Former Philadelphia Eagles RB Jay Ajayi signs new deal of a different sort
Jay Ajayi has decided he’s playing in the ‘City of Brotherly Love’ one way or another. The former Philadelphia Eagles running back has signed a deal of a different sort.
Well, Jay Ajayi has decided that he’s going to be a part of the ‘City of Brotherly Love’ in one way or another. Many of us first got to know him in 2017 when a midseason trade in 2017 solidified the backfield of a Philadelphia Eagles team that was on its way to a Super Bowl title.
In his first appearance with the ‘Birds’, he set the fans and the rest of the NFL world on fire with a long touchdown run versus an overmatched Denver Broncos squad.
That’s when things got ugly. In 2018, his season ended with him being placed on the team’s IR (injured reserve) early. He was never the same again. After being off the original 53-man roster in 2019, Philly tried re-signing him during the 2019 campaign, but it was clear that his best days were behind him.
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Well, don’t look now, but Ajayi says his ‘playing’ days aren’t over. He’s trading a pair of cleats for a control pad. He’s back in the news and back in Philly, but the game he’ll be playing will be a different one. On Tuesday, he signed a deal with Major League Soccer’s Philadelphia Union a gamer for an eMLS campaign. Who would have thunk? The ‘Jay Train’ is a professional gamer and a member of eMLS League Series One.
Here’s a quote from a man who, by the time he’s done, may have a literal key to the city. He already owns a figurative one.
"Philadelphia holds a special place in my heart, so I am blessed to be able to represent the city in the esports realm and to become one of the first pro athletes to become a professional gamer. It combines two of my passions, soccer and gaming. I’m a competitor, so you’re going to see me give my all for the Union at every eMLS event this year."
We overuse a lot of terms. ‘Game-changer’ is one of those phrases that qualify, but it definitely fits here. Wouldn’t you agree? Congratulations and well done ‘Jay Train’. Eagles fans everywhere needed something to smile about, and you just gave them a reason.