EPICANTHUS

Only a win away from Super Bowl XLIII, the emergence of the baby-faced 6-4, 265-pound Philadelphia Eagle linebacker Chris Gocong has sent thousands of Asian/Pacific American fans to their computers to Google his name— Chris Gocong: Vietnamese? Filipino? Pacific Islander?

Well, no need to speculate any longer, crack Epicanthus researcher Rachel Roh contacted Gocong’s dad, Bruce Kennedy, to pin down Chris’ ethnic roots. Here’s what he had to say:

“After review with Chris and his mom (Julie), he is the following—100% American, 12.5% French, 12.5% German, 25% American Indian (and) 25% Hawaiian/Pacific Islander and 25% Filipino.”

So there you have it. Quite a mix. Gocong calls himself a “mutt” in this video. Seems like another mutt is having his big day January 20 in Washington, D.C. Ah, 2009: Year of the Mutt in Post-Racial America.

Gocong, 25, is part of the Eagles’ frenetic blitz-happy linebacking corps (along with Stewart Bradley and Akeem Jordan) that has wreaked havoc on opponents and humbled the vaunted Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants offenses in their last two contests.

Gocong and the Eagles continue their unlikely march toward the Super Bowl against another dark horse, the Arizona Cardinals, who will suit up Polynesians Deuce Lutui (USC) at guard, Pago Togafau (Idaho State) at LB and Filipinos Aaron Francisco from Hawaii via BYU at DB and Travis LaBoy(UH) at DE.

More on Chris Gocong:

• Chris Gocong Profile, philadelphiaeagles.com
• Ask the Eagles—Chris Gocong, video
• Who Exactly Is Chris Gocong? philadelphiaeagles.com
• Chrs Gocong NFL Draft Profile, Fox Sports
• Eagles: Glitz and Glue, The Philadelphia Inquirer