, and he just doesn’t stop, he’s got a motor and just doesn’t quit."
He played four seasons in Arizona before signing a one-year deal with the Carolina Panthers where he reunited with former Temple coach Matt Rhule. A standout season in Carolina earned Reddick a three-year, $45M deal with his hometown Philadelphia Eagles.
Reddick's old number one now hangs in the hallways at Haddon Heights High School, about 10 miles away from Lincoln Financial Field. He's returned to his alma mater during his homecoming to inspire the next wave of players eager to watch him play on Super Bowl Sunday.
"It’s just great it kind of puts us on the map," Lina said. "A lot of the kids are excited, the staff is excited, even people that maybe don’t follow football or the Eagles, they are kind of getting excited about this."