Gameday drip is a huge deal. Cameras pan stadiums across the country with precision, looking for players donning the trendiest designs as they barrel out of the tunnel for pregame warmups. It's a can't-miss moment on gameday.

For Jalen Cyrus, hired in 2025 as part of Eagles Autism Foundation's Neurodiverse Gameday Staff, the pregame warmups before the October 26th game against the Dallas Cowboys were a surreal experience. The young staffer thought he had been invited down to the field to do an interview about his job as a ticket taker and section usher.

Turns out, Cyrus was there to witness Eagles players wearing something he designed: a white T-shirt, emblazoned with Go Birds in Kelly Green. The artwork, one of several sketches submitted by Cyrus, fashioned the G into a football helmet, with the Eagles Autism Foundation (EAF) logo inside. Cooper DeJean stretched out in the shirt. Landon Dickerson waved at fans in it. And Saquon Barkley kept his hamstring limber in it.

"I was in shock," Cyrus said. "I was mostly excited to see all the players and coaches wearing my T-shirt design. My friends kept sending me screenshots, telling me I was on the Monday Night Football Instagram post and they were calling me on the phone screaming."

Cyrus, who holds a Bachelor of Arts in Integrated Arts from neurodiverse-friendly Landmark College in Vermont, was smiling from ear to ear on the field that night. The whole thing was a surprise, a happy ambush pulled off by Eagles Autism Foundation's Executive Director Ryan Hammond and her staff.

"We wanted there to be a tie-in to the Eagles Autism Foundation since that is so close to Jeffrey Lurie's heart and mission, so we did a little surprise with Jalen," said Kiki Saraceni, Director of Scientific Programs and Inclusion Initiatives for EAF. "We knew he was an art major in college and so we asked him, 'If he could design a shirt, what would it look like?' We didn't tell him anything further."

Lurie was inducted into the Eagles Hall of Fame at halftime that night, cheered on by a sold-out stadium including 50 members of the Neurodiverse Gameday Staff. The program, which started with just three staffers in 2021, bridges the employment gap for young professionals on the spectrum while exposing them to community-building events.

"There is a large number of neurodiverse individuals who are unemployed or underemployed, and we're excited with Eagles Autism Foundation to be able to bridge a little bit of that gap," said Saraceni. "Additionally, we created a great community of gameday staff members who were able to showcase their talents, similar to Jalen being an artist. This was a super unique opportunity, but we really like to celebrate all of our individuals and what they like to do outside of working."

Best Birthday Present Ever: Behind the T-Shirt Design

Cyrus' custom-designed shirt is a hot commodity right now. According to Saraceni, multiple fans and employees kept coming up to her and asking, "Where can I get one of those? They are so cool!" Well, you're in luck — the T-shirts are available for a $30 donation to EAF.

"Honestly, it's been amazing," Cyrus said. "I mostly feel really proud of myself."

But Cyrus isn't doing this just for fun. He's an emerging artist who worked on several different T-shirt designs before landing on Go Birds. He chose Kelly Green because it best represented his mood, plus the color meshed best against the backdrop of a football flying over the Philly skyline. He stenciled in the words "Brotherly Love" and "SWOOP" to add grit.

"You know when you write the letter G, it kind of does look like a football helmet, so I thought maybe I should add some stuff that represents Philly and the Eagles and all that stuff," Cyrus said. "I felt like Kelly Green was the best color to use, and it was the only color of pens and pencils that I have at my house, so it worked out pretty well."

Cyrus first nurtured his passion for art in middle school, dabbling here and there before getting serious about it in college. He studied videography and video editing, in addition to ceramics, drawing, and 3D design. He graduated in 2024 and moved to Philadelphia in 2025.

"My goal after college was to move to Philly and find an art job," Cyrus said, who grew up in upstate New York. "It didn't go well at first. Most people said, 'We'll keep your resume on file or someone else has more experience than you,' but once I found out that the Eagles were hiring gameday staff as part of the Eagles Autism Foundation I thought maybe I should try it out. I did the interview process, then two weeks after my birthday, I got an email saying that I got hired to work for the Eagles Autism Foundation."

Best birthday present ever. Cyrus started as a ticket taker, then moved into his current post in Section 128 where he monitors the escalators and makes sure fans aren't "blocking the steps or doing anything dangerous." His favorite part? Soaking up the energy at Lincoln Financial Field.

"Working for the Eagles and being at the stadium is really cool," Cyrus said. "It's a family here."

Eagles Autism Foundation: Funding Research & Community

The real perks of working on the Neurodiverse Gameday Staff lie off the field. Sure, the program provides a paycheck to those living with autism, but it's the staff bonding and community building that makes it necessary work.

For example, Social Playbook. In addition to their stadium shifts, employees can participate in at minimum one in-person and one virtual hangout a month. It's meant to build friendships outside of the workplace.

"We did Bates Motel for Halloween," Cyrus said. "We've also gone to Sixers games and Phillies games, and we do ice skating around the holidays."

The Eagles Autism Foundation, founded in 2018, remains one of the most innovative charities in the entire NFL. The organization has raised close to $60 million, with 100 percent of those funds going directly to autism research and community grants.

"The research is worldwide at this point, but the community grants are local to Philadelphia," Saraceni said. "We actually bring in our Neurodiverse Gameday Staff to provide their perspective on what we may be funding and share their opinions."

Opinions, right? Everyone has them and should feel comfortable sharing them. For Cyrus, that philosophy extends to his expanding art portfolio.

"Keep trying your best," Cyrus said, who teases new designs all the time on Instagram. "You're going to get a lot of critiques, but I would just say, listen to what people have to say and if they don't like it, then that's fine. Don't take it too hard because it's their opinion and not yours."