In September, Damon Brockington was selected as the Eagles Coach of the Week for his efforts on and off the field with Frankford High School.
On December 19, Brockington was surprised at Frankford High School by the Eagles and was selected as the team's 2024 High School Coach of the Year. Former Eagles wide receiver Fred Barnett and SWOOP were on-site and a part of the surprise for the Philadelphia native.
"Over the past 14 years, Coach Brockington's dedication to high school football has greatly impacted the lives of his players, their families, and the Philadelphia community. His ongoing commitment as a coach and role model has helped establish a culture at Frankford High School that is setting his student-athletes up for success, both on the football field and beyond," said Eagles Community Relations and Youth Football Coordinator Brendan Clark, who helped orchestrate the surprise.
Brockington will enter the running for the Don Shula NFL High School Coach of the Year, given to a coach who demonstrates the integrity, achievement, and leadership exemplified by the winningest coach in NFL history.
"It means everything. Growing up watching the Eagles and just being a part of this program, and just to have my kids be a part of this program. it feels good just to be a part of the Eagles and winning the Coach of the Year, I feel grateful," Brockington said from Frankford High School. "And then I feel like it was due time, you feel me? I had down years, and I'm glad for the kids that won it with me. It was a positive year and it wasn't for me, it was for them. So I appreciate it, and I thank the Eagles for the opportunity to be a part of the Eagles, so thank you."
Brockington, a Frankford alum who graduated in 2006, returned to the school as a teacher and the Dean of 11th grade, along with being the school's football coach.
He has been the head coach of the Pioneers for four years and in his first season as head coach, he led the team to an undefeated record and a division title, earning the Northeast Times' 2021-22 Football Coach of the Year Award.
This past season, Frankford finished 9-3 overall (5-0 in conference) and won the 5A Philadelphia Public League Championship for the first time since 2013. The Pioneers also reached the PIAA 5A District 12 Championship Game.
"Whatever you describe as brotherhood, this is more than you can imagine. Like I said, I graduated from here, and I got the majority of the people who I played with to come back and coach with me. I feel like that's the reason why I had a successful season this year, because the people that went through the hallways with me and played with me in previous years knew what it took for these kids to win and the outcome that it took for us," Brockington said.
Off the field, Brockington has made an impact in his community as a role model, giving his time to the youth. He leads a youth football team in his spare time and involves his high school players in mentoring and assisting with the younger athletes.
The Pioneers' coach does a lot of work mixing the youth football players with his high school team as he wants to keep them around the game and show them where they could end up playing football one day. He has let them run out of the tunnel with the high school team and has his own players help hold the chains at the little league games.
"I like to show them that there's different ways that they can be role models and that other people look up to them. I try to bring a big brother situation to my little league team and tell them the kids at the high school level are going through the same stuff they're going through sometimes," Brockington said. "The more football the kids see, the better they'll be and the more people they see having fun around the game, the more they'll see their future progress as their career goes on."
Brockington's example will continue in the halls of his alma mater as he hopes to maintain the success of the school and its football program going forward.
In addition to the award for Coach Brockington, Frankford High School will receive a $1,500 equipment voucher from the Eagles. Brockington will receive a $1,000 personal award on behalf of the NFL.
"The resources and the support that they got for me, man, for the program, like I said, today isn't for me. It's for the kids and they can use that going into the future, going into the offseason. All the equipment that they gave us and all the research that they helped me out with, we're using that as a positive reinforcement to help out for the future," the Frankford coach said.
In the Eagles' upcoming Week 18 game against the Giants on Sunday, Coach Brockington and the rest of the Eagles Coaches of the Week this season will be honored at Lincoln Financial Field.
"Frankford is a homegrown name. It's been around, always going to be around. I'm just trying to keep the legacy alive and continue to keep the legacy alive. Everybody already knows that once a Pioneer, always a Pioneer," Brockington said. – Written by Liam Wichser
