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The Eagles could ill-afford to lose another starter, especially not a rising young standout on their rebuilt linebacker corps. So it was a sigh of relief to hear Alex Singleton confidently declare himself “good to go” on Saturday. Singleton had been nursing a bum ankle, an injury that limited him at practice much of the week. No worries, he’ll be out there against Seattle.
The former Canadian Football League star is coming off a breakout game last week where he logged 12 tackles and recorded a crucial fumble recovery. Singleton has 28 tackles while playing every single defensive snap (138) over the last two weeks. With starter Nate Gerry on IR and T.J. Edwards seeing more of a situational role, Singleton’s stock has soared to new heights ever since making his first start on Oct. 18.
In addition to his yeoman’s workload on defense, the 26-year-old has been a stalwart on special teams while serving as a good example to rookie linebackers Shaun Bradley and Davion Taylor. Singleton sure looks like he can be a full-time starter in the NFL, but do the Eagles view him that way?
“I hope so,” Singleton told reporters on Saturday. “Every week as long as I get to do it, I’m going to hopefully continue to progress, get better and be able to show that I deserve to play more.”
Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz called him a “good football player” but added he has plenty of things to clean up.
“He’d probably be the first person to tell you that and there’s still things that he’s developing through and he’s still working at,” Schwartz said. “But just knowing him and his character, he’s going to work at it to get it right.”
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Singleton Ready to Face First Team He Played For
Singleton will be lining up against some familiar faces when he takes the field on Monday night, too. He was originally claimed as an undrafted free agent by the Seahawks in 2015.
Despite not making final roster cuts in Seattle, the 6-foot-2, 240-pounder was a sponge to experienced linebackers Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright. Wagner is arguably the best linebacker in football and a future Hall of Famer.
“Those are two dudes I looked up to,” Singleton said. “You know I was 21 in Seattle so to be around those guys was awesome.”
The star-struck rookie roamed the same hallway as a young Russell Wilson and the winning tone set by Seahawks coach Peter Carroll trickled down the roster.
“It’s a good environment. It’s a winning culture and it’s kind of like here [Philly],” Singleton said. “It’s going to be fun, it’s going to be a good time but you got to win football games, and that’s what was attractive to me about coming here, as a free agent and stuff, with this coaching staff. It reflected what I saw originally as a rookie in Seattle.”
Supporting Special Olympics, Tackles for Money
Ashley Singleton is an accomplished athlete in the Special Olympics where she has earned accolades in swimming and bowling. Despite being three years older, Ashley refers to Alex as her “little big brother” and the two share an unbreakable bond rooted in sports.
Alex presented her with the game ball he received last week for his game-changing fumble recovery of Fletcher Cox’s strip-sack. He posted a priceless picture on Twitter, too. Ashley suffers from Down’s syndrome.
“I love her completely,” Singleton said, “and just every second with her is pretty special for me.”
Alex started a “Pledge It” campaign earlier this year to support Special Olympics Pennsylvania with an original goal of raising $2,000. He has upped it to $10,000 after watching $2,500 roll in over the past two weeks. Not surprising since his “tackling inclusion” program earns money for each tackle he makes. Alex has registered 28 tackles over the last two weeks and 60 on the year.
“They are my inspiration. They are the reason I play the game,” Singleton said of the Special Olympics athletes. “Whatever sport they are in, you can see the true joy on their faces. It’s exciting to be able to play and give money back to that organization.”
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