Weeks after Peninsula High grad lands job with Philadelphia Eagles, they’re headed to Super Bowl

Peninsula High School 2013 graduate Jake Richards just landed his first job out of college: An internship with the Philadelphia Eagles.

He started the job in ticket and fan services on Jan. 3. Fast forward a few weeks: The Eagles are headed to the Super Bowl, after blasting the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Championship, 38-7.

Starting a new job anywhere, generally, is stressful. In the midst of a run to the Super Bowl? Talk about a frantic start.

“I was getting home every night pretty exhausted from the day,” Richards said. “It was a lot of information to retain from the get-go but I hit the ground running. I’ve just been trying to be like a sponge and just absorb everything I can.”

It may have been a bit chaotic, but Richards said he has enjoyed every minute of the experience. He worked during the Divisional Round and the NFC Championship at Lincoln Financial Field. After the NFC Championship win, he even got to take a picture holding the NFC Championship trophy.

“It was a surreal moment,” Richards said of the photo. “It’s something I’ll never forget. (Myself and the other interns) were able to experience that postgame show on Fox firsthand. Just to see all those celebrities you grow up watching on TV was a surreal moment. And to take a picture with the trophy, it’s one of those things you reflect on later, you sit back and really appreciate it.”

Richards studied sports management at Washington State University and graduated in 2017. He worked on game days as a social media intern for WSU Athletics. He had no idea he’d be working for the Eagles a short time later.

“If you would’ve asked me a year ago if I’d be in Philadelphia working for the Eagles, I would’ve told you that you were crazy,” Richards said. “Initially, I wanted to go through the interview process and see how that process worked.”

But then, working for an NFL organization started to become a real possibility.

“It just started to become a reality that I was going to be coming to Philly,” he said.

Richards’ brother is going to law school at Villanova University, just outside of Philadelphia. His sister lives in Maryland. Originally, he planned to fly to the east coast. But he decided he wanted to have a car, so he purchased a 2001 Jeep Wrangler to drive over.

The only problem? It was a stick shift.

“I had never driven a stick before — I learned how to drive it the day before I left,” Richards said.

His mom taught him in Gig Harbor. How did he handle his first hill?

“It was an unsuccessful trip,” Richards said, with a laugh.

But he got the hang of it and made it across the country with no issues.

Now, he’s in a big city, frenzied with Eagles fever ahead of its playoff matchup with the New England Patriots on Feb. 4 in Minnesota.

“The city lives and breathes their football — it’s been wild,” Richards said. “When I go to work, I pass by all these elementary schools, middle schools, churches. They all have on their reader boards: ‘Fly Eagles Fly.’ Every store, every house, it’s just Eagles, Eagles, Eagles. You can go into a restaurant; someone breaks out into the fight song and then everyone gets into it.”

So far, it’s been an unforgettable experience for Richards.

“The work culture here — they’ve really taken me in,” Richards said.

His mom, Linda Richards, is a teacher at Peninsula High School. Richards said the response from family and friends in Gig Harbor has been overwhelmingly positive.

“When you’re from Gig Harbor, you begin to realize the relationships that you make in that city, everybody kind of becomes family,” Richards said. “They see a picture (like the one of Richards holding the NFC Championship trophy) and everyone is just really excited for you. I had all my friends asking me if I’m going to the Super Bowl.”

He’s not, unfortunately. But he’ll get to watch the big game with his brother, most likely. His prediction?

“I’ve been really impressed with the Eagles’ defense,” Richards said. “They really fly around. They know who they’re going against — Tom Brady, the best to ever do it. But I’m going to have to go with the Eagles, 27-17.”

This story was originally published January 31, 2018 at 8:13 AM with the headline "Weeks after Peninsula High grad lands job with Philadelphia Eagles, they’re headed to Super Bowl."