The Detroit Lions visit the Philadelphia Eagles on “Sunday Night Football” in a battle of two of the best teams in the NFC.
Lions linebacker Alex Anzalone grew up about 45 minutes outside Philadelphia, in Reading, Pennsylvania. He has been a key part of a Lions defense that ranks seventh in yards allowed and eighth against the run, and he joined the Free Press for this week’s Five Questions.
Some questions and answers have been edited for clarity and brevity.
You grew up outside of Philadelphia. What was your favorite Eagles moment as a kid?
When they went to the Super Bowl in, I forget, it may have been like ’05, maybe. And then they lost, and then I cried, so bad season.
How often did you go to Eagles games?
I feel like everyone in that area of Pennsylvania is like, like it is here. It’s comparable, but obviously I think our fans are a little more tamed.
So what advice would give to Lions fans going to Philadelphia this week?
Wear neutral colors. I mean, I’m sure it’s not as bad as it used to be back in the day. But yeah, to answer your question, yeah, I went to a decent amount growing up. One of my best friends had season tickets, I’d get invited all the time to go to games.
OK, I know we’ve talked before about you helping your wife coach your son’s soccer team this spring. What advice would you give to youth sports parents out there?
I feel like as my son gets older, I’m going to have a hard time with dealing with certain types of parents, if you know what I mean. So I think that, it’s supposed to be fun. You can get your kids to play hard, but at the same time, it’s for fun and not everyone’s going pro. I’m trying to think of something unique, but I feel like that’s the main thing. That’s the main thing as I coach my kids is like, this is for fun, there’s a time to be serious about it, but at the same time, until you get to high school, it’s not the end-all, be-all.
Isn’t yours, like, 3?
He’s going to be 5.
And you’re already running into parents who think their kid’s going to be the next Lionel Messi?
You hear people talking. Not like at games and stuff, but you can tell like which parents are kind of the, they’re going to be prone to it, I feel like. Just the way how they talk. Like, “You know, I think my son’s really coming along this year and this is going to be a great year.” It’s like, we’re worried about orange slices at halftime, you know what I mean?
How many sports did you play in high school?
I played basketball my freshman year and then lacrosse and football.
How do you feel about kids playing a variety of sports?
I think it’s important. It’s important just because, one, I think it develops your athleticism. You don’t get burnt out. You train different. Like, if you’re worried about like, “Oh, football’s my sport.” Other sports can help you develop that as well. And I think that’s really important. And high school, I mean, I guess people are specializing even younger than high school. I’m telling you, that’s the time that you make these sports memories that you have forever, even when you’re older. Like, I wish I could go play another lacrosse game as a 31-year old NFL player.
You face Saquon Barkley this week. He jumped backwards over a defender last year. What’s the most freakish thing you’ve seen on an athletic field?
Shoot. I’m trying to think. One of them was when Kenneth Walker [III, Seahawks running back] did that flip over me, last year. I’ve never seen that before. Probably that. That’s personal experience. But you see some crazy stuff. Playing in the NFL long enough, you see some athletic guys come through. It’s crazy.
How about you? What’s the most freakish thing you’ve ever done athletically?
I don’t even know. Cover receivers. I don’t know. I’m not like – I’m athletic, I’m very athletic, but at the same time, I’m not like jumping up super-high. I had a jumping-up, one-handed pick, preseason one time.
We’ll take that. I didn’t know if you like were dunking in ninth grade.
Oh, yeah, I mean, yeah, I was dunking by ninth grade, I think.
Not everyone can say that. Next one, so the Mega Millions jackpot is $1 billion right now. Will you buy a ticket?
No, I’m not. I should, but I don’t even have time to do that.
What would you buy if you won a billion dollars? How would you spend the money?
I’d probably get a Wheels Up account..
You could get your own plane with that money.
Yeah. Start knocking on doors of houses not for sale that I want. I would start knocking on doors. Give back. I don’t know.
If you won a billion dollars, would you still play football?
No. No it’s … Yeah. At this point, no. I’d be done.
Will Burchfield from WXYT-FM (97.1) standing nearby, asks: Would you have still played eight or nine years ago?
Yeah, maybe cause I didn’t know any better, too. I know too much now. I know better.
Let me go back to being a coach and a parent then. Are you going to let your kids play football?
Yeah, I think once they start tackle football – they’re going to play flag, but I’d say tackle, once my son probably starts going through puberty, maturing a little bit.
You’re in a tough spot. He’ll want to play, but knowing what you know …
Yeah, I’m going to have to hold him back. I’m going to have to pull him back on wanting to do it. So it’ll be hard. It’ll be interesting. I don’t know. It’s going to be – we’ll see.
Isn’t your dad a doctor?
Yeah, my dad is a doctor. Pediatrician.
Did he have any reservations about you playing?
No, he had me playing football in like first or second grade. What kind of doctor are you?
Last one, do you do jersey swaps with opposing players?
I don’t. I try not to. Like my really close friends, I’ll do it. When Pat (O’Connor) was in Tampa, I did. I’m trying to think who else. Trey Hendrickson, I did it just cause that was my guy, we were drafted together. I really don’t do it a lot. And it’s a lot of it’s like, ‘Oh, I’ll send you a jersey after.’
That counts. What’s the most meaningful jersey you have?
Teammates-wise, I got Drew Brees. My dog, Manti Te’o, I was teammates with him. That was a good one. I finally put Derrick [Barnes’] up in my office. We finally swapped jerseys last year.
Even if it’s not a jersey, what’s your most coveted piece of sports memorabilia?
I’d say the coolest thing I feel like I have is all the game balls just throughout the years. It’s cool to look back on like, ‘Oh, that game.’ You start looking back at your career and just my office is full of just game balls and it’s just kind of cool to see.
Dave Birkett covers the Lions for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him atdbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him onBluesky,X andInstagram at @davebirkett.