Jake Elliott, Eagles' best athlete? Teammates weigh in on his most impressive non-football feat

There’s a secret in the Eagles’ locker room: Jake Elliott might be the best athlete on the team. This is not based on how he would perform at the scouting combine when testing athleticism. Rather, give him a ball — or a club, or a bat, or a racket — and Elliott would excel.

After all, Elliott’s entry into kicking came when he was selected out of the bleachers to attempt a field goal at a pep rally as a freshman in high school in 2009. At the time, he was more of a tennis player. He resisted joining the football team because it overlapped with tennis season.

Elliott is now one of the NFL’s most prolific kickers, a Super Bowl winner and Pro Bowler who has twice won NFL special teams player of the week this season. The latest came after his 54-yard, game-winning field goal in overtime. 

The football accomplishments are known to the public. Inside the locker room, teammates have witnessed Elliott’s non-football feats. Here’s what impresses those who work with him every day:

Jason Kelce, center: “He’s the most unreal golf player I’ve ever seen in my life.”

Rick Lovato, long snapper: “Besides golf? I’ve seen him do some pretty impressive things with a golf ball. Gosh, it’s a great question. I’d say more so his softball ability. When we’re in the same game with Carson (Wentz) in the AO1 (charity game at Citizens Bank Park), and he probably hit a home run every time he’s at bat. For him to have that power, swinging as well, that guy can do it all. …He’s done a lot and I’ve done a lot with him. But there’s too many to remember because he’s that just that talented.”

Jordan Mailata, offensive tackle: “My second year on the team, I was invited to this arcade with the special teamers. Jake, Cam Johnston, and Rick (Lovato). And we’re basically playing pool, table tennis, any arcade game there. He could just destroy us. Nothing was close. Foosball. Everything. I thought that was — not-football — ’Damn.’ And he looks like a pro in it. One, I can’t believe he’s that good — especially table tennis. Table tennis, he’s a beast. Ping-pong master. Too easy.” 

Landon Dickerson, offensive guard: “That’s tough. I feel like, golf. That’s tough…”
Mailata (next to Dickerson): “Oh, how did I fucking not think of that?” 
Dickerson: “I’d definitely say golf.”
Mailata: “Zach, changed my mind. Going back to golf now. Table tennis and golf.”
Berman: “So not that arcade?”
Mailata: “Shit, put all three! The man’s a fucking…”
Dickerson: “If you’ve ever played golf with him, you very much understand that you suck at golf.”
Mailata: “But you get a free golf lesson.”
Berman: “What’s the best you’ve seen him shoot?”
Dickerson: “Way better than me.” 
Mailata: “Sixty…nine.”
Dickerson: “Is that what he did at Merion? …I’m pretty sure he came in under par at Merion.”

Jack Stoll, tight end: “Well, I saw him shoot a 64 when I played golf with him at RiverWinds. I think that’s hands down the most impressive thing. I’m out there throwing clubs and he’s shooting a 64. That’s hand down. …He’s an athlete now. He’s unique. We probably got the most athletic kicker in the league.”

Dallas Goedert, tight end: “I was fortunate enough to go play golf with him at RiverWinds and he shot a 64. Just don’t think I’ll see anything more impressive than that. Eight under is quite the feat. It was unreal. 

“Second? Watching him play ping-pong. I know it kind of goes back to his tennis days, but he’s mean on the ping-pong table.”

Milton Williams, defensive lineman: “You see the workout video we had when he was golfing? He probably has the best golf swing.”

Brandon Graham, edge rusher: “Hitting them trick shots during COVID. A lot of trick shots during COVID. Hitting the golf balls. That’s it.”

Devon Allen, wide receiver: “I played golf with him, that’s impressive. He’s the best golfer on the team. ..He’s pretty close to me in ping-pong, I’m the best ping-pong player on the team. …He’s pretty good. He might be top two. …I don’t think we played, actually. We have to set that up. Basketball, he’s a good shooter. I know he’s played soccer. He’s a pretty good athlete. But I think the most impressive thing is how good he is at golf because it takes so much time to be good.”

Grant Calcaterra, tight end: “Probably watching him play ping-pong. He’s disgusting at ping-pong. I might have beat him once, but that’s probably a lot of luck. He usually whoops my ass. I haven’t played in a long time, but he’s, I mean, he’s got that tennis background. He put so much spin on the ball.”

Jack Driscoll, offensive tackle: “Play ping-pong. He’s a great ping-pong player. I have not (played him), don’t know how it would go. He can do everything.”

Christian Elliss, linebacker: “Ping-pong. He’s just sneaky athletic at everything: Ping-pong, golf. I bet a lot of special teamers, no one’s ever like, ‘They’re the best athlete,’ but they got good control. Every part of their body. So whenever we play ping-pong, he just smokes everybody. (I was) not even close. Not even close. …I’ve seen a lot of guys try to try to beat him. T.J. (Edwards) used to try. T.J. was a good player. A lot of a lot of LBs have gone down. …He’s consistent. He can spike it. Good serves. It’s just all around, just good player.”

Patrick Johnson, linebacker: “Most impressive is between his ping-pong game and golf game. I mean honestly, there’s not really much that man can’t really do. He does everything at a high level. It’s kind of funny to say that, but he kind of does.”

Josh Sweat, edge rusher: “I might have seen him play ping-pong. And he’s pretty good at hitting the crossbar (throwing it), but I’m way better than him at that. So probably ping-pong. …That’s because I haven’t played it yet!”

Michael Clay, special teams coordinator: “I mean, he’s a wizard on the ping-pong table. Before our walk-throughs, we go out there for about 10 minutes before or something and we just try to hit the crossbar from the 20-yard line, and he usually gets on a heater and it’s pretty impressive how much touch and how locked in he is in terms of all that. But just having that competitive drive is awesome, not just for our room but the guys that sit in the other chairs, they see that competitive drive and they want to match it.”

Boston Scott, running back: “You know you use the term ‘Jack of all trades’ where they’re good at everything and master of none? He’s really, really good at a lot of things! It’s kind of annoying. He’s good at a lot of stuff, bro: Ping-pong, golfing, bowling. He could do everything and it’s not just like, recreational stuff. This is like the hard stuff that really takes a lot of time and effort. Like, he’s good at those individual things that are really hard to play. …I would probably say golf (stands out). Because I feel like that’s one of the hardest sports to play.”

Darius Slay, cornerback: “Certainly his golf game is very, very good. But he’s a pro golfer. I don’t really know too much, but it’s like every sport we could play that we got a ball in it, he’s real good at ping-pong, basketball. Football as you see, kicking. I won’t be surprised if he knows how to play soccer. Golf. for sure. Jake plays all the sports. …I’ve seen him play baseball. He’s great at baseball. …He can do it all. I would say, Jake, overall, is probably the best athlete on the team. Overall, as in he can play the most sports. Now is he the best at all of them? I ain’t going to say he’s the best at all of them. But he can play the most sports of anyone on the team.”