On Father’s Day weekend, a former Eagle returns to Philly to see his daughter compete at New Balance Nationals

With a frame that looks like it still could hold up in the NFL, Derrick Witherspoon shuffled through the metal bleachers at Franklin Field, weaving around spectators and making his way to the front railing.

At many of his daughter Kalani’s recent track meets, the former Eagle became so nervous that he preferred to watch the race from his phone rather than the stands. But on Father’s Day weekend, in the city where Witherspoon experienced the pinnacle of his athletic career, he yelled from the front row and watched his daughter compete at the height of hers.

The New Balance Nationals Outdoor, featuring the top high school track and field talent in the country, brought Witherspoon back to Philadelphia for the first time since his days returning kicks for the Eagles (1995-97). Showing that speed runs in the Witherspoon family, Kalani Witherspoon competed Saturday in the 100-meter hurdles, advancing out of the preliminary round before coming up shy of a berth in Sunday’s final, finishing 11th overall with a time of 14.05 seconds.

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“[I’ve] definitely had to live up to a lot, keep up a good name,” Kalani said of her father’s influence.

Derrick Witherspoon spent the entirety of his three-year NFL career in Philadelphia, leading the league in 1996 with two kick returns for touchdowns. Today, he lives in rural Georgia, where he and his wife, Kolowa, organize much of their day-to-day routines around their three kids’ busy schedules.

“Over the years, our life has become whatever the kids are doing,” Kolowa Witherspoon said. “Literally, our vacations involve either a camp or a sport.”

This weekend, the Witherspoon family’s attention turned to Kalani, a senior and star hurdler at Georgia’s Carrollton High School. In just her third season competing in track, Kalani won a state championship last month in the 100-meter hurdles. She currently is weighing Division I track offers.

Kalani Witherspoon also is a state champion in gymnastics, a sport in which she has participated since age 4. A few years ago, when Derrick and Kolowa heard that their daughter had become disenchanted with gymnastics and wanted to start from the ground up as a hurdler, they were supportive but also had their reservations. Kalani’s success has helped alleviate many of their concerns.

“We were against it, but she proved us wrong, let’s put it that way,” Derrick Witherspoon said.

While Kalani is still honing her technique in track, training as much as four hours a day, her experience in gymnastics has helped ease the transition.

“It helped a lot with hurdles because I’m very flexible,” Kalani said. “It just gave me the [ability to] glide over because it’s a familiar motion going over the hurdle, the leaps and jumps.”

The trip to New Balance Nationals Outdoor has offered Kalani and Kolowa the chance to experience the city where Derrick made his name more than 25 years ago. The family rented an Airbnb near the address on City Avenue where Derrick once lived as an Eagle, before he became a husband and a father.

While the Witherspoons were careful to keep the focus of their trip on Kalani and her races, Derrick couldn’t help but show his family around a city that remains dear to him. They’ve taken strolls up and down South Street and have plans to see the Liberty Bell and climb the Art Museum steps made famous by Rocky.

“We went to South Street, ate some food — it was really good. The food here has been great.” Kalani Witherspoon said.

They’ll also make a special stop at Lincoln Financial Field, the closest Derrick Witherspoon can get to reliving his playing days at the old Veterans Stadium. Two decades after he last suited up for the Eagles, he hopes to make it back for a game sometime soon.

“I’ve missed it — Philly fans are the best,” Derrick said. “Especially me being a special teams guy, they love guys like us.”