Jake Elliott is unflappable as the Eagles’ kicker

I’ve interviewed Jake Elliott countless times since he joined the Eagles early in the 2017 season, a rookie who nobody knew a thing about and who promptly came in and booted his way into an NFL career. Consistency, range, and a steely excellence in clutch moments have been the hallmark of Elliott’s time with the Eagles, which suddenly dates into his sixth season – amazing how fast that’s gone by! – and is just now hitting its peak.

In all of those interviews, Elliott has been exactly the same – calm, thoughtful, positive thinking, and always, always, always sharing the credit for his success. He made the Pro Bowl last season after making 30 of 33 field goals and all 44 of his PATs for a career-high 134 points, a performance that included a 10-of-13 success rate from 40 to 49 yards and perfection on all three of his kicks from 50-plus yards, including a 58-yarder to help turn things around in a key road win in Carolina.

Anyway, I always try to see if Elliott will flinch in the course of a conversation topic. “If I have any emotions,” he said, laughing on Saturday.

It is not easy. Elliott neither looks back nor looks ahead. He is as unflappable as they come, which is not necessarily the way it is with kickers. David Akers was a perfectionist who would spend most of his time on the sidelines kicking the football into the net. He was an intense guy, but when it came time to kick, Akers practiced the same consistency in his stroke and the result was that he enjoyed a 12-year career with the Eagles that landed him atop the team’s list of all-time scorers and a place in the franchise’s Hall of Fame.

“I just think I’m the same person every day,” said Elliott, who ranks third behind Akers and Bobby Walston with 529 career points and is still 176 career field goals behind Akers’ Eagles-best 294. “A lot of it has to with Rick (Lovato, long snapper) and Arryn (Siposs, holder) being super consistent and making me feel so comfortable back there and they’ve done a great job….