0:02

Eagles Entertainment.

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Welcome Eagles Everywhere to the Eagles Insider Podcast

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presented by Lincoln Financial Group. I'm

0:10

Eagles Insider Dave Spidero. The twenty

0:13

twenty three NFL Draft

0:15

is over. I'm here at the Novacare

0:18

Complex.

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It's just finished.

0:20

Howie Roseman, Nick Sirianni

0:22

holding their press conference

0:25

to officially end things. As far as

0:27

a media standpoint, Eagles still putting together

0:29

their post draft rookie class.

0:31

But what a weekend it's been

0:34

for the Philadelphia Eagles. It started on

0:36

Thursday night and it just

0:38

ends on Saturday. What words do

0:41

you describe to really

0:44

do justice for the week end the Eagles

0:46

have had. They selected seven players,

0:49

they made five trades. They acquired

0:52

veteran running back DeAndre Swift from

0:54

the Detroit Lions, and it is

0:57

really a just great

0:59

feeling kind of draft. The Eagles obviously

1:02

doing a lot of different things to

1:04

move around, use their assets and make the most

1:07

of what they had coming into this draft. And

1:10

it continues a very strong offseason.

1:12

So let's talk about it. We

1:15

know that you know the players the Eagles have selected, so let's

1:17

go through them one more time. Pick number

1:19

nine in Round one, Jalen Carter, the Eagles

1:21

moving up to get the defensive tackle

1:24

from Georgia. We will speak to him

1:26

in just a few moments. He was drafted

1:28

on Thursday night, came in on Friday along

1:30

with the thirtieth overall pick in

1:33

this twenty twenty three NFL Draft. Nolan

1:35

Smith a defensive

1:38

just edge player, outside linebacker, pressure

1:40

player, great against the run. Eagles

1:44

obviously thrilled at their first

1:46

night haul, moving up just one spot

1:48

from ten to nine, sending a future draft

1:50

pick to the Chicago Bears to

1:53

make sure they got their guy in Carter,

1:55

and then the Eagles staying put at number

1:57

thirty overall to take Nolan

2:00

Smith. On Friday night, the Eagles

2:02

selecting from the University of Alabama

2:05

tackle Tyler Steen, a

2:07

left tackle at Alabama, He'll

2:09

move around the offensive line here. The Eagles want to take

2:11

a long look here. There is still a question as to

2:14

who will start at the right guard

2:16

position, so Stein maybe we'll

2:18

get a look there, and along with

2:20

players like Cam Jurgens and Jack

2:22

Driscoll and Sua Opetta, the

2:24

Eagles have some competition along that

2:26

offensive line. Building in

2:29

the trenches once again once

2:31

again with a big big player from a big

2:34

time school. In the next

2:36

pick, round three sixty six

2:38

overall, just one pick after Steen, the Eagles

2:40

taking from the University of Illinois, Sydney

2:42

Brown, an all purpose players

2:45

six interceptions last season. Eagles

2:47

very very high on him

2:50

in and then Saturday just it's

2:53

been a remarkable day. Normally Saturdays are kind

2:55

of slow and you never know, but boy,

2:57

oh boy, was just.

2:57

An action packed Saturday.

3:00

Before the draft even began.

3:01

On Saturday, the Eagles swinging a trade,

3:03

sending a future draft pick to the Houston Texans

3:06

and giving them the third

3:08

selection in the fourth round in

3:11

this draft, pick one TOZH five

3:13

overall, another player from Georgia,

3:15

their third selection from Georgia, their

3:17

fifth selection the last two seasons

3:20

from that school, this time twenty

3:22

year old Kaylee Ringo, a

3:24

cornerback, great size. Eagles feel

3:26

like they can develop him and really

3:28

work with him along with Darius Slay

3:31

and James Bradbury, another young

3:33

cornerback to add to the mix here.

3:35

Eagles extremely high on Ringo.

3:38

In round six, pick

3:41

number one eighty eight overall, Philadelphia

3:44

taking from Stanford Tanner

3:47

McKee, a quarterback, big,

3:49

strong armed quarterback who comes

3:51

into the room that Jalen Hurts

3:54

and Marcus Mariota and Ian Book

3:56

already there. Eagles will look to develop

3:59

Tanner McKee for a roll

4:01

down the line, and then Philadelphia

4:04

in the seventh round pick number

4:06

two, forty nine overall defensive

4:08

tackle Moro Ojomo

4:11

from the University of Texas defensive lineman played

4:13

end that Texas can play tackle as well.

4:16

Again, Eagles building on.

4:18

The line, So it all starts at the lines,

4:22

and that's the way Howie Roseman likes

4:24

to build a football team. So let's get into it here

4:26

on this Eagles Insider podcast presented by Lincoln

4:28

Financial Group, one on one with Howie

4:30

Roseman. Literally minutes after

4:32

the draft ended, Eagles breaking

4:35

upstairs, having a couple of sodas,

4:37

something to eat, still working the phones,

4:39

trying to get that post draft

4:42

class signed. Howie Roseman taking

4:44

a few minutes to talk about what the Eagles accomplished

4:46

in this twenty twenty three NFL Draft.

4:50

I know what's right after the draft, how he can you have

4:52

initial reaction to what you

4:55

were able to accomplish this weekend.

4:57

Yeah, I'm most proud about the people in

4:59

the process involved with this weekend. You

5:01

know, obviously these guys haven't proven anything

5:03

yet, so we got to get them on the field, we got

5:05

to develop them on and off the field.

5:07

But just really proud about the time

5:09

and effort we spent through this process.

5:12

And then you know, the results will come over

5:14

the next few weeks, certainly the next

5:16

few years.

5:17

Did it go the way you blueprinted

5:19

it?

5:20

No, it never does, you know.

5:21

I think.

5:22

I think what we try to do is we try to go through

5:24

every scenario and then there's always

5:26

ones that come up and we'll kind

5:28

of add them to next year. But I'm

5:31

proud of our ability to adjust on the fly and

5:34

to stay true to what we believed in. And

5:36

I think when we look back at this draft,

5:39

you know, the positions that we went after, the positions

5:42

that have really set us up for success

5:44

in the past and hopefully in the future we'll be in the

5:46

future.

5:47

DeAndre Swift, why was he

5:49

of interest to the Eagles and what skills

5:51

does he bring that's so exciting?

5:53

Yeah, we were really excited.

5:55

We are excited about the running backs that we've brought

5:57

into the building that are in the building, and so we

6:00

weren't necessarily looking to

6:02

upgrade that spot. I think from our

6:04

perspective. When you talk about DeAndre,

6:07

this is a kid we know from high school. You know he's been

6:09

in the building as a high school kid. He's

6:11

a Philly guy through and through. He's exceptionally

6:14

talented runner. He

6:16

can make big plays in the run game in the past. Game

6:20

obviously was available because

6:22

of who Detroit took in this draft, and

6:24

we felt like it was an opportunity to bring a low kid

6:27

with tremendous talent and character back home.

6:29

After the Super Bowl, there was thought outside

6:31

the building that the Eagles would have to rebuild

6:34

the roster.

6:34

There would be very difficult.

6:37

You feel like you rebuilt or is this a reload

6:39

or do you not put labels on it like that?

6:41

Yeah, I don't think we put any labels on that. I

6:43

think we just try to do the best possible job that

6:45

we can every day when we walk in here. We tried

6:48

to improve the team the best that we can

6:51

with every opportunity that we have, and

6:53

we look where we are every day, we look over our

6:55

roster and see areas that we can continue

6:58

to improve.

6:58

And that won't stop.

6:59

You know, that's not going to stop because the draft has ended.

7:01

That's not going to stop.

7:03

In June, July, August. We're

7:06

gonna be relentless in our efforts to improve the

7:08

roster, and we'll get a chance to kind of

7:10

digest what we did here and see what

7:12

the next area of opportunity is to improve

7:14

the team.

7:15

You had Jalen and Nolan in the building after

7:17

Thursday's draft.

7:18

What was that experience like? What did you kind of gain

7:20

from that experience?

7:22

A lot of fun, you know, it's fun being around

7:24

those guys. It's fun seeing the chemistry that those

7:26

guys have. And again, we're

7:28

just getting started with the two of them, and really

7:32

excited for that possibility to get

7:34

him in the building, to get him around our people, not

7:36

only the coaches, but the people who

7:38

are around the building, like you, Spuds. You

7:40

know, they get a chance to meet you. And

7:42

I think that that's the best part about

7:46

this team is the people on and off

7:48

the field.

7:48

I remember talking to you at the combine. You said it may

7:50

be different, that doesn't mean it's gonna be.

7:52

Worse, right, I think

7:55

that, and I think that's accurate. You know, I think that

7:57

at the end of the day, it's had to be different

8:00

just by the nature of the sour cap by the nature

8:02

of the guys that we brought back and then

8:04

we signed to extensions. But you

8:07

know, we're not looking to take our foot off the gas.

8:09

We're not looking to take a step back. We're looking to

8:11

do whatever we can to make the

8:14

players on our team, the coaches on our team,

8:16

and the city proud.

8:17

Thanks Harry, Thanks Dave.

8:19

We're gonna have scouting reports on the draft

8:22

picks in the future. First,

8:24

what we want to do is give you

8:27

a chance to get to know the first round

8:29

picks. Jalen Carter and

8:31

Nolan Smith, two time national

8:33

champions at the University of Georgia,

8:36

both stars on the nation's

8:38

best defense, and they had time

8:40

to speak with me on Friday after they

8:42

visited the Novacare Complex. Great conversations

8:45

with the two number ones. First up, defensive

8:48

tackle, Jalen Carter.

8:50

Jalen, you know you.

8:51

Were drafted twenty two hours ago.

8:54

Tell people first of all, First of all, congratulations, What

8:58

do you do in these twenty two hours?

8:59

What are the like?

9:01

Are you exhausted or you filled with adrenaline?

9:03

What's going on in your brain?

9:04

Yeah, I'm a little exhausted, but I've been with family

9:07

the whole time and you know, I've just been talking to

9:09

them the whole time. We've been up

9:11

like two o'clock, just talking about

9:14

football, who's on the team, what what what

9:16

we.

9:16

Could do in the future, and stuff like that. It's

9:18

just been fun.

9:19

Did you how many of your text messages

9:22

have you been able to return? Because I would imagine your phone

9:24

just goes crazy.

9:25

Yeah.

9:26

Actually, when I got dropped in and walks

9:28

across the stage, I actually like left my phone

9:30

and I lost it for a minute. So when I got back to

9:32

it, it was it was going crazy

9:34

and I couldn't. I still can't get back to people

9:36

that's texting me. I got back to like once, I know, like

9:39

family and stuff, but like friends, I couldn't get

9:41

back to it.

9:42

They ain't pop up there, They'll go away.

9:44

What was the what was the tactic with Roger

9:47

Goodell? And had you rehearsed it at all?

9:49

Like did you give him a bear hug? Did you give him

9:51

a light hug? Did you lift him off the ground? What

9:53

was your game plan?

9:54

Oh?

9:54

Yeah, I had a little handshait that I do back home

9:56

with my friends when we greet each other our lave

9:59

or anything whatever. So I

10:01

decided to do that with him and I asked him.

10:03

We do that. He was cool with it and

10:04

we did it on the stage.

10:06

Has it sunk in yet?

10:08

Yeah, it's sunk in a little bit. I don't think. I think it

10:10

really came with my name got called.

10:12

What is that feeling, like, Jalen? And like do you

10:14

dream of that since you were a little kid?

10:17

Yeah, you know, I always dreamed about going

10:19

to the NFL and that was always a dream and all

10:21

you know, now it's happening.

10:22

Now is reality?

10:24

Right? So you are a Philadelphia Eagle.

10:26

This is a team that has embraced you, embraced

10:29

you in the top thirty visit. I know you had a great time on

10:31

that visit. What does it feel like to be to

10:33

have a team throw its arms around you and want

10:36

you so much and want you to succeed so

10:38

much?

10:39

It feel good, you know, having somebody you know that

10:41

trust me, you know, a team, not just one

10:43

person, but the whole coaching staff, a GM

10:45

and etcetera. And just having them

10:48

on my uh, having him have my back,

10:50

you know, it feel awesome.

10:52

And we just did a little event with some fans and

10:54

little meet and greet, little autographs, little

10:57

handshakes, standing, over standing

10:59

ovation for you.

11:00

Good feeling for you.

11:02

It's a very good feeling.

11:03

It feels like this is a perfect match.

11:07

Veteran team, a lot of guys to learn from, a

11:09

bunch of dogs here literally, Georgia

11:12

dogs.

11:13

Do you feel that it's a perfect match. Oh?

11:15

Yes, I feel that it's a perfect match, you know, just because

11:17

I got some teammates that I already know here, and

11:20

it's veterans here that I could also learn from.

11:23

Tell me about yourself as a football player. What what do you think

11:25

your strengths are?

11:26

Strengths everything?

11:27

You know, I could stop the running, pass,

11:30

pass rush on block field goals.

11:32

You know, I could do a lot.

11:33

When did you know that you were a really really

11:35

special football player.

11:37

I say in high school, like tenth grade, when I started

11:40

having more fun with the game. You know, it

11:42

was more it was serious, but it was like I'm having

11:44

fun. You know, I make a play and do something crazy and I

11:46

laugh and then do it again.

11:48

Different though, I mean, I would imagine high school.

11:50

You just we're so much bigger and stronger

11:52

and just like kind of pushing guys away.

11:53

It's not like that at the SEC level, is it.

11:56

Oh? No, So you know, it's a lot of guys my size

11:58

are even bigger.

11:58

So what took you from that level

12:01

of really being great in high school to being great

12:04

and a two time national champion in college.

12:06

I think it was just a hard work, you know, at

12:08

a park high school was big on weightlifting, and

12:10

I also did weightlifting. Op the competition,

12:13

I came in second. But I think just

12:15

me getting a stronger in high school and then come to

12:17

college and learn how to play in a

12:19

college level, and then using my strength and then

12:22

all that coming together and helped me a lot.

12:24

You played tight end in high school and you punted

12:26

in high school too.

12:28

What kind of punter were you?

12:30

I was a good punter. Wherever you want

12:32

me to get it, I can get it there.

12:33

And what was your game like at tight end?

12:35

Oh?

12:35

It was very good. You know I can catch the ball. It was mostly

12:38

blocking, but you know, if they threw me the ball.

12:40

I catch it, Okay, our jail,

12:42

So there's there's obviously you gets to the NFL level and you know that

12:44

there are a lot of things to work on as well, Like do you

12:46

give me a little scouting report on Jalen Carter?

12:48

What do you feel like you need to get better.

12:50

At I feel like, you know,

12:52

I could get better at everything. You know, it's a lot of stuff

12:54

that pop up on film that

12:57

that looked good. But I also feel like I need to work

12:59

on, you know, with stopping the run,

13:01

you know, keep your hands inside the offensive linement,

13:04

pass rushing and having a second move if your first

13:06

moved on work and stuff like that.

13:08

You consider yourself a pass rushing

13:10

defensive tackle, a run stopping

13:13

defensive tackle, or somebody who

13:15

does it all?

13:16

Does it all?

13:16

Love that great confidence? It's

13:19

a game of confidence, right.

13:20

Do you feel like through the course of

13:22

your career you've become a more confident player with more

13:24

success you've had.

13:26

Why do you think that.

13:27

Is just the guys I'm playing with and

13:30

you know, the people around me. You know, Coach

13:33

Kirby, you know, he put a big impact on

13:35

me with you know, team chemistry and all

13:37

that, and I think that really helped.

13:39

You're joining a defense the last year led the league

13:41

in sacks. You know, the players fletch

13:43

BG. There's a lot of

13:45

talent here, obviously Jordan Davis,

13:48

who you know very well. What is it like for you to

13:50

walk into that to that room, Is it you're

13:52

gonna be the new guy. You're gonna be You're gonna go through

13:54

all the you know, the things

13:56

that first year guys go through.

13:58

What are your thoughts on that?

13:59

You know, I'm ready, you know, I'm ready to worry. I'm ready to come

14:01

put in some work. Just learning from the veteran

14:03

guards.

14:04

Guys you looked up to in your in your career every when

14:06

you were growing up, in high school and in college.

14:08

Did you look at the NFL and say, I'm like that

14:11

guy, I'm like that guy. I'm like that guy.

14:13

I always felt like I was a little bit different

14:15

from, you know, the average D lineman, and I

14:17

think it showed.

14:20

So the guy that people say that you're like, who

14:23

also is from your hometown of Popka

14:26

Apoka?

14:27

Where's that?

14:28

It's like North Orlando.

14:32

Is Warren Sapp? You've

14:34

heard that before. Have you ever met Warren

14:36

Sapp?

14:37

No?

14:37

But I actually heard he wanted to do a call

14:39

with me, so I had to get on the phone.

14:40

Have you watched film of Warren Sapp?

14:42

Yeah?

14:42

I used to watch YouTube videos all type of

14:44

warrant size to watch some highlights.

14:46

Do you think your game resembles Warren

14:49

Sapper? Who's a Hall of Famer.

14:50

So you're not there yet, But do you think from just the style

14:53

and impact kind of thing that you guys look like.

14:54

Yeah, just how athletic he is and how its supposed

14:56

to he is. I see some resemblance.

14:59

Must be pretty cool compared to a Hall of Famer.

15:01

Yes, it is very cool.

15:02

Is he a hero back in that part of the

15:04

world?

15:05

Is here to me? And I'm pretty sure it is there that everybody

15:07

and I'm talking.

15:08

Okay, listen, it's been challenging,

15:10

I know the last several months. Are you

15:12

glad to kind of put that all behind you and just about

15:15

football? And what did you learn through all this?

15:17

You know, I learned to lie.

15:19

You know, it's a lot you know, you got to keep patients,

15:22

gotta stay humble.

15:23

So it's a lot of things I learned. You

15:25

know. I'm just ready to work.

15:27

Yeah, it's all football now from now and

15:29

that must be very exciting for you. Okay,

15:32

So Jalen, you know football

15:34

up here in college is not the big deals professional

15:36

football down in Athens it's all

15:39

bulldogs.

15:39

You guys want two national championships. What

15:42

was the vibe down there?

15:43

What was the feeling down there of being

15:45

so good in football and having the entire area

15:48

just worship what you guys.

15:50

Did you know? It was crazy. Our fan

15:52

base at Georgia was really like awesome.

15:54

You know.

15:55

They came to every game, away, home

15:57

game.

15:57

It is sometimes a home game it will have more fans,

16:00

and then the home team will have fans

16:02

and just to support we had there.

16:04

It was just a very awesome moment.

16:05

Did you feel pressure to.

16:08

Win every week, to dominate every week, to blow

16:10

teams out every week?

16:12

Oh?

16:12

No, I felt I just felt comfortable

16:14

with the scheme we had every week and the players

16:17

we had on the team, with everybody playing their role,

16:19

that we could win that game.

16:20

What did you learn about what it takes to win

16:22

a championship? What kind of chemistry,

16:25

what kind of being you know, selfless and sacrificing

16:27

for the guy next to you.

16:29

Yeah, I learned. You know, you got to know each other

16:31

why, you know.

16:31

That was one thing we worked that Georgia is

16:34

one on one with a person that's not in your position

16:36

and learning their why of why they're playing the game,

16:39

if they got something to do with their family, their mom, their

16:41

grandma, you know. And I think that just

16:43

played a big impact on us

16:45

winning.

16:45

How important is the culture.

16:47

I know that at the press conference you and Nolan

16:49

made sure to point that out. How important it

16:51

was to take care of your brother.

16:53

Yeah, it's very important.

16:54

I feel like without chemistry with

16:57

people in your position, are everybody

17:00

on the facility or whatever, And I just

17:02

feel like it's all important.

17:04

Lastly, here, Jalen, what kind of goals do you have? Did you

17:06

set goals for your rookie season, for your

17:08

NFL career?

17:09

Oh? Yeah, I got goals.

17:10

My main goal at

17:13

the end of my career is be a Hall of Famer,

17:15

and I know it's a little steps in between us. So

17:17

all the little stepson on the coming, man, get

17:20

to my biggest.

17:21

Goal, hall of Famer.

17:22

Jalen Carter sounds great. Hey, thank you for

17:24

joining me. Man, congratulations again and welcome

17:26

to Philadelphia.

17:27

Thank you, thank you.

17:30

And now Nolan Smith, who had

17:32

a very strong relationship

17:34

that he built in college with one

17:37

of the draft picks from twenty twenty two from

17:39

the University of Georgia, linebacker

17:41

Nakobe Dean. The Eagles also, if you

17:43

recall, using their first round pick on defensive

17:46

tackle Jordan Davis from Georgia so it

17:48

has been a Georgia laden

17:50

draft these last two years the

17:53

Eagles. It's not true, but Peach

17:55

Cobbler on the menu at Lincoln

17:57

Financial Field in twenty twenty.

17:59

Three, Well, we'll just

18:01

have to see about that.

18:02

What we know is that the Eagles are loading up

18:04

on Georgia and Alabama and big

18:06

school players. Nolan Smith a big

18:08

time player his entire football

18:11

career, dating back to his days as a high

18:13

schooler, went to IMG Academy,

18:16

a five star recruit. Now he's an

18:18

Eagle, and we started our conversation talking about

18:20

his relationship with Eagles

18:22

linebacker Nakobe Dean, A wonderful

18:24

young man. Let's meet Eagles

18:26

linebacker Nolan Smith. Nolan,

18:29

congratulations, welcome to Philadelphia. Thanks

18:31

for taking the time out with me here. What's it been

18:34

like for you here this last day half that

18:36

actually really the whole draft pre draft process

18:38

fun.

18:39

It's been fun.

18:40

I talked to Nikobe enjoying a lot

18:42

on Nikobe's my guy, and it

18:44

was just this is great to be a part of the

18:46

Phillies organization.

18:47

How did you and Nikobe become such good friends?

18:50

Oh man, we were freshmans

18:52

and we both decided to do engineering, and

18:55

me and him studied till about

18:57

two o'clock in the morning and woke up the next

18:59

day to eight o'clock class.

19:01

And we just did that our whole freshman year. We came

19:03

real close.

19:04

We did some study halls just me and him, and

19:06

I just realized that he's kind of really

19:09

liked me.

19:10

Okay, So let's talk about the academics. First.

19:12

I thought you were gonna be a mathematic You were going into

19:14

college as a mathematics

19:16

major.

19:17

Right, No, sir, So I went into college as

19:19

a civil as a civil engineer major,

19:21

and my credits, the STEM credits only

19:23

could have changed over the mathematics, and it was way

19:25

easier than civil engineering.

19:27

Mathematics is easier than civil engineering.

19:29

Yes, it was a lot.

19:30

Well.

19:31

I only really couldn't pass the one class that

19:33

I had to pass to get into engineering school.

19:35

It killed me.

19:36

Yeah. So what is your brain? I mean, we'll get

19:38

to the football here in a minute. What is your brain? And expert

19:40

in math?

19:42

Numbers analytics. I'm

19:44

a big numbers person. Men and women

19:46

lie numbers.

19:47

Don't.

19:48

Does that help you on the football field in

19:51

some weird way?

19:52

Yes, sir.

19:52

Just realizing that they did this formation

19:55

again and again, and they doing only certain couple

19:58

of players out of this formation, and a

20:00

lot of offenses get into smoke and mirrors

20:02

and streams to get in the same thing.

20:04

So that's crazy guy.

20:07

Never like, I'm not. I'm a word guy. So I numbers

20:09

scared the life? And how are you with words?

20:11

Are you good? Are you good with words? So hard

20:13

to find people who are good with both. Well, I wouldn't

20:16

say I'm good with words. I feel like reading

20:18

his knowledge. I mostly read to gain

20:20

knowledge in my brain, Like I read my math textbook

20:23

before, I'll like read.

20:24

Freely on my own.

20:25

Who is this guy? But man,

20:28

I'm a math major. This is something I love

20:30

to do, numbers and just looking at stuff.

20:33

One day I want to work in the stop market and move my own

20:35

money.

20:36

I got a couple of guys free to meet here. How

20:39

was draft Knight? How you look great? You

20:42

had a lot of friends around you, a lot of loved ones.

20:45

We're sitting there going that name's off the

20:47

board, my name's coming up here, like optimistic

20:49

feeling the.

20:50

Whole way through.

20:51

I was just really ready for my name to be

20:53

called and for an organization to believe in me.

20:55

Just like Philly did. And I'm just excited

20:57

to be here.

20:58

And I didn't really care when it was called as long

21:00

as my name was called. And my mom was happy next

21:02

to me crying.

21:03

What's she crying?

21:04

Oh yeah she was.

21:05

Do that make you cry?

21:06

No, it didn't make me cry, cause you know,

21:09

as coach Smart says, what's next?

21:11

Yeah?

21:11

And then what's next? To the Philadelphia Eagles here? You

21:13

don't know when you play football. You

21:15

seem to have so much joy on the

21:17

football field. Describe what it's like to be able

21:19

to fit what's going through your body

21:21

through your mind.

21:22

Man, it's just I usually every

21:24

play, every snap, I get goosebumps. And

21:26

I played my maximum potential every

21:29

play and just celebrating

21:31

with my guys. I don't care if I made to play or somebody

21:33

else made to play. I just like to go out there and celebrate

21:35

and have fun. I'm just a fun person and

21:37

we worked the best job ever.

21:39

When did you fall in love with football?

21:41

I've probably been playing football since I was four,

21:43

and that's when I fell in love with it. So I played

21:45

six and on it for three years and

21:47

it.

21:47

Was just fun.

21:48

I just loved it and I fell in love since I

21:50

was a little boy.

21:51

Tackle football back then, or the flag football

21:53

back then.

21:53

No, that's why I tell kids now we

21:55

ain't It wasn't flag flag wasn't existed

21:58

back then. We was putting on helmets at four,

22:00

five and six going out there hitting somebody.

22:03

Why do you think you've been successful? Knowing

22:05

what? What do you really think?

22:06

Like?

22:06

The key to your success has been.

22:08

Man, hard work works and that's what we thinkured

22:10

out at Georgia. As long as you put into work

22:12

and take care of the small things, the big things to

22:14

take care of themselves.

22:16

Is IMG A Is it like

22:18

a college field to

22:20

college campusy kind of thing?

22:21

Right? Does it prepare you for the

22:23

life of a collegiate experience?

22:25

Yeah, I say one hundred percent.

22:27

IMG prepared me for the life for a collegiate

22:30

athlete. Just found the way

22:32

we went to class and we lifted

22:34

every day and even from you know, certain

22:36

high school organizations or programs don't

22:38

meet, and that's one thing that we did at IMG.

22:40

We met as a group and as

22:43

a staff and as just broke things

22:45

down and so so did.

22:47

You feel like when you went to Georgia

22:49

and everybody's a four

22:51

and five star recruit that

22:54

you would fit in right away or

22:56

did you go Okay, I'm gonna wait

22:59

my turn. Where did you burst onto the scene.

23:03

I wouldn't say. I said I was gonna wait

23:05

my turn. But you know, to be a great leader,

23:07

you must be a great follower. And I followed

23:09

after Aziz Ojalauri And that was

23:11

one of my guys that still to

23:13

this day I call and he just from past

23:15

rush to man, how did I get to

23:18

this class?

23:19

And that was one of the guys that really helped

23:21

me.

23:21

So you have you believe in mentors?

23:23

Oh yeah, one hundred percent.

23:24

Were you a mentor when you got into the older

23:26

years of your collegiate life? Uh?

23:28

Yes, sir so, that's what most people know me as

23:30

the mentor. But I was a follower and a great

23:32

listener for all those years.

23:34

Right.

23:34

Yeah, So you sound you sound like Jalen Hurts.

23:36

My gosh, I feel like I'm talking to Jalen Hurts here. Did

23:39

you know have you ever met Jalen?

23:40

Yes, sir, so, A lot of a lot of bandwin

23:42

guys in Georgia.

23:43

Guys we all hang out and get along because

23:45

it's me you only really want to go to two

23:47

schools.

23:48

There's there's a degree of maturity that for

23:50

you. That's true, there's a degree of maturity that you

23:53

have to have to be successful. You're

23:55

now in a world of men. Do you think

23:57

that having this natural maturity

23:59

that you seem to have be a natural leader, that

24:01

that's gonna help you in the NFL?

24:03

Uh?

24:03

Yes, sir, just from far as

24:05

decision making skills and being

24:07

my own person. And also, man, I have amazing

24:10

guys in the locker room Na

24:12

Kobe JD. And we also

24:14

have you know, older guys, older

24:16

vets, like a guy that I watched all my life

24:19

as in cocks.

24:20

So why are you still

24:22

good in the trenches? You're you're no offense? You have

24:24

the biggest guy.

24:26

These are two hundred and ninety

24:29

three hundred and twenty pound guys. So what is

24:31

the key to success winning

24:33

in the past rush game? What is the key to

24:35

warding off blockers and getting to the running.

24:37

Back quickness and hands and really

24:39

just you know, focusing. I work on my hands

24:42

every day and perfecting my craft.

24:44

Have you ever been told that you're not big enough

24:46

to make it?

24:47

Yeah?

24:48

Have you really?

24:49

Yeah?

24:49

Nu?

24:50

Numerous some times and out a hundred

24:52

percent.

24:52

That's one thing that I always I try to play bigger

24:55

than myself, you know, try to strike blocks

24:57

harder, try to just be a little bit more aggressive

24:59

than a lot of the people.

25:00

Is there a chip on your shoulder from somewhere along

25:02

in your past?

25:03

Oh, I say yes, but it's it's my

25:06

chips, no one else chip that I put on that.

25:08

No one else put that chip on my shoulder.

25:10

I put it on myself and just to

25:12

really better myself and better

25:14

my game and just not listening to outside

25:16

noise and always try to be the complete best

25:19

player I can be.

25:20

Have you always been like this? No one?

25:22

I say yes, sir?

25:24

Why? How from your parents?

25:25

Like?

25:25

What? What? Where does it come from? Is it natural on

25:27

my mom?

25:28

And just being in a hardworking family like

25:30

my my grand My grandparents are

25:32

sixty five and they still get up every day and work

25:34

a seven eight.

25:36

And you what your did? Your mom?

25:37

She was cool with you playing football when you were four

25:39

years old, tackling six year olds.

25:41

Yeah, she she didn't like it at first,

25:44

but then when she realized I can hang and

25:46

I got a little nickname called the head Hunter, and

25:49

she felt she felt like safe enough

25:51

to let me continuously go out there ever play

25:53

offense. Oh yeah, I play running

25:56

running back. But I really didn't like it. It wasn't

25:58

my forte.

25:59

It's just I.

26:00

Don't like being the nail. I like being

26:02

a hammer. I like going to deliver.

26:04

I don't like being like, oh, let me yeah,

26:08

you want to hit.

26:09

Yeah.

26:10

So let's talk about rookie year

26:12

thoughts coming into it, Like what do you

26:14

want to accomplish right away here? What's the

26:16

first of many steps going.

26:18

To be well?

26:19

One of the first many steps for me personally

26:21

is just earn the trust of my teammates

26:23

and build that connection.

26:25

And I've seen that at Georgia.

26:26

Is that a guy pushed extra for you if you have

26:29

a connection with him. And I

26:31

feel like I can learn a lot from the older men

26:33

because that's something that I want to do in my life, far

26:35

as being a father and playing football and

26:37

my kids playing for and seeing me play

26:39

football.

26:40

What did Na, Kobe and Jordan tell you about

26:42

Philly about life in the NFL. I

26:46

will tell you that Jordan was watching your press conference

26:48

and he said, and we were like, hey, a year ago

26:50

that was you, and he goes, yeah, that went by fast,

26:53

and somebody said.

26:53

Did it really?

26:54

And he goes, well, long day's short

26:57

year. Like they tell you

26:59

that it's goes quite quickly, or

27:02

that it's you gotta be patient.

27:04

They say it goes, it flies by.

27:06

And we learned that at Georgia, Man, everything

27:08

just flies by so fast. So we learned to just

27:10

love the journey and love the passage

27:12

of what getting there. Don't worry about the start or

27:14

the end result. Just love the journey and which

27:17

you get to do it every day.

27:18

No, and I imagine getting

27:21

hurt last year.

27:22

Certainly there's a physical rehabilitation, but

27:25

when something is taken away from you,

27:27

you get reminded of how much you love the

27:29

game of football. What was it like for

27:31

you emotionally?

27:33

Man, you said it.

27:34

You know, you never know how much you love something

27:37

until it's taken away from you. Like

27:39

a lot of people say, oh on my car, my

27:42

car sucks, until someone takes your car away. Then

27:44

you'd be like, man, I really do miss

27:46

my sucky car. Like and I

27:49

tell people that every day in football, Like

27:51

you have the freshman that come in there and be like,

27:53

man, I don't want to work to day, And I tell them things

27:55

like that, like we get to work today. So

27:58

I say, when I had that taken away for me,

28:00

it just hurt a lot, just because I love the game

28:03

and I'm a person that you know, since

28:05

I was for it, that's all I did is breathe.

28:07

Eat, play football.

28:08

My mom always taught me God family football,

28:11

And it just it just hurt.

28:12

That's what I say.

28:13

How did you channel your competitiveness?

28:15

Man?

28:17

I just challenged my competitiveness into

28:19

my rehab. So every day I tried to

28:21

do like at least one hundred dumbbell curls,

28:24

and at a certain point I couldn't even like do

28:27

certain movements. And then next week I was

28:29

doing the movements and they be like, man, you're progressing

28:32

really fast, and I'm just like, I just go home and

28:34

rehab.

28:34

I feel like you're the guy who gets hurt.

28:37

And then says, naw, I'm okay, it's

28:39

just a torn pack. I can still play through this. I

28:42

one hundred percent tried.

28:43

I did it for eight plays until Cooch smarts

28:46

like your arm okay, And I was like,

28:48

yeah, it's fine. What do you mean You're

28:50

not using it? And I was like, you never

28:52

know. It's like I thought I threw it out of his socket

28:55

and I tried to throw it back in there,

28:57

and I say, well, it ain't going back

28:59

in. Something must be wrong, and I say

29:01

I can't. We playing Florida pre draft.

29:04

Tell me about the visit to Philly. What was it like?

29:06

It was amazing you You walk in here

29:08

and sence the culture in this place and that's

29:11

all Nakobe and Jordan talk about that. It's

29:13

a place of a culture, just like where we come from,

29:16

as far as you know, doing the right thing, holding

29:18

you accountable. And then they say the

29:20

fans are amazing, and they said it's

29:23

just one of the most electrifying events

29:26

ever when they just play in Philly.

29:27

Love it.

29:28

Can't wait to get you here.

29:29

Last one for Eagles fans who may not know

29:31

you on the football.

29:32

Field, what kind of player can

29:34

they see this year?

29:35

Man?

29:36

A god that's gonna bring a lot of juice, energy,

29:38

cheer, and of course I'm gonna bring the fans into

29:40

it and they're just gonna always see a guy that's happway

29:43

with this big old smile.

29:44

Love it, no one.

29:44

Thank you so much, Yes Smith, thank you so much for joining

29:47

me on the Eagles Insider Podcast, presented

29:49

by Lincoln Financial Group. And

29:51

that will do it for this episode of the Eagles Insider Podcast

29:54

presented by Lincoln Financial Group. We've got more

29:56

to get to, of course, in the future,

29:58

as the off season marches on and

30:00

we get to know these rookies just

30:03

a little bit better and we kind of see

30:05

how they fit into the equation. In twenty

30:07

twenty three.

30:08

The Eagles.

30:09

No, there's no rebuild here, the

30:11

Eagles restocking this roster.

30:14

What an exciting weekend it's been at.

30:16

The Novacare Complex. I'm Eagles Insider Dave Spidero.

30:18

Thanks for joining me for this Eagles Insider

30:21

Podcast presented by Lincoln Financial Group.

30:23

I mean, I just want to say thank you to everyone here,

30:25

Peter Kelly, Kira Mahoney for all of their

30:27

great work putting it together. Thanks to all of you for

30:30

joining each and every week, each and every

30:32

episode. I know how exciting

30:34

this weekend has been for you inside

30:37

the Novacare Complex. Great excitement

30:39

and the understanding that Philadelphia

30:42

in this offseason really

30:45

put things together, culminating with

30:48

a banner NFL Draft

30:50

weekend. Enjoy everyone. I'm

30:52

Eagles Insider Dave Spidero saying thanks for joining.

30:54

Have yourselves a great Eagles Day fly, Eagles

30:56

fly and go.

30:57

Birds he

31:00

at now e Hastiels