Jordan Mailata, Nakobe Dean, and more dress to impress — and dance — at Rodney McLeod’s ‘Sneaker Ball’

The Change Our Future Sneaker Ball took over Live! Casino & Hotel in Philadelphia on Friday for a night of fashion and philanthropy.

For the fifth consecutive year, the event hosted by former Eagles safety and Super Bowl champion Rodney McLeod and his wife, Erika, invited fans to the gala, which blended evening attire with stylish sneakers to raise funds for the Change Our Future Foundation.

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“Sneaker Ball is important to have in Philly,” McLeod said. “[Philly has] really given us a lot, and we wanted to pay it forward by hosting Sneaker Ball here. But more importantly, birthing our organization here five years ago, we really felt like there was a huge need to serve the youth here.”

The foundation, which started in 2020, aims to provide mentorship, educational resources, and opportunities to underserved youth across the city. The event featured live and silent auctions for items that included signed Eagles jerseys and a signed Mike Tyson Punch-Out!! framed photo.

The event also featured appearances from current and former Eagles players, including Jordan Mailata, Nakobe Dean, Jason Avant, Brian Westbrook, and Malcolm Jenkins. Former Eagles defensive end Chris Long couldn’t attend Friday’s event but accepted his Game Changers Award in a prerecorded video.

But the players who did attend showed off their outfits on the red carpet ahead of the program. Here’s what they had to say about their looks:

Of course, it’s only fair that we start with the couple of the night.

After missing out on last year’s Sneaker Ball, Erika made her return in style. She paired her metallic gold dress with a pair of metallic baby blue Adidas Gazelles. Meanwhile, Rodney went with a more retro look and wore an all-black suit with a cropped blazer and some familiar-looking accessories.

“For me, I just went with a ’90s look,” Rodney said. “One with the crop fit and kept it real simple on the bottom with some Asics — built for comfort; built to last. There’s some dope accessories. You got a sneaker on here, and we got a Super Bowl ring to top it off.”

Once the event kicked off, the couple walked the runway at the end of their kids’ fashion show, honored Dr. Debbera Peoples-Lee, Chris Long, and Kenny Holdsman, and thanked the crowd for attending.

“It’s always great to be back in Philly,” Rodney McLeod said. “Brotherly love is truly a thing when you come back to a community that you played with for 6 years, and to see the outpouring of individuals coming and supporting a foundation that’s near and dear to our heart, putting those kids first right here in the Philadelphia community.”

For his first time attending the event, Dean kept it simple. The Eagles linebacker wore an all-green suit with a pair of his go-to sneakers: white Nike Air Force 1 lows.

“I had to rock the green just for the Eagles,” Dean said. “And then I just went with the sneaks. I had this [suit] for about two years, and it’s just been sitting there. So I was like, ‘I’m going to pull it out tonight.’”

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Dean admitted that he’s not a huge sneakerhead, but when he heard about the event, he knew he wanted to support McLeod.

“I always heard great things about it,” Dean said. “So I just wanted to come out here and show support. … It says a lot about Rodney, just continuing to embrace the city of Philadelphia and give back.”

This isn’t anything new for Mailata. The Eagles offensive tackle is already quite familiar with the event, having attended in previous years. So, when he was asked to describe his look, it should come as no surprise that the Australian responded with, “I call this ‘No thought.’”

In a black buttoned-up shirt and khaki dress pants with a pair of Zegna sneakers, Mailata posed on the red carpet alongside his wife, Niki Ikahihifo-Bender Mailata.

Said Maialata: “I [asked my wife] ‘What are you wearing?’ She said, ‘I’m wearing a black dress.’ I was like ‘OK, great.’ Went to the closet, no thought, just picked whatever I had.”

Mailata befriended McLeod on the field. They played together from 2018 to 2021. Since then, the two have kept in touch with the help of their wives.

“Rodney and Erika are dear friends of ours,” Mailata said. “Our friendship started on the field and carried on through our wives. And through our wives, Rodney and I have built a great friendship. So, one, I’m here for Rodney to support the cause. It’s such a great foundation. And, two, for the kids. What they do, what they offer, and what they provide for these kids is something so special.

“A kid who lives down the road, down the 95, can come into the Philadelphia community and do what he does best. And that’s give back.”

Avant could be spotted from a mile away in his baby blue blazer, white jeans, a blue fedora, and a new pair of Jordan 1 lows he bought just for the occasion.

“You know what, I feel like I’m the most stylish person here because I always have the most confidence,” he said.

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Having grown up on the South Side of Chicago, Avant wanted to support Change Our Future’s mission of giving back to underserved kids. The former wide receiver has been to past fundraisers for the organization.

“It’s been a great event,” Avant said. “It’s an event where the community comes together in order to raise money for a good cause, but it’s also fun in the process. This is a pretty fun event where you get to see some old friends and some buddies. But you also get the chance to cut a rug a little bit at the end.”

Which he definitely did.