College Football

New Eagle Goedert wants to beat his namesake

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 6:13 p.m. ET

(STATS) - The tight end whom Dallas Goedert is replacing on the Philadelphia Eagles, Trey Burton, threw the famous "Philly Special" pass that helped them win February's Super Bowl.

Goedert is unfazed. "I think I've got a pretty good arm," he said.

Goedert has inherited the No. 88 jersey previously worn by Burton, who left the Eagles in free agency, because his 86 at South Dakota State is taken by the team's No. 1 tight end, Zach Ertz.

Maybe any TE 2 wearing 88 can handle the "Philly Special," but the Eagles traded up in the second round of the NFL Draft to pick Goedert at No. 49 because of the way he catches passes, not throws them. Many of his 198 college receptions were of the highlight-reel variety.

There's no doubt Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz put in a good word or two about Goedert. They played against each other in the fierce North Dakota State-South Dakota State rivalry. During the long buildup to the draft, Goedert signed with the same agency, Rep1 Sports, following a recommendation by Wentz.

Now the two expect to form a highly productive passing combination.

"I was lucky enough to play at South Dakota State, where they used me in the offense a lot, put me in different positions, and I was kind of the go-to guy," the 6-foot-4½, 256-pound Goedert said when introduced to the Eagles' media on Saturday. "Sometimes the quarterback would be in trouble and throw a ball that was a little bit too high or a little bit too far in front, and I think I have really good ball skills - my athletic ability helped - and I was able to just make some plays."

It's kind of a big deal in Philadelphia that the two-time first-team STATS FCS All-American is named after the Dallas Cowboys because his father, David, was a fan of the team when he was born. During the draft, a GoFundMe page has been started to get his named changed to Philly Goedert, although it's been unsuccessful initially.

But the Eagles successfully leaped over the Cowboys, who drafted 50th, to get the tight end whom many believe would have been their NFC East rival's selection.

"Now I'm excited to beat them twice a year," Goedert said.