Cooper DeJean traded his cleats for a paint roller Saturday, helping slather a 30-foot telephone pole with Crisco before 120 competitors took turns trying to sprint across it, suspended over the Delaware River, to snatch a flag at the end. Most of them didn't make it. Only three did.
The Eagles defensive back's appearance at Spruce Street Harbor Park came just two days after Red Bull announced him as its newest endorsed athlete, a deal that made DeJean the first Philadelphia Eagle and the first defensive back in the company's history to sign with the energy drink brand, according to CBS News Philadelphia. To mark the announcement, Red Bull gave DeJean a custom-branded Mini Cooper topped with a giant replica energy drink can, which he took for a spin on the Eagles' practice field, as reported by The Philadelphia Inquirer.
By Saturday, DeJean was on the water for his first public turn as Red Bull's newest ambassador. He pitched in on the ceremonial greasing of the pole and even met a fan during an on-site DeJean look-alike contest, the Inquirer's account of the event notes. He admitted he wasn't about to attempt the crossing himself, joking that he'd just run full speed off the end rather than try to keep his footing on the slick pole.
Only Three Reach the Flag
The challenge, officially known as the Championship Run, proved as brutal as ever. Of the 120 competitors who lined up to sprint the greased pole over the river, just three managed to grab the flag at the far end, per the same Inquirer report. Havertown's Keilan Barber took the overall win, capturing the flag on two separate runs — an especially notable feat given that he blew out his quad muscles on his very first attempt.
A Turkish Sport Meets Philly Tradition
The event's format didn't spring from nowhere. Red Bull built the Championship Run as an adaptation of Yağlı Direk, a traditional Turkish sport in which competitors race across a heavily greased horizontal pole suspended over water to grab a flag, according to Billy Penn at WHYY. But greased-pole climbing already had deep roots in Philadelphia long before Red Bull got involved. The 9th Street Italian Market Festival has run its own lard-covered pole climb, the Albero della Cuccagna, since reviving the tradition in 2016, and fans have famously scaled light poles along Broad Street after major championships, WHYY has reported.
That cultural overlap is likely no accident. Previous editions of the Philadelphia Red Bull Championship Run have leaned on hometown sports figures to draw crowds, with former Eagles Super Bowl champions Brandon Graham and Beau Allen, as well as former 76ers player Marc Jackson, all making past appearances, according to Wooder Ice. Graham served as master of ceremonies for the 2025 event.
A Growing Waterfront Draw
The event has been staged annually at Spruce Street Harbor Park since 2024, and it's been drawing bigger crowds each year. The 2025 edition pulled in roughly 2,000 spectators to Penn's Landing, and this year's competitor registration was set at $29, with spectating remaining free to the public, Wooder Ice reported.
DeJean's arrival adds another layer of star power to that growth. Red Bull's endorsement deal makes him the sixth active or college football player on the company's roster, joining Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and college standouts like Texas quarterback Arch Manning, CBS News Philadelphia reported. The brand's football lineup has also previously included retired stars such as Reggie Bush and Devin Hester.
DeJean, drafted 40th overall by the Eagles in 2024, has built a resume that made him an easy target for a marquee endorsement. He returned a Patrick Mahomes interception 38 yards for a touchdown during Super Bowl LIX — which also happened to fall on his 22nd birthday — helping seal Philadelphia's championship, and he went on to earn First-Team All-Pro honors in 2025, according to his Red Bull athlete profile. DeJean grew up in Odebolt, Iowa, before starring at the University of Iowa.
DeJean has become a familiar face around the city well beyond football Sundays. Hoodline previously noted his visit to a popular local cheesesteak spot as a sign of the shop's regional pull, and he was among the young defensive backs who credited retiring cornerback Darius Slay with shaping their development in the Eagles' secondary earlier this year.
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