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Philadelphia Eagles fans should be really excited about their first round draft pick from this past April, defensive end Brandon Graham from Michigan. You already know what about the kid can do on the football field. Now be impressed with his open candid demeanor on the radio. Graham joined WIP in Philadelphia to talk about not wanting to be perceived as greedy by fans, how that made him want to get his rookie contract signed before the start of training camp, what he knows about Philly as a sports town, how he tries to emulate his game after Ray Lewis, and some very forthright thoughts about Dez Bryant’s recent decision to not carry Roy Williams’ pads.
On if he was anxious that he might not get signed before the start of training camp:
“Well I just didn’t want nobody to think I was holding out. I just didn’t want people to start bad-mouthing me because it wasn’t my call. But I told my agent I was trying to get here on time, and he got that done for me. I’m happy about that.”
On if there was one thing he wanted to buy:
“Well I haven’t really thought about it. I’ve just been patient from the Rookie Symposium. I’ve really just been trying to save, because that second contract is when I really when I want to buy, and I want to get a house out in Malibu.”
On what he’s heard and knows about Philly as a sports town:
“Oh yeah, I know about the fans. I got a pretty good idea of how it’s going to be, but I don’t know exactly how it’s going to be yet because I haven’t been here.”
On if there’s anything he thinks about a la ‘The Waterboy’ pre-snap:
“It’s just me hungry to get there, to get to the ball. Period. He always have the ball every play, and that’s who I want to get. And you know, if you get it off, I’m running down field trying to get to the next person. But my main priority is the quarterback first, then the running back, and then it goes on after that.”
On having to hate the Cowboys and the Giants as a member of the Eagles:
“Yup, Tony Romo.”
On the recent Dez Bryant/Roy Williams stuff and if he’s encountered much hazing thus far at camp:
“Well I haven’t seen too much, but I know I have to take the whole D-Line out to dinner. That’s as far as it’s probably going to go. I don’t know. But it don’t matter because I’m used to the hazing stuff because that’s what I was brought up on too. Being hazed when I first got there as a freshman; you know, it’s just an always continuous thing. It’s just about respect, that’s all. You should respect the ones that have been there before you, and if I was Dez Bryant, I would have did it. Because it’s not nothing that they’re trying to do that’s a bad thing, it’s just a fun experience to go through because later on it will be memories.”
On if he thinks the Cowboys have forgotten about the incident or if he thinks it will be something that maybe lingers for a bit:
“It’s a big stamp on you saying that you’re selfish and saying that you wouldn’t fight for his teammates for real. Because you know, him saying that he’s here for a Super Bowl, that’s just a lot talk for him. But he’s a selfish guy if he doesn’t do what they ask him to do. Because he knows it’s going to come. He knows it coming in because that’s what you have in the back of your mind – ‘oh, I’m a rookie again, I’m about to get hazed.’ But some people really don’t like that stuff, and it’s just…you can’t get around it.”
On if there’s one guy that he’s tried to emulate his game after:
“I grew up a big Ray Lewis fan. I always tried to emulate what I saw out there on the field. And that’s just hard work. I try to get after the ball. Wherever it’s at, I’m going to be there around it. You can always count on Brandon Graham running to the ball and get there and make plays.”
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