NEW ORLEANS – The sights are all too familiar for Zack Baun this Super Bowl week.
So much has changed in Baun’s life in just one year. From facing an uncertain future in the NFL to betting on himself and becoming an All-Pro linebacker with the Philadelphia Eagles, the journey started in New Orleans.
For four years, Baun tried to make it in the NFL with the Saints. He was seldom used on defense and essentially an afterthought by the time his tenure ended with the Saints.
As Baun returns to the city that took a chance on him for Super Bowl LIX, what changed in just one year’s time? How did a rotational (at best) contributor turn into a Defensive Player of the Year finalist and one of the best players in the league?
“I blame a lot of it on myself and getting in my own way,” Baun said. “They had great coaches and this was a great city, I just got in my own way.”
A change of scenery was what Baun needed when he came to Philadelphia, but it was more than just switching addresses. The Eagles recognized that Baun was potentially out of position and could be a successful off-ball linebacker – and they were right.
“I think when I was here (in New Orleans) I didn’t know what I was,” Baun said. “I didn’t know if I was an off-ball linebacker, on-ball backer. I just knew it didn’t necessarily feel right, so I wasn’t getting it right away. Time ran its course, and I just continued to work on my craft. Work on my craft to get better at all things.”
Baun took a chance and decided not to return to New Orleans, signing a one-year deal with the Eagles. He bet on himself and won, becoming the third player since 2000 to record 150-plus tackles and six-plus forced fumbles in a season.
Baun’s success didn’t come as a surprise to him, as he recognized the adjustments he needed to make.
“Physically, I knew I had the capability to be a pretty good player,” Baun said. “It just took me a while to get going mentally to transition for different positions on defense and try to get used to coverages, schemes and fits. I knew I had the tools, but it was just getting in the right situation and being in the right place to do it.”
The Eagles ended up being the perfect fit for Baun, who maximized his opportunity after receiving encouraging advice from fellow linebacker Oren Burks, who signed with Philadelphia after him.
Baun is now just one win away from completing a dream season – in the city where it all began.
