USC great Alshon Jeffery won't be at Eagles' White House visit. Trump canceled it

Alshon Jeffery will not be at the White House on Tuesday for the event planned to celebrate the Philadelphia Eagles winning the Super Bowl.

That's because none of the Eagles will be in Washington.

The celebration of the Eagles was canceled by President Donald Trump, according to the White House. Trump canceled the NFL champions visit because of the controversy over standing for the national anthem at NFL games.

"The Philadelphia Eagles are unable to come to the White House with their full team to be celebrated tomorrow," Trump said in a statement released by the White House. "They disagree with their President because he insists that they proudly stand for the National Anthem, hand on heart, in honor of the great men and women of our military and the people of our country. The Eagles wanted to send a smaller delegation, but the 1,000 fans planning to attend the event deserve better."

Trump continued by saying that the "fans are still invited to the White House to be part of a different type of ceremony — one that will honor our great country, pay tribute to the heroes who fight to protect it, and loudly and proudly play the National Anthem."

That fan-only event will be held at 3 p.m., and will include performances by the U.S. Marine Band and the U.S. Army Chorus, according to Trump's statement.

Trump honored the New England Patriots in 2017 for their Super Bowl win, even though they only sent a contingent of 34 players to the White House, not including star quarterback Tom Brady, according to NFL Network reporter Andrew Siciliano.

Prominent Eagles players such as safety Malcolm Jenkins, wide receiver Torrey Smith and defensive end Chris Long previously said they were not going to attend a White House celebration, nfl.com reported.

Before Trump's announcement canceling the event, most of the Eagles black players had decided not to attend, according to espn.com.

Jeffery, a St. Matthews native, had not publicly indicated if he was planning on attending or boycotting the celebration for beating the Patriots in Super Bowl LII.

Now the decision has been made for him.

When contacted, the former USC star receiver had "No comment," on Trump's decision or his previous views on visiting the White House.

Jeffery was drafted in the second round of the 2012 draft by the Chicago Bears. He spent five years with the Bears before signing a one-year deal with Eagles in 2017, but he signed a four-year, $52 million extension during the season.

The former Calhoun County High School star overcame a slow start in his first season with Philadelphia to finish with 57 receptions for 789 yards and nine touchdowns.

For his NFL career, Jeffery has 361 catches for 5,338 yards and 35 touchdowns.

At South Carolina, Jeffery was twice named All-SEC and an All-American in 2010, when he hauled in 88 catches for 1,517 yards and nine touchdowns. In three seasons as the Gamecocks’ top receiver, Jeffery amassed 183 receptions, 3,042 yards and 23 touchdowns.

This story was originally published June 5, 2018 at 10:30 AM with the headline "USC great Alshon Jeffery won't be at Eagles' White House visit. Trump canceled it."