Philly hopes DiSandro’s return brings ‘good juju’

The Eagles’ sideline has looked a little bit different since their Week 14 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys.

That night, chief security officer Dom DiSandro was denied access to the sideline for his involvement the week prior in a brief dustup with San Francisco 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw.

The NFL ultimately decided to extend DiSandro’s sideline ban through the regular season, NFL sources told The Inquirer at the time, despite an appeal from the Eagles.

With the regular season in the books, DiSandro is poised to assume his post on the sideline for the Eagles’ wildcard matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday, marking the return of a presence as immense as

“Big Dom” himself.

“Well, to be honest, you don’t really notice the significance that he played on our team till he was gone,” left tackle Jordan Mailata said. “And it’s like, [expletive]. We haven’t been executing since he was gone. We’re getting our [expletive] beat since he was gone. So maybe he was a little bit of that good juju.

“So I think the positive vibes, man. Believe it or not, he’s actually a very positive person,” he said. “Especially on game days. He’ll get you locked in. So it’s going to be great having him back, for sure. Just the energy. The energy that we needed.”

The reality is that DiSandro and his impact never completely left. Although he was no longer physically standing on the sideline during the remainder of the regular season, in which the

Eagles went 1-5 including their loss to the 49ers when DiSandro was ejected, he continued to “fulfill his role with the team in all other capacities,” according to a statement from the Eagles released on Dec. 9.

That role includes being a support system for the players off the field, too. For kicker Jake Elliott, DiSandro is the “do-it-all guy.” For inside linebacker Nakobe Dean, DiSandro

is the “fix-it”— if anybody on the team needs something, go to him. A dinner reservation? Talk to DiSandro. A backdoor connection at the DMV to avoid waiting in line? DiSandro has the hookup. A flat tire? DiSandro can get you a tow.

“He runs the city and the building,” Elliott said, “so he’s a good ear to talk to all the time and he’s a comforting presence.”