February 4, 2025   4 MIN READ

Yin Yang Twins

Opposites Off Field, Birds Safeties Maintain Tight Bond

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NEW ORLEANS – Seated at a far podium Tuesday, mostly shielded from the sea of media converging around podiums where fellow higher-profile teammates were stationed, third-year safety Reed Blankenship struggled to contain his elation.

Sporting a wide grin, Blankenship kicked off the session by acknowledging that he had a different role the last time the Eagles and Chiefs met in the Super Bowl, while also offering that he has a “little bit of nerves” despite his brimming excitement.

Blankenship’s hometown, Athens, Ala., is roughly a six-hour drive from this city, which in five days will host a Super Bowl rematch between the Eagles and Chiefs.

He’ll have a crowd on hand – 15 people, by his count – to see what’s expected to be a closely contested game that comes down to the wire.

reed blankenship c.j. gardner-johnson getty

GETTY IMAGES: Eagles safeties C.J. Gardner-Johnson (left) and Reed Blankenship are like the odd couple.

And Blankenship could very well find himself in the eye of the hurricane patrolling the middle of the field, where Chiefs All Pro tight end Travis Kelce makes his hay.

After Blankenship matched up against veteran tight end Zach Ertz in the NFC Championship – Ertz reeled in 11 catches for 104 yards – the Chiefs could implement a similar approach to their passing game.

But Blankenship has proven that what he might lack in terms of overall athleticism and range, he compensates with ball skills and football intelligence.

Along with secure open-field tackling, Blankenship has a flair for coming up with the opportune big play, a characteristic that can’t always be taught.

His instincts allow him to read the eyes of quarterbacks and break on passes. And now with two seasons of being a full-time starter under his belt, Blankenship is playing his best football.

Credit goes to Blankenship for putting in the work, but there’s a seldom-discussed position coach who Blankenship gushed about.

When it comes to safeties coach Joe Kasper, whom Blankenship called “one of the top coaches I’ve ever been around,” his fingerprints on the position’s growth has been evident.

Blankenship noted the extra work and extra film study that Kasper puts in to make the safeties’ job description easier, which results in playing faster and more free.

Blankenship noted Kasper’s willingness to go the extra mile and overall diligence when asked for specifics.

It’s forged a close relationship between the coach and player.

“I could call him right now,” Blankenship said, “and he’ll answer.”

The other puzzle piece in minimizing Kelce’s intermediary damage is Blankenship’s running mate, C.J. Gardner-Johnson.

Brash, lively and unapologetically himself, Gardner-Johnson is a stark contrast to Blankenship’s demeanor. They’re almost like the odd couple.

But Gardner-Johnson, a team leader and tone-setter, has struck up a tight-knit bond with Blankenship. The communication is fine-tuned, they pick each other up, and each has a knack for taking away the ball.

Blankenship expanded on the benefits of playing alongside a playmaker like Gardner-Johnson.

“It’s helped me a lot,” he said. “I feel like we kind of go off each other. I feel like we’re both physical. He brings the vocal part to it … I kind of try to settle him down at times. But I love playing with him. I guess we have two different personalities, you could say.

“What he brings to this team … he brings that leadership, that dawg mentality that we were missing a little bit last year. Obviously you could see that he’s an emotional player. But I love playing with him, I love playing for him.”

– Andrew DiCecco (@AndrewDiCecco) is a Staff Reporter/Content Producer for InsideTheBirds.com.

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