Football-obsessed Doylestown brothers Drew and Kevin Wilkins are living their dream as NFL coaches, even when competing on opposite sidelines, writes Matt Breen for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Growing up, the brothers spent their free time playing Madden, going to Eagles training camp at Lehigh University, and playing Friday night football at La Salle College High School.
Determined to turn football into a career, they worked as student assistants in college and landed internships with NFL teams.
They did everything possible to secure positions on the coaching staffs and succeeded, reaching the NFL as assistant coaches despite never playing college football. They even spent nine seasons coaching together with the Baltimore Ravens and the New York Giants.
On Sunday, the brothers faced each other on opposite sidelines during the NFL Week 7 matchup between the Los Angeles Rams and Jacksonville Jaguars in London.
Drew Wilkins, the older brother, coached the Rams’ pass rush, while Kevin Wilkins was the Jaguars’ assistant linebackers coach. Although Drew came out victorious with a 35-7 win, the game turned out to be emotionally challenging for the brothers’ family.
“For the parents, it’s painful,” said their father, Jim Wilkins.
Read more about how Drew and Kevin Wilkins turned childhood dreams into NFL careers in The Philadelphia Inquirer.
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