Malcolm Jenkins is no stranger to being on the sideline, as he was for the dramatic, walk-off field goal block by Jordan Davis that the big man returned 61 yards for a touchdown to put an exclamation point on Sunday’s win over the Los Angeles Rams.
Jenkins’ role on Sunday was, however, out of the ordinary.
In a viral video circulating on social media, Jenkins sits proudly in awe, watching as Davis motored his way toward the end zone. Once Davis crossed the goal line, Jenkins calmly stood up, grabbed his camera, and captured history.
Since retiring after the 2021 season, Jenkins has become a budding photographer, displaying his creative artwork on his Substack – LOVE, ART & WAR.
“To be honest, it was not that surprising. I was surprised that the play went for a touchdown, not that it was blocked and that we won the game. As I was taking photos of the field goal blocks earlier in that game, there were opportunities,” Jenkins said. “The win was one that I could feel coming. That was really cool being down on the field. You can’t plan out the dramatic fashion, but they did everything they needed to walk themselves back into the game. The style of it all was the wow factor for me.”
In his six seasons with the Eagles from 2014-19, Jenkins recalled the Jake Elliott 61-yarder to beat the Giants as the clock expired in 2017 as the only game with the same frenetic, wild finish. From an ebb and flow standpoint to the game, Jenkins brought up his Eagles debut at home against the Jaguars when Jacksonville raced out to a 17-0 lead before Philadelphia scored 34 unanswered points to close out the game. On Sunday, the Eagles overcame a 19-point third-quarter deficit, the largest come-from-behind win since the 2010 Miracle at the New Meadowlands, before winning 33-26.
Jenkins, a team captain for the Super Bowl LII Champions, has always been an intelligent, cerebral player who was a chameleon with his ability to line up all over the back end of the defense. He’s taken that same intense, business-like approach to the art world, while approaching from the stance of a curious learner who never wants to cease developing.
“You have to have the eye. And the eye is not just like a mythical thing. It’s an understanding of the process, the understanding of material, the understanding of narrative, and an understanding of the full body of work and where that work lines up with other narratives and history,” Jenkins said. “I’m no professional, but I realized that any of the good sports photographers have to have a knowledge of the game. That’s not something you do accidentally. I’m using every skill I have just to keep up. I’m looking at the formation, what the situation of the game is, like I was calling plays.”