Meet Daisy Foko: Inventor, influencer, podcaster — and the newest Eagles ‘WAG’
Foko, new Eagles tight end Kylen Granson’s fiancée, is ready to bring her lore to Philadelphia.
When the Eagles signed free agent Kylen Granson last month, they knew that they were adding a 6-foot-3, 242-pound tight end who would bring blocking and depth to the roster. But the deal also meant they and the city of Philadelphia would be acquiring his TikTok-famous fiancée, Daisy Foko.
Foko — who uses her platform to discuss everything from history to color theory to animal facts to Granson’s signing with the Eagles — often refers to herself as a WAG, which stands for the “wives and girlfriends” of professional athletes. But she is bringing new meaning to the term WAG, which some view negatively — including Kylie Kelce, who believes it’s a “suggestion that your spouse’s profession swallows you up as well.”
Foko, who just turned 30, has made it clear from the start that would never be an option for her. The Texas native wears many hats. She’s an influencer, with over 800,000 followers on TikTok; a podcaster, interviewing people like astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson; and an inventor, holding two biomedical patents with more patents pending.
Before moving to Philadelphia with Granson in a few weeks, Foko spoke with The Inquirer about the passion behind her inventions, her recent visit to Philadelphia, her spinal surgery, and her first interaction with Howie Roseman.
“Man, I have so much lore,” Foko said.
This Q&A has been edited for clarity and length.
Q: One of the things that really stood out to me from your TikTok page were the videos about your inventions. Can you tell me more about your passion for working on those types of projects?
A: I always invented things growing up because my dad’s an inventor, too. He’s like a mad scientist, actually. One time I came home and he made a very elaborate racetrack throughout our home using PVC pipe. I was like 16 when I started to really get into it, and then I got distracted with college and school. After I had spinal surgery, when I was on bed rest for a year, I didn’t really have anything else to do. So, I was like, I wonder if I could make this or make that, and it just sort of blossomed from there.
It got to a point where I was making things that actually were unique that other people hadn’t made before, and luckily I’m very privileged in the fact that my dad’s a patent attorney. I had somebody who could walk me through that process and show me exactly what I need to do to actually get a patent filed. It’s just sort of like the weirdest side hustle that I have going on now that people never expect.
» READ MORE: A Super Bowl touchdown — but with Lego. It took this Eagles fan 25 hours to create.
Q: How many patents do you have?
A: Right now I have two patents that are complete and published, and then I have several others that are pending. A lot of them are biomedical, especially after having the experience with my surgery. I have one that is very influenced by that which is still pending because I just sat down and I really had beef with a lot of the design of my spine right now and I feel like it could be improved upon. Then, during COVID, my project was to work on a way to expedite the ACL surgery method.
Q: Can you tell me more about your spinal surgery?
A: When I was 17, my spine got ripped out of alignment by 47 degrees on amusement park rides. It turned out I had a bunch of spinal fluid in my brain so that had to get drained. I had to do physical therapy for a year to prepare for it. I had, like, a migraine at all times, and now I have 24 screws in my spine and two 2-foot steel rods. I was about 5’5” … and then I shot up to 5’10” right after surgery.
Q: When you heard the news that Kylen would be making the move to Philadelphia, what was your reaction?
A: I was so excited. Out of the teams we were talking to, that was the one that I wanted the most. I feel like that would be such a good fit not only for him, but like, I’ve always been really interested in Philadelphia as a city because I’m an East Coast girl at the end of the day. I was like, if we could go to Philly, he would be surrounded by so many great guys and be in such a great franchise. I would be happy wherever Kylen goes, because it’s his decision at the end of the day and I’ll support whatever he picks. But when he said that he was leaning toward Philly, I felt like it would be the best fit.
Q: When you were in Philly for Kylen’s contract signing, what was your favorite thing about the visit?
A: If I had to nail down one thing, it would be the staff. The entire staff at the Eagles all the way up from Howie to the front desk people — every single person who works there regardless of their role was so genuine, so sweet, and so attentive. And honestly they just put out a crazy vibe of like, I’m really good at my job. I was like I trust you. I trust all of you guys.
Q: You briefly mentioned Howie Roseman; what was that interaction like?
A: He was so funny; I love him. A lot of GMs have a different vibe because everybody works so differently. I’ve never met a GM that hasn’t been nice to be fair, but I just felt like he brought real energy. He’s so charismatic and one of the first things he said was, ‘Do you like food?’ And I was like, ‘Yes, I do.’ And so I was so here for that conversation.
» READ MORE: Eagles GM Howie Roseman’s other unrelenting obsession: The perfect meal
Q: I know you mentioned in a TikTok video that he gave you a few food spot recommendations. What are you planning to do with that information?
A: My plan when I go back to Philly is actually to try everywhere on the list because we were only there for a really short trip. And I am going to show the food because a lot of people wanted to see where he was recommending. He asked me what kind of foods I like and I told him I usually like Asian food, so he gave me good recommendations. I feel like once I exhaust my whole list, I’ll have to circle back and be like OK, give me more stuff.
Q: Did you happen to meet Big Dom on the trip?
A: Super briefly. Kylen met him longer than me. People were telling me that I was going to love him and I did. I thought he was really sweet.
» READ MORE: New Eagle AJ Dillon reveals how he landed in Philly and his meeting with Big Dom: ‘He has some aura about him’
Q: What do you think the Eagles have with Kylen?
A: I think that the Eagles and Kylen are a really good culture fit because there’s never been a locker room that doesn’t love Kylen. And I also think that the way that the Eagles use tight ends is really in line with Kylen’s abilities. I think it’s going to be such a great opportunity for him to shine. He’s a good receiver. He’s an underrated blocker because he’s a little smaller for a tight end. But I think no matter what they require of him on a day-to-day basis he’s going to be able to execute on that.
Q: What’s the thing you’re looking forward to the most when it comes to moving to Philadelphia?
A: I think I’m honestly just looking forward to embracing the city. I feel like Philly is such a cool city. It has such a cool culture and the Eagles are a big part of that culture. I’m just so excited to be a part of it all and be a part of the city and be a part of the fan base. I’m just excited for us all to have this experience together.