It was 2010 and hot and defensive end Brandon Graham remembers what it was like to pack up and make the trip to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, the then-home of Philadelphia Eagles Training Camp. The players slept in dorms on one end of the campus, ate their meals in another spot, and had meeting rooms in between. The practice field required a drive over a hill and into a valley, where there were thousands of Eagles fans waiting, every single day, for the team to get on the field for another day of practice.
“Exhausting. Every day. Coach (Andy) Reid had real two-a-day practices back then and I remember being so tired after the morning practice that I would take a shower and have somebody grab me some lunch and bring it to me near our locker rooms and then I would sleep the rest of the time until the next practice.
“My first Training Camp, man, it was tough. I remember going against Winston Justice on my first 1-on-1 rep. We had all of those guys just ready to take it out on the first (draft) pick (Graham was the 13th player selected in the 2010 NFL Draft). It was a rough time.”
Graham roomed back then in a multi-player suite, he recalls, with defensive tackle Mike Patterson and linebacker Ricky Sapp. It was all about proving that he belonged in the NFL, so Graham did everything he could to earn the respect of his teammates.
“Working against Winston and guys like Jason Peters, I just had to work and keep battling,” he said. “We had some battles and I think I showed that I could play here and help the Eagles.
“I can still picture it – the locker room, sleeping there, eating when we walked downstairs and had a big dining hall. So many hills everywhere. It was crazy. And then you’d get to the field and the Eagles fans were hyped. They were ready. They brought it every day and that helped us bring it every day.”
As a rookie, Graham also was “welcomed” by the veterans, who would clink their glasses no matter where they were and Graham was made to sing – usually some Marvin Gaye “What’s Going On?” because that’s what he knew.
“I was good, too,” he said, laughing.
So much has changed since 2010, hasn’t it? The NFL has gone through some big changes – 16 games to 17 games, some significant new rules, a new kickoff play ahead, international regular-season games, and more – and Graham has been here for it. He’s in his 15th season, and he says it is his last, and the memories come flooding back as he cherishes…
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