It’s just past 8 p.m. when Nakobe Dean arrives home from the NovaCare Complex. The Eagles rookie linebacker typically caps his long workday with some form of advanced recovery treatment; on this Tuesday, he opted for a massage.
“There were no options to talk to me any type of way,” his mother said. “It was always a sign of respect — yes, sir; yes, ma’am — I didn’t play no ‘huh,’ ‘naw,’ or ‘nah.’ That was not an option. Showing respect to elders is definitely something that was instilled early.” “Even early, he was always thinking along the lines of what he’s going to invent, what he’s going to make, what he’s going to create.”
Through the project, Dean is hoping to improve the quality of oral health care, and encourage early intervention with youth across Philadelphia. The student wellness initiative is geared toward educating, advocating, and connecting children and adolescents in Philadelphia to accessible health and dental care.
“This is something that I’d be doing if I didn’t even have the platform that I have,” he said. “I know I probably wouldn’t be able to do it to the magnitude that I’m doing it, but even if I wasn’t a professional football player, I’d want to give back to the community in some type of way. It’s not anything that even involves me, it’s just something that we’re supposed to do — giving back to the community and making sure others are taken care of.