Interning with the Philadelphia Eagles

Josh Weldin ’19, a Delaware Valley University turf management student, has been selected to intern with the Philadelphia Eagles’ grounds crew. He will start his internship in May, but recently had a chance to help out early by being part of the team’s crew for the NFL playoffs.

“Being a part of playoffs was an amazing experience, and it was something I’ve been looking forward to since I found out about the internship,” said Weldin. “I got to assist in the re-sodding of the field and maintaining the turf throughout the week.”

During the game against the Vikings, Weldin was stationed at the North end zone and helped raise the net for field-goal and extra-point attempts.  After the game, he was invited to head over to the locker room to meet with Doug Pederson. 

“We got to talk to the head coach and shake his hand and get pictures with the trophy,” said Weldin. “It was a really nice gesture.” 

Weldin learned about the opportunity to intern with the Eagles during a DelVal field trip. His professor, Dr. Doug Linde, took a turf management class on a trip to tour Lincoln Financial Field in the fall. 

Weldin will start his internship in May after finals. He plans to take off school for the fall semester so that he can get the full experience of working during football season.

As an intern, Weldin will be responsible for helping the grounds crew take care of the stadium field and the practice facilities. He will be doing field maintenance tasks such as mowing, painting, and spraying fertilizers, along with various game-day duties. 

This is Weldin’s third internship. He also interned at Navesink Country Club in Middletown, New Jersey, in summer 2017 and completed two internships with Ripken Stadium in Aberdeen, Maryland.  

DelVal encourages students to participate in internships with well-known employers and get valuable work experience, which helps them stand out. 

“Josh is my fourth student to work for the Eagles, plus we’ve had students at other professional fields like [Boston’s] Fenway Park and [Baltimore’s] Camden Yards,” said Dr. Linde. “I have a group of industry professionals who I run ideas by to make sure the turf management program stays current and relevant. Tony Leonard, the director of grounds for the Eagles, provides feedback on the program as part of that group.”

Weldin said the experience at the playoffs has given him a new perspective on the turf industry. In the future, he wants to lead a grounds crew for a professional athletic facility. 

“My dream job is to be the head of grounds for the Baltimore Orioles,” said Weldin. 

Weldin is passionate about the turf industry and looking forward to getting back to work with the Eagles’ grounds crew this spring.

“I have the best job in the world,” said Weldin. “I love what I do, and I’m pretty happy to get paid to do something I love. I’m looking forward to the rest of the internship, and I know I’m going to learn so much.”