It's not every day that you hear a player coming off a Super Bowl Championship say that they look forward to proving themselves – but that is just the type of player Riq Woolen is.
Selected in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks, the former UTSA Roadrunner had a chip on his shoulder. Woolen exceeded all expectations as a late-round pick in his rookie year, co-leading the NFL in interceptions (6) and earning selection to the PFWA All-Rookie Team.
After four productive years in Seattle that cumulated in a Super Bowl LX victory, Woolen signed with Philadelphia in free agency to play opposite first-team All-Pro Quinyon Mitchell. At the start of Training Camp, Woolen said he felt like the "new guy in class" entering a secondary with Mitchell and Cooper DeJean.
While Woolen became more acclimated with his teammates as Training Camp progressed, joint practices against the Patriots in New England proved to be a turning point for the fifth-year cornerback.
"When you are in somebody else's territory, you have no choice but to grow closer," Woolen said. "We are all in a hotel for a week straight. All the meetings are in the hotel, we are all going to practice. So, being able to keep spending time with each other, I felt like it made us closer."
While the Eagles' first-team defense forced multiple turnovers from the Patriots' offense, Woolen was the standout cornerback. Against the team he had just defeated in the Super Bowl, Woolen broke up multiple touchdown passes in the back of the end zone and won several reps during 1-on-1s.
Most memorably, Woolen intercepted a Drake Maye pass intended for A.J. Brown at the 1-yard line and ran 99 yards down the field for a pick-six.
"It was a lot of fun, man. I felt like it was good to go out there and compete versus a championship competitor," Woolen said. "We did go out there and make plays."
Despite playing well at Training Camp practices, Public Practice was the real test for Woolen.
"I still feel like I got a lot more to prove to these guys, even the fans and everybody here," Woolen said ahead of Public Practice last month. "As I continue to make plays and off the field, continue to talk to guys throughout the locker room, throughout the facility, I'll grow closer.
"People only know me where I come from and what they've heard from where I came from. People don't really know me as a person. So, the more and more I make plays, the more and more I talk to (the media), talk to people around here, they'll be able to understand me and get to know me and to know the type of player I am."
Woolen did just that – making multiple plays for the Eagles' defense at Public Practice.
After getting an interception in the third team period, Woolen cut off a route in the final period of play, picking off the football and running it down the field for a pick-six. Eagles Defensive Pass Game Coordinator Joe Kasper praised his new 6-foot-4 cornerback following Training Camp, adding that Woolen's rare frame and measurables offer some unique advantages.
"Riq Woolen is awesome," Kasper said. "He's been a pleasure to have around. I love having him in the room. High-character guy that plays extremely hard. He's got a great deal of ability, we've just got to continue to develop him. We feel like we have a really, really strong room overall and he's a big piece of that."
Throughout Training Camp, Woolen was bombarded with questions about playing with first-team All-Pros Mitchell and DeJean, how he fit in, and how his playstyle complemented them.
"Every day I come here, it's an opportunity just to work, to get better, to get adjusted and to fit in well with the defensive backs, especially with (Mitchell), playing opposite of him," Woolen said. "I know I'm going to have great opportunities and I know he's going to have great opportunities as well."
The media attention is understandable – A cornerback who is tied for second-most passes defended (53) since entering the league in 2022 is joining two first-team All-Pros in the Eagles' secondary after helping his previous team to a Super Bowl victory.
Now, Eagles fans will finally get to the see the new cornerback trio for the first time in a live-game setting against the Commanders on Sunday.
"Honestly, I'm just excited to play football. Every day I wake up, it's a new opportunity for me to continue to get better. Me being new here, it's another opportunity to show people how I play ball and to just express who I am," Woolen said.
"The more and more people get to see me and hear from me, understand me, I feel like they'll get to like me." - Written by Caroline Connor
