The Eagles had only two players selected to the Pro Bowl this year and both of them were backups. All everything running back Brian Westbrook made the team and so did guard Shawn Andrews. Here's a transcript of the news conference.
RB Brian Westbrook Press Conference
12/18/07
On how big of a deal it is for him to be going to the Pro Bowl this year:
“I think it’s a big deal for me to make it. I’ve worked hard. My teammates have worked very hard to put me in this position and it’s a big deal for us as a team, and us as the players, and myself as a player as well. I continue to take my hat off to my teammates who have provided the way and have shown me the way to work hard and providing the opportunities to do the great things that I’ve been able to do on the football field.”
On whether he was wondering if he would make the Pro Bowl this year:
“Almost like every other year, I go out there and I try to do the things that I can do on the football field. I leave everything out on the field. I let the cards fall where they may. This year is really no different than other years. I just continue about my business, continue to do little things that I can do to help this team win and hope for the best.”
On whether the season that the Eagles have had takes anything away from him going to the Pro Bowl:
“It’s disappointing that we’re a good football team and we’re not playing that way and we haven’t won the games that we should have won. In that aspect it’s very disappointing. But, I’m still [going to] continue to be happy. I’m still proud of my guys, still proud of [G] Shawn Andrews, for making it again. He’s a very good player. He’ll be in the Pro Bowl a lot of years. I’m proud of guys like [DE] Trent [Cole] that are just going to continue to get better, going to continue to get acknowledged for the things he’s going to be able to do as a player, and [FS] Brian Dawkins as well, all of those guys.”
On whether the fact that he is going to the Pro Bowl validates everybody saying he is considered an elite player:
“I think it does. I think when you get voted to go play in an all-star game by your peers and other coaches, it definitely validates you as a player. I’m excited to have that opportunity.”
On whether this will quiet the notion that he is an underrated player:
“I think every year is different. I hope people will continue to see the things that I can bring to a football team and see the things that I can help a football team be. I’m hoping I continue my good play on the team as well.”
On whether he was confident in his ability coming out of Villanova:
“I was very confident in myself. I think when you come out of school and you’re being labeled as only this and only that and you can only do so much, you kind of question yourself a little bit. But, I remained confident in my ability. As I developed into the player that I am today and saw the things I was able to see by watching the older players in the NFL and on this team, you start to see where you can fit yourself into in this game and I’ve been able to fit myself well into this game.”
On who has helped him the most to get to where he is today:
“I think when I look back on my younger days, I look back to my rookie year when I had guys like Brian Mitchell and Dorsey Levens to help groom me and teach me the ways of the NFL, along with Duce [Staley]. Then, going into my second and third year Correll [Buckhalter] was always there for me and he continues to be there for me now, be my number one support guy. I have so many friends on this team as well as so many people that continue to support me every game, the list really goes on and on. Of course, Donovan’s [McNabb] always there for me. Brian Dawkins is always there for me. Really, the list does go on and on because there are so many good people around this organization.”
On whether he thinks about the legacy he is leaving here:
“I don’t really think about it too much, but I would hope that I would be remembered as a guy that would do anything he can for this team, to help his teammates continue to get better, to help his team win games. I would do anything. I want to be remembered as a guy who was selfless and any chance he had the opportunity to touch the ball he would try to help his team win. He was a leader in a way that a lot of people don’t necessarily see him as a leader, but he was a guy when he did have an opportunity to talk to the team and talk to the guys they listen and they appreciated that.”
On how he feels about the attention he is getting for not scoring the touchdown in the final two minutes of last week’s game:
“It was kind of surprising the attention you can get from that play. Like I’ve said before, a lot of credit goes to [T] Jon [Runyan] because as a player, as a running back, I want to score every time I touch the ball. So, Jon kind of talked me into it over the years and back from when we played Buffalo four or five years ago he talked to me then. When we played the Redskins earlier, he talked to me then. He reminded me a few times this week going into that last drive, ‘If you get down to the one, you have an opportunity to take a knee.’ It was a great opportunity for us to win a football game against a good football team.”
On whether he is surprised about the national attention he is getting for that selfless act:
“It surprised me just because that act in that way, the act of trying to help your team win, would get that much notoriety. But, it just happened that way I guess.”
On whether he thought it was crazy that Runyan would tell him to take a knee:
“I didn’t think he was crazy, I thought it made sense. But, like I said, as a runner you’ve always been taught if you get close to the goal line, score. If you have an opportunity to score you try your best to score. It was one of those things that it definitely made sense and it worked out well in our favor because it could have gone the other way. We could have scored, they could have scored again, had an onsides kick. Crazy things have happened in the NFL and in this season where we have lost games by three and four points, crazy things have happened to us this year. So, to give ourselves the opportunity for them not to have the ball again, that was big.”
On whether he envisioned himself making it to the Pro Bowl, but his team not making the playoffs:
“With the cast of great athletes and great players we have on this team, it’s very hard for me to imagine ourselves not making the playoffs. I’ve been through camp and I’ve been through mini-camp and things like that with these guys and I know we’re very qualified and a very good team that should be in the playoffs every year, year in and year out. Unfortunately for us, we’re going to get hot at the wrong part of the season. We need to start a little bit earlier to try to get things underway to try to get us into the playoffs.”
On whether he is surprised that DE Trent Cole did not get selected:
“I’m very surprised. I think Trent is a heck of a player. I think another year of great play would get him right into the Pro Bowl. There are a lot of good outside rushers in the league. Trent will continue to do good and hopefully will get into the Pro Bowl next year.”
On whether he watched the Bears vs. Minnesota game last night and he hoped the Bears would win:
“Yeah, I wanted the Bears to win, of course. But, I think as a team and as players you need to handle your business yourself and hopefully, not have to lean on other teams to have to handle your business for you.”
On what he was like when he was watching the game last night:
“I was watching the game. I was disappointed that they [Chicago Bears] lost.”
On how the team should handle the next two games:
“I think we have to look at it as Green Bay looked at it last year. I think they won the last four games and that gave them the momentum to go into this year and start with a great record this year, and go into a good season and have a good year. They did that and hopefully for us, we need to build on these next two games and go into the offseason with a little momentum, try to get our swagger back and build for next year.”
On how he has evolved as a player who was not sure how many carries he would ever get in a game to now being a player who gets most of the carries:
“I think a lot of it is just built into the size factor. When you look at, some people are just so convinced that the bigger you are the longer you can play, the more hits you can take and things like that, that’s not necessarily true. Some of the best running backs have been smaller in stature. A lot of people just didn’t really have a lot of faith in the things I could do as a player. The way you go about it is going about it every year, trying to play as many games as you can, trying to play as many plays as you can, and staying on that field and making it hard for your coach to take you off that field. I think as a player I continue to pride myself on the fact the coach, he loses a lot when he takes me off the field, so he needs to try to keep me on the field as much as possible. That was my goal when I first came into the league and that continues to be my goal today. I think that’s how you become a person who stays on the field a lot, who gets the ball a lot and controls the ball. That happens every year. You have to be productive every year as well as stay healthy every year.”
On whether there were things that he needed to work on this year that he accomplished:
“Every year I look at my game and I see holes in it and things that I need to improve on. This year was no different. I still continue to want to improve my pass protection. I still continue to want to improve my running ability, my making plays down the field, and trying to make shorter runs into longer runs, make those type of plays and pass catching as well. So, I try to improve on every aspect of my game every year. And, that’s something that’s going to continue. As a player, that’s something that’s going to carry you to that next level, that next echelon of players, when you continue to improve every year and continue to work on the things that you’re not so strong in.”
RG Shawn Andrews Pro Bowl Press Conference
12-18-07
On being surprised that he made it this year:
“This season started off very tough for me, going through training camp with that situation; I got obsessed with losing weight, which was bad for me. I’ve learned some things this year about what not to do for next year. When I got to the place that I needed to be, from the mid-to-the-latter part of the year, things picked up and, for that reason, I’m not surprised.”
On how the obsession with losing weight affected him:
“It’s not a smart move, from training camp on to the season, to try to lose weight. In training camp, when I hurt my ankle, I was thinking ‘uh oh, I’m not going to be able to do as much cardio,’ and I was concerned with putting on weight with that. I started to bike every day. I actually started losing weight a lot quicker with that than I did on the treadmill. I became obsessed with it, but it wasn’t a good idea because going against the bigger guys at defensive tackle, they can move you around a little bit more than they should.”
On the pressure to live up to being a Pro Bowl guard:
“It wasn’t so much that ‘you made the Pro Bowl, now the pressure’s on.’ Just take it as you do normally. Just go out there, do your business and everything will take care of itself. It’s been said that guys, once they make it, if they even have a decent year, then they’ll go back. I don’t like it to be that way. My year started off a little bit slow, but it’s picked up towards the middle and the end. I want it to be because I’m that guy and my position; I should go, not just because I have this name.”
On how satisfying it is to make it in the same year that the running back he blocks for makes it:
“It’s good. We’re the grunts up front, we don’t get much publication and we don’t do all the commercials. We don’t get all the credit, but we’re used to that. We just do the dirty work, and going to the Pro Bowl is a gift for us for making things happen.”
On whether New England head coach Bill Belichick’s comments that Shawn is the best guard they have played, helped him make the Pro Bowl:
“I heard a little bit about what he said. Coming from a coach that’s very respected and the caliber guy that he is, I think some people may have heard that have a hand in voting for the Pro Bowl. It’s possible that some guys may have listened to that. (Jokingly) I can’t say that I disagree with what he said.”
On what kind of year he has had:
“The middle to the second half of this season—probably from game nine on through—I think this is probably my best football yet since I’ve been in an Eagles uniform. Now I know where my weight mainstay is for next year and future years. I think I have it down pat and I think it’s going to be a lot of fun from here on out.”
On taking pride in the Eagles yards per carry average being near the top in the league:
“I take a lot of pride in it. A lot of people around the city, around the league and anybody who’s a fan of the Eagles, say that we need to do this or we need to do that. As an offensive lineman you want to be able to show your ability to run, as well as pass-protect, but you have to do what’s given to you. At the same time that you do run, you have to be able to display your abilities and to do it well.”
On the keys to being a good offensive lineman:
“I think that you have to do certain things that make you stand out. You have to display a certain athleticism. We run a lot of screens, and [you have] to be able to get out in space and take on defensive backs that could go either way and make you look real bad. I think that’s a big part of it, being poised in pass-protection, and when you get a chance to just knock somebody out and blow them off the ball when you’re running.”
On whether he’s confident he’ll remain in the lineup even though the Eagles are eliminated from the playoffs:
“I’m very confident. I’m feeling real strong about the situation. Of course I can’t talk about it, but I’m feeling very positive about playing the rest of the season.”
On what his weight situation was like earlier in the season:
“I think I came into training camp at about 342 and within a week’s time of the ankle situation I was down to 329. I was like, ‘wow’ and I became obsessed with it. As the season went on, I even got down to 324 in a couple weigh-ins. Those weeks, I recall, when I came in at 325, weren’t very good weeks for me. It took me a few more weeks after that to really figure it out that this is not where I’m going to play at. (Jokingly) Even though you look pretty svelte when you wear your suits, you still have a job to do. If you don’t do your job then you can’t wear the suits.”
On what his ideal playing weight is:
“During the week I weigh in between 332 and 335, and by gameday I’m probably about 340 or 342.”
On whether the team said anything to him during his weight issues:
“Its wasn’t really talked about. Our offensive line coach [Juan] Castillo would joke about it a little. I think he’s happy to see me around 340 or 342 because obviously he knows that for my dominance, 340 is a very solid number for me.”
On being disappointed that the Eagles will not be going to the playoffs after Minnesota won last night:
“It’s very tough, knowing the caliber of team that we have, knowing that we have some of the best players in the league and our record doesn’t indicate the team that we are. It’s heartbreaking. Like [RB and fellow Pro Bowl electee] Brian [Westbrook] said, you want to put yourself in a situation where you make it possible for you to go as a team and not having to depend on anybody else or another team.”
On whether this Pro Bowl is bittersweet given that the Eagles are not making the playoffs:
“It’s tough. It’s a happy/not so happy day. We just have to finish out the season strong and know what we have here and know what we will be starting with next year. We have to build off of that and try to shoot for the stars.”
On OTs William Thomas and Jon Runyan not getting recognized:
“It’s very surprising. It’s really not my call, but if it were my call I would have those two guys, Jon and T, in the Pro Bowl every year. Jon, he’s just the man, he’s a fun guy to watch. Some of the things that he says and does out there in the middle of a game, it’s so funny. It’s amazing, he just dominates people.”
On why Runyan and Thomas don’t get recognized:
“It’s been said that Jon is one of the dirtier players in the league. I don’t know if defensive guys are in get-back mode or if they think he’s a dirty player. I know one thing, he’s very respected.”
On whether he’s surprised DE Trent Cole didn’t make it:
“Yeah, Trent is a heck of a player. He’s a great guy. It’s sad because sometimes guys make a name for themselves and even though [Trent] is young and has the sacks he doesn’t make it. It’s tough. It’s not my call, but if it was then Trent would be there.”
On whether he’s looking forward to going to Hawaii since he wasn’t able to go last year because of the injury he suffered in the New Orleans playoff game:
“It should be pretty fun. I’m definitely going to try to make it if the Lord’s willing this year. Just to get over there, and fellowship, with the guys and maybe get a few autographs of some of the people who I’m a fan of. I think it will be a great trip.”
On what players have helped him become the player that he is:
“A guy who’s not here anymore, who I always think about when I’m asked that question is [former Eagles and Saints offensive lineman] Jermane Mayberry. When you have a guy that’s a nine or ten year veteran who’s asked to move over to accommodate a rookie and still help [the rookie] as much as he helped me, it speaks a lot about a guy like that. On and off the field, he’s a great guy. William Thomas also. These guys have taken me under their wings, helped me and mentored me. Nobody’s perfect, but I’ve had some rough times here and they’ve helped me out a lot.”
On whether he adopts any parts of Runyan’s game into his own:
“I’m a nice guy and the nickname “the Big Kid” doesn’t really show that. When the guys talk trash on the field, I just smile at them. That’s what I’ve always done. (Jokingly) I try not to trash talk too much because it takes away from your endurance when you have to focus on the game. Runyan is a physical guy. The situation when he cracked his tailbone, a lot of people probably would have had their hips in a sling for a few weeks. Just to look at that and try to model yourself after that is a great deal.”
