New Eagle Alonso embraces his Hispanic heritage

Kiko Alonso was nearing the end of an interview after a recent practice when the crew from the Eagles Spanish Radio Network wanted another momento.

Me dan un minuto.

The new Eagles linebacker, and second-generation Latino, needed only one more minute with the English-speaking reporter - as he said in Spanish - before joining the broadcasters.

Since arriving in March, Alonso has been more than accommodating to Eagles Spanish Radio, according to play-by-play man Rickie Ricardo. During open media sessions, his interviews with the crew have often extended past typical reporter-athlete back and forth.

Alonso was born in Massachusetts to a Cuban-born father and Colombian-born mother, and Spanish remains only a second language. But his Hispanic heritage remains a significant part of his life, and, perhaps as he is keenly aware, it also is to fans in the community who follow his every tackle.

"He's really embraced the culture," Ricardo said. "He's outgoing about it on social media. He's been great with my guys. . . . The Eagles in Spanish fan base has taken to Kiko without having seen him one play on the field. Just the mere fact that he was dealt for a name as big as Shady McCoy gives him a lot of cache. And he's taken the bull by the horns with his outward reach."

The Eagles have had players with Latin, Mexican or South American backgrounds before. Quarterback Mark Sanchez is of Mexican descent, but he is third-generation, didn't become fluent in Spanish until college, and has been careful not to overstate his connection.

But Alonso could be the first who openly embraced his heritage to become a hero for a growing segment of the Eagles fan base. The most important element to that happening, of course, is talent, and the sense that the 24-year-old only scratched the surface as a rookie two years ago.

Alonso missed all of last season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament. But when the Eagles called the Bills this offseason and offered McCoy, it seemed unlikely they could get the former Oregon linebacker in return.

"They told us they did not want to use draft picks and to look at their roster and then give us a name you'd be willing to ask for," Eagles coach Chip Kelly said.

To Kelly's surprise, Buffalo agreed when Alonso was the first and only name the Eagles mentioned.

It didn't matter that they already had a three-down linebacker in Mychal Kendricks and plans to bring DeMeco Ryans back even though he was coming off the second ruptured Achilles tendon of his career. Kelly had lamented before that he would have selected Alonso in 2013 had the draft played out differently.

This was his opportunity to reunite with Alonso, and more importantly, to add talent at a position that was plagued by injuries last season.

"Kiko loves football," Kelly said. "He just fits in that same mode as DeMeco and the rest of the guys in that room that loves playing football. Plays that middle linebacker position and it takes so much to do it. You've got to be a [defensive back]. You've got to be a [defensive] lineman. He's the same player I saw when I got an opportunity to coach him at Oregon."

The only difference: "His hair is longer," Kelly said.

The only change in Kelly from his Oregon days, Alonso said, "is that he's coaching a different team."

The defense is essentially the same, too. Alonso played both inside linebacker spots in college, but has more experience in the "Mike" role, or the one Ryans filled the last two seasons. Eagles coaches have said there are opportunities with sub-packages to have Alonso, Ryans and Kendricks on the field at the same time, but one or two of the three will likely have playing time cut.

Because Alonso is playing all three downs.

"He really does have a well-rounded skill set," Eagles defensive coordinator Bill Davis said. "He's got length, so when you're playing the bigger tight ends you have a linebacker that matches up length-wise. He's got speed, so when he's on the running back he has the ability to cover them man-to-man.

"And he really has a great feel inside. He's very natural at finding the ball."

The 6-foot-3, 238-pound Alonso played every defensive snap in 2013. He recorded 159 tackles, per numbers compiled by the NFL - the third most by a rookie since 2000 - and recorded four interceptions and two fumble recoveries.

The following year was filled with setbacks. Alonso first underwent hip surgery in January 2014, and then he tore the ACL in his left knee in July only four years after tearing the other one. If there has been any lingering pain a year later, however, it didn't show during spring workouts.

"I'm excited to play in a defense I'm familiar with," Alonso said. "And [Ryans and Kendricks] have accepted me. I just want to go out there and try and help this team win games."

It's that kind of attitude that should endear Alonso to all fans, not just Spanish-speaking ones. He had two alcohol-related arrests in college, but he seems to have put those troubles behind him. Alonso is a man of few words, but estimates that he is about 80-90 percent fluent in Spanish.

"My parents' first language was Spanish," Alonso said of Carlos and Monica. "They thought it was important to have me growing up speaking both, and they didn't stray from that."

Alonso travels regularly to the Caribbean and spends every Christmas, if possible, in Puerto Rico. He lists chicken, rice, black beans and fried plantains as his favorite meal. Many of his Twitter posts are in Spanish.

Ricardo said he has already done several interviews about Alonso with Colombian radio. The Eagles' reach has expanded throughout Latin and South America. But Alonso doesn't have to go far to find an expanding number of fans looking to adopt him.

"I relate to him because we were both born here," Ricardo said. "He was born in Massachusetts, and I was born in New Jersey. We're both sons of Cuban fathers."

Alonso welcomes the attention, but football takes precedent.

"I'll do whatever," he said. "Put me at safety."

Excelente.

@Jeff_McLane