Only two of the other 66 players on the Philadelphia Eagles’ active roster or injured lists are shorter than Avonte Maddox. Just three weigh less.
But that doesn’t mean the “little” former Pitt standout hasn’t made a big impression on the only NFL team he has known over the past three seasons.
“Small in stature,” Eagles coach Doug Pederson said, “but he carries a punch. He’s an electric, dynamic player.”
Maddox on Sunday returns to Heinz Field for a meaningful game for the first time since wrapping up a Pitt career in which he was a 3½-year starter who became a second-team All-ACC performer as a senior in 2017.
A fourth-round pick of Philadelphia the following year, Maddox has played more than half of the Eagles’ defensive snaps in the pros.
The 5-foot-9, 184-pound Maddox missed the Eagles’ most recent game because of an ankle injury, though Pederson said he was “getting better” and classified him as “day to day” for Sunday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field.
Pitt football notebook: Senior Avonte Maddox earns his own turnover chain in Panthers' upset win over Miami, reports @JDiPaola_Trib > https://t.co/ASX0yaVSsQ pic.twitter.com/Yo8uCtWQOc
— Tribune-ReviewSports (@TribSports) November 25, 2017
Although he now earns his pay from an NFC team, count the Steelers as among the teams most familiar with Maddox. A native of Detroit, Maddox for four seasons practiced at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex, which the Steelers share with Pitt.
“I know him very well,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. “I have a lot of respect for him.
“I just always loved his competitive spirit. It was very evident in his play. He wore it on his sleeve, and that was an attractive component of his game for me. I’m not surprised that he’s having the success that he’s having in the NFL. He’s a tremendous competitor. He’s a football lover.”
Between 2015-17 at Pitt, Maddox had eight interceptions, 39 passes defensed and 13½ tackles for loss in 33 games.
In 28 games (18 starts) for the Eagles, Maddox has two interceptions, 16 passes defensed, four tackles for loss and 1½ sacks.
“He’s a great kid, loves ball,” Pederson said. “He’s a good leader, tough kid.
“Great leader on defense, good leader in the locker room, does the right things on and off the football field.”
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