Nakobe Dean: Expanding social life, opening up more 'was one of the reasons' for enrolling at Georgia

Even Nakobe Dean needed to be taken out of his comfort zone to spread his wings and fly.

While the former Georgia star linebacker could’ve played his college football almost anywhere, he left his hometown of Horn Lake, Mississippi for Athens to find out who he truly was. The answer? A champion, leader and NFL rookie brimming with potential.

In an interview with the Philadelphia Eagles — the franchise that drafted him in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft — Dean opened up on why expanding his social life was a contributing factor in him enrolling at Georgia.

“I wasn’t a big social guy, as far as talking. So, one of the reasons I went to Georgia is because I knew I had to open up more,” revealed Dean. “I knew me going six hours away from home where I don’t know nobody, and no family lived near me. I knew I was going to have to talk, and open up a little bit more to teammates, and social life. Things like that. That was one of the reasons I did that.”

Indisputably, Dean did that and more — blossoming into a star throughout his time in Athens. Horn Lake may always be home, but there’s no doubt Athens has become just as important to the former Georgia star.

Nakobe Dean has proven he can adapt to new surroundings. It isn’t always sunny in Philadelphia, but his experience will serve him well as he adjusts to the rigors of the NFL during his rookie season.

More on Nakobe Dean, Philadelphia Eagles

Continuing, the Philadelphia Eagles are banking on Georgia product Nakobe Dean to come in and transform their linebacking corps. He did it with style throughout his time in Athens, and the former Bulldogs linebacker will be expected to do the same in his NFL career. That’s why — after a long wait — the Eagles took him off the board early in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft on Friday night, picking him No. 83 overall.

In his four seasons with the Bulldogs, Dean elevated his game consistently, leading an exceptional Georgia defense as one of the top linebackers in the entire nation. Last season, Dean realized his dream of bringing a championship to Georgia, helping to end a drought that spanned over 40 years when the Bulldogs defeated Alabama in the 2022 College Football Playoff National Championship Game. Additionally, the star linebacker was the recipient of the Butkus Award, presented annually to the top linebackers in college football.

Most importantly to the Eagles, Dean has potential to become one of the top linebackers in the entire NFL. He was dominant at Georgia, showing fantastic traits in both his playing style, football intelligence and leadership ability.

A former five-star recruit in the class of 2019, Dean was the No. 4 linebacker in the nation per the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average. The former Georgia star played his high school football at Horn Lake in Horn Lake, Mississippi, where he was rewarded with the Gatorade State High School Football Player Award his senior season. Dean’s been a star at every level of his football career, and there’s no reason to think that will change in the NFL.