Eagles players Milton Williams, Zech McPhearson give back at annual holiday party

Dozens of children filled Creators Barber Studios in Marlton on Saturday afternoon, as Eagles defensive tackle Milton Williams and cornerback Zech McPhearson hosted their second annual holiday giveback.

McPhearson and Williams provided meals, holiday gifts, and free haircuts to local youth at their “Hot Chocolate with Zech and Milton” event. It particularly inspiring for McPhearson, who is out for the season after tearing his Achilles tendon during a preseason against the Cleveland Browns in mid-August.

“To see this outcome with the community is heartwarming,” McPhearson said. “The holiday season is all about giving love, so that’s what we’re doing today.”

McPhearson said his ongoing rehab is one of the toughest experiences of his football career, and he initially suffered from depression after his injury.

“When you first get injured it [stinks], like you’re in a dump,” he said. “I was in a dump for about two months. But then I was able to walk again, so I got more of a normal life and energy from that.”

Support from his teammates and coaches has helped lift his spirits. Early on, veteran cornerbacks Darius Slay and James Bradberry made it a priority to visit McPhearson and bring him meals.

“Picking him up was the biggest thing,” Bradberry said. “When you go down with an injury — I haven’t had a season-ending injury, but I have had injuries before — it definitely can be depressing. When you have an Achilles injury like he did, you know how important that is to an athlete’s career. It can put you into a dark place.

“So keeping his spirits up has definitely been a goal of ours as a secondary unit, as a team.”

McPhearson, 25, who began his college career at Penn State, was a fourth-round pick by the Eagles in 2021 out of Texas Tech. He’s served as a key special teamer over his first two seasons. Entering Year 3, he was expected to serve as the team’s primary reserve behind Avonte Maddox, who also sustained a serious injury, a torn pec, against the Vikings in Week 2.

The Eagles have used a collective effort to fill the holes left behind by McPhearson and Maddox. Bradberry, rookies Sydney Brown and Eli Ricks, and Josiah Scott filled in, and now 10-year veteran Bradley Roby, who signed in October, is handling a majority of the responsibilities at the nickel.

“I always joke around in the training room with our trainers and a part of me is serious … I want to come back this season and play,” McPhearson said. “You see Aaron Rodgers practicing now and doing his thing after his torn Achilles. Honestly, cornerback is way different, and it seems unrealistic because you have to do a lot of planting and driving.

“But I’m never going to sell myself short. We’ll see if I can reach full recovery [before the end of the season]. Hopefully, we can make a nice playoff run.

“We’ve got a lot of talent. The team isn’t complacent. I take a lot of pride in special teams, and that group is balling out right now. They’re all holding their end of the bargain. It’s been fun to support my guys.”

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Despite missing last week’s game against the Buffalo Bills with a concussion, Williams, a 24-year-old third-rounder out of Louisiana Tech, is enjoying a breakout third season. Over 10 games, he’s playing a career-high 46% of defensive snaps with 25 tackles, six quarterback hits, and half a sack. He’s been especially effectively in clogging gaps in the run game and contributing to the team’s third-ranked rush defense (85.3 yards allowed per game).

Williams is expected to return Sunday when the Eagles host the San Francisco 49ers. He was listed as a full participant on Friday and does not carry an injury designation..

“I feel like I’m just constantly growing,” Williams said. “I’m only worried about being in the moment, playing hard, and trying to make plays when my number is called. I’m getting more opportunities. I view it kind of like a sneaky competition with all the D-linemen on who is going to make a play first. Ain’t nobody saying it out loud, but you want to be the one to make a stop. That approach has really helped me.”

Back inside Creators Barber Studios — which is owned Jalen Hurts’ barber, Nick Vendetti — McPhearson and Williams signed memorabilia and posed for photos with the kids in attendance. Fresh off receiving his free haircut, Charles Vargas, a 14-year-old freshman at Camden Catholic, was surprised by McPhearson, who gifted him a new pair of Beats headphones.

Upon receiving his gift, Vargas beamed and he embraced McPhearson and Williams.

“I never would’ve thought I’d have an opportunity like this,” Vargas said, “to meet and share special moments with Eagles players.”