I watched a little bit of the NFL Draft last weekend. Honestly, I think the NFL Draft has more to do with popularity than actual talent. I'm not saying that teams are picking players because of their popularity, but a lot of it has to do with what school you went to. Not to say that those guys can't play, because they obviously can. It makes me feel bad that there are some athletes out there that won't get the look that players who went to big-time schools get. There is nothing wrong with that, they just have to fight their way to the top.
A year ago, I knew that teams thought Ronnie Brown, Cadillac Williams and Cedric Benson were the top three running backs. I thought I was No. 4. I looked around and I saw Maurice Clarett and I think his off-the-field issues got him in trouble. Vernand Morency, I thought I was better than him when you compare our college careers. I had a feeling though that because I went to Louisiana Tech teams would pass on me. It's a business. If a team can get you at a lower pick, they'll do that not because you're not good it's because they won't have to pay you as much. Morency went four picks before me.
If there is something good about being picked lower, it gives you more fight and fire to do well.
The Eagles did really well in the draft. They picked up some good players. Winston Justice, I didn't think he would make it into the second round. I didn't think he was going to fall that far, but he did. That's something right there. He's obviously good, USC had a pair of 1,000-yard rushers last year. I think he's going to be good.
And Max Jean-Gilles? He looks just like Shawn Andrews. It seems like we're going to try and run next season. They got these two big powerhouse guys. They are run-oriented linemen. Hey, as long as Brian and I get the ball a little bit whether it's running or receiving, football is football. I can't lie though, I am excited. It's going to be fun.
I'm also excited because I'm not a rookie anymore. I feel more comfortable now. I just want to get rocking.
I didn't pay that much attention to the second day of the draft, so I didn't hear about Artis Hicks getting traded until my fiancee told me. I went through enough heart attacks last year with the draft. I spent the day at home and had a gathering with my family. You can't control it, so you might as well pick up your bag and go to wherever you're drafted. When I was picked, I already had the fire in my belly because I dropped. I thought I would have been selected in the second round. But because I went to a small school and I'm short, I didn't get picked as high as I thought I should have.
That's why I love how the Eagles draft. They go by what players did on the field and not because of what others said or what school they went to. They picked people who were good.
The Eagles didn't draft another running back. That makes me feel like I did something last year. That I showed the Eagles a little something and the running backs as a group showed a little something. But I can't rest on what I did last year; I'm ready to get it going for this year. I've been working hard. I try to envision what my role will be for this year, but I don't know.
Maybe you'll see me and Westbrook in the game at the same time. Maybe not. I'll learn more when we go into mini-camp. I've been working hard though. I've been trying to keep myself ready. I'm physically ready and when mini-camp begins, I can start to get physically ready. I lost a lot of weight last year. I put a lot of pressure on myself. It's good to put pressure on yourself. I needed to do well. I wanted to do well. I tried to force myself to do well. Until I had some success, I was like a robot. I wasn't able to calm down. Now, I'm a lot looser and I can just play football and have fun.
