McKenzie Blake sat at her desk inside Lincoln Financial Field on a Tuesday in December, jumping on and off phone calls all day as a member of the Eagles' Premium Sales and Services team.
It was business as usual for the Princeton graduate, who is spending 10 months with the organization as part of their Seasonal Associate program. But then her phone began buzzing with something that had nothing to do with selling suites.
Blake got a text message from an unsaved number introducing themselves as the head coach of the Maryland Charm, Emily Parros. The Charm are a member of the Women's Lacrosse League, and Parros' message said to give her a call as soon as possible.
It was only 4 PM, so Blake anxiously waited for the work day to end before calling Parros from the car. That's when she found out her lacrosse career wasn't over just yet: The Charm had just drafted her.
"It was definitely one of my favorite moments [of my career] just because I didn't know," Blake said. "I at least have one more year to play."
Get to know Blake at work, and it will be a long, long time before she brings up lacrosse. Not because she doesn't love the sport, there's just no easy way to tell your co-workers you set the single-season Ivy League record for most goals scored.
For most people who work with her, it took months before they found out she even played lacrosse. It wasn't until they followed her on social media that they figured out she's one of the greatest women's lacrosse players in the world.
Coming out of Haddonfield High School, where she was coached by her mother, Jessica, Blake was a highly touted recruit. She took official visits at UNC, Northwestern, Maryland, and Virginia before eventually landing at Princeton, a staple program in the sport with three national titles.
Blake arrived at Princeton as a midfielder, but because she was the only left-handed player on the team, she was asked to play attack. She made the switch and never looked back.
Across her four-year career, Blake started all 72 games she played. She graduated in 2025 as the school's all-time leading scorer with 231 goals and finished her senior season with 89, breaking an Ivy League record that had stood since 1981.
A few weeks after getting drafted, Blake was named the Philadelphia Sports Writers Association's Amateur Athlete of the Year. Some of the previous winners include current and former Eagles like Jeremiah Trotter Jr. and Brian Westbrook, as well as other legendary athletes like Catilin Clark, Jalen Brunson, and Matt Ryan.
At the banquet — which she tried her hardest to keep a secret from everyone at work — she sat next to Jumaine Jones, getting to know the member of the 2001 76ers' NBA Finals team.
"It's crazy," Blake said. "I was always pretty good just because I had played for such a long time, so I always knew I was going to play to some extent at the next level. But it is kind of wild looking back."
Blake reports to D.C. for training on February 24 before playing her first professional game on February 27. It will be a new experience for her playing indoor 6 vs. 6 in the winter before playing the more traditional 10 vs. 10 in the summer.
She will have to take three weeks off work, but she will finish the Seasonal Associate program when the season is over.
"McKenzie has been a pleasure to work with this year," said Brandon Sochovka, Blake's supervisor and Assistant Manager, Suite Services for the Philadelphia Eagles. "Her transition from the field to our office was seamless, and she hit the ground running. She navigated an NFL Training Camp, a calendar year of client events, and 11 NFL gamedays.
"Her consistent work ethic and team-first attitude were demonstrated time and time again. And no matter how many tasks we asked her to juggle (especially on gameday), she did it with a positive attitude all the way through. She has been a great addition to our group this season, and I cannot wait to watch her career unfold as she transitions back to the field. The sky is the limit when it comes to her!"
After Blake was drafted, her first call was to her mother, who was ecstatic but also joked that her daughter needed to get back on the field.
Blake had consistently been working out, but she wasn't running frequently due to a previous injury. Blake chipped a piece of her kneecap as a sophomore in college, and she still deals with the effects of the injury.
Once she got the call, she began doing more lacrosse-specific training, including playing live sessions with her former high school team.
"I don't have high expectations of playing for many years just because at some point, my body won't let me," she said.
After being nearly a year removed from college, Blake realized she wants to be more hands-on in the sports world. She's looking to get into college lacrosse coaching next year, and moments like working during Eagles Training Camp helped solidify her desire to be as close to the action as possible.
But first, she has a professional lacrosse season to play.
"I don't know if it'll be my last year [playing], but it's definitely nice to have one final like kind of ride in that sense," Blake said. "I don't have a time limit. ... I know there's another option and I know my family can come watch me one more time at least. I can go play a couple more times. It's definitely nice not getting cut off right when you graduate.
"Now, I can feel ready when I leave. I wasn't ready. But now I can leave on my own terms." — Written by Matt Ryan
