New Eagles RB AJ Dillon Calls Big Dom the “Godfather of Philly” After Meeting Him for the First Time

Instead of sitting back and appreciating the bargain deal they got Saquon Barkley on last spring, Howie Roseman and the Philadelphia Eagles’ front office took a proactive approach. They handed Barkley an extension, paying him $20 million a year, making him the highest-paid RB in NFL history. Philly didn’t stop there, though, bolstering their backfield by picking up a backup with legs nearly as big as his — A.J. Dillon.

Philly inked the bowling ball of a running back to a one-year deal worth just over $1.3 million on the second day of the new league year, March 13. With all the money they’re paying Barkley, it made sense to target a cost-effective option to round out the RB room. Dillon and Barkley will no doubt form the backfield with the thickest thigh/calf combinations in NFL history. If Earl Campbell were playing today, he’d fit right in.

Something Dillon did early after arriving at the Eagles facility was meet Dom “Big Dom” DiSandro. The legend of Big Dom has grown over the last couple of years, and Dillon was well aware of that. In fact, Dillon even dubbed the Eagles’ top security guy (and so much more) the “Godfather of Philly.”

“I did get to meet Big Dom. He has some aura about him. So, obviously, that was one of my good friends, Eddie Fish. As soon as he saw the news and I called him, he was like, ‘Bro, you gotta let me know what it’s like meeting Big Dom,'” shared the RB on his podcast, Toonen to Dillon.

“You can’t miss the dude, he’s cool. I walked in there, shook his hand, met him, and he’s like ‘Hey man, anything you need, you let me know.’ … In my mind, he’s like the Godfather of Philly.”

Believe it or not, Dom DiSandro is among the longest-tenured employees with the Eagles, despite only coming to the spotlight in recent years. He started in 1999 as the Assistant to the Chief Security Officer, a post which he held until 2011.

That’s when he was promoted to Chief Security Officer, while also adding a Senior Advisor to the General Manager title to his name. He is known around the organization as something of a do-it-all “fixer” for the staff and players, thanks to his extensive Philly connections. He has helped with everything from legal issues, to marriage planning, to mental health issues among players.

After getting into a scuffle with Dre Greenlaw on the sidelines during a 2023 regular season game, the league told the Eagles he could no longer be on the sidelines. No matter, as the organization side-stepped that demand. They simply added a new title to Big Dom’s growing list, this time as Director of Gameday Coaching Operations.

With a title like that, there’s no way they could keep him from the sidelines. That said, while most Eagles fans love Big Dom’s loyalty, some believe he seeks the spotlight too much.

Big Dom DiSandro is already a two-time Super Bowl champion across his over a quarter-century of service with the Birds. With the way Roseman and company have navigated the last couple of offseasons, he could be in for a fistful more before he’s done.