Philadelphia, PA – July 8, 2025
You won't find his name on fantasy rosters. He doesn’t have endorsement deals or viral touchdown dances. But inside the walls of the NovaCare Complex, the players know. The coaches know. And now, the NFL might have to learn the hard way — Ben VanSumeren is about to become the most selfless weapon in football.
This time last year, VanSumeren was just another linebacker fighting for a role on special teams. Now, he’s something else entirely — Nick Sirianni’s silent hammer. A converted fullback in an era that barely uses them, VanSumeren didn’t complain. He didn’t post cryptic tweets. He just put his head down and rebuilt himself.
“This team values sacrifice,” he said in his first interview since making the switch. “Nobody here’s too big to block.”
And block, he did.
When the Eagles faced the Giants in Week 7, VanSumeren was only on the field for five offensive snaps — but he cleared lanes like a snowplow, leading to 60 rushing yards including a brutal block that sprung a 41-yard run. That was the moment coaches stopped calling him a linebacker-turned-fullback. He was just a ballplayer.
Then came the injury. A brutal knee blow in November that would’ve ended most comeback stories. But VanSumeren isn’t wired for exits. He attacked rehab the same way he hits linebackers: full speed, no excuses. Now, he’s faster, stronger, and somehow hungrier.
At 6’1”, 237 pounds with 4.4 speed and a 42.5-inch vertical, he’s not just a fullback — he’s a weapon disguised as a battering ram. And in a Nick Sirianni offense built on creativity and execution, VanSumeren might be the chess piece no defense is ready for.
The Eagles haven’t had an All-Pro fullback since Leonard Weaver. But if you watched VanSumeren bury defenders in silence, wear the same number 43, and keep his mouth shut through every sacrifice — you’d know: this might be the closest we’ve come.
He doesn’t want headlines. He just wants contact.
Stay tuned to ESPN — the Eagles’ quietest warrior might be their most dangerous.
