On when he started thinking Philadelphia could be where he would end up:
“After
Miami got off the clock and picked up Dion Jordan, that’s where I
thought I was going for a while due to the absence of Jake Long to the
Rams. After that took place, I had a good vibe for Philly. After I got a
phone call from a Pennsylvania number, I knew it was time.”
On what head coach Chip Kelly and offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland told him about how he would fit in with the Eagles:
“I
think they like effort and the guys who can move. I don’t know exactly
what type of offense they’re going to be, but I know that at Oregon,
they ran a very fast-paced offense that was very similar to Oklahoma and
I think I fit with what they need.”
On what he knows about the Eagles offensive line:
“I
know Evan Mathis, I’ve heard of him a little bit. I actually almost
went with Vincent Taylor [who is] Jason Peters’ agent. I know Jason
Peters is a guy who went undrafted and is one of, if not the best tackle
in the league. I’m so fortunate to be with these guys and learn as much
as I can.”
On whether he has a preference between left and right tackle:
“I really don’t care. I try to be as balanced as possible. Whatever Coach Kelly and [the coaches] need, I’m going to do.”
On whether he was surprised when he was moved to offensive tackle and whether it was a tough transition:
“I
think the toughest was actually from quarterback to tight end—from
being such a glorified position to going to tight end where your hand is
in the dirt and there’s a lot of physicality involved. So that was
probably the toughest transition. Going to tackle my junior year was a
lot of a learning experience and it kind of felt very weird because I
had been a skill position player my whole life. Going to tackle was kind
of a weird experience, but going into my senior year, I knew I had the
talent and I just kept working and developing and things went well for
me.”
On how he thinks Chip Kelly’s fast-paced offense might suit him:
“I’m
excited. I think Coach Kelly brings a lot of energy and enthusiasm to
the Eagles. I know we’re all anticipating what’s going to happen and so
am I. I’m ready to get started and I’m very fortunate to be with the
Eagles.”
On whether he thinks his style of play will match well with the city of Philadelphia:
“Yeah,
I view myself as kind of an aggressive player on the field, but off the
field I’m a down-to-earth guy. I’m not arrogant at all. I know Philly
is a good blue-collar town that works its tail off and they’re very
passionate about their sports, especially football.”
On whether he thinks he’s ready to start now:
“I think I am, yes sir.”
On how important he thinks the combine was for him in terms of moving up the draft board:
“I
think it was important, but one of my main areas of focus was having a
good Senior Bowl to show people that I’m a football player and not just a
test athlete. Once I had a good week there, I knew the combine was
going to be icing on the cake with the tests and numbers and stuff. It’s
all part of the process and it’s finally over.”
On whether he cares that Evan Mathis has his number:
“That’s
part of it. He’s been there longer than me. Just reading about Mathis,
he’s kind of a freaky dude himself, as far as athlete-wise, so I’m fine
with whatever number I get.”
On how early he had the Eagles on his radar as a place he would end up:
“Back
in January, I had no clue if I was even going to be in the first round.
Moving forward, coming down to the few weeks before draft day, I had a
feeling it was either going to be Philadelphia, San Diego, maybe
Arizona, maybe Detroit and possibly Miami. After Miami traded up for
Dion [Jordan], I knew that Philly was probably going to take me, so
that’s where I ended up.”
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