PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) -- After shaking off the label of a draft pick bust, overcoming injury as a young player, going through several changes in defensive scheme — Brandon Graham has turned into quite an Eagles fan favorite for life.
BG — as he’s affectionately called — overcame that early career adversity and turned into a Super Bowl hero when he strip-sacked Tom Brady for what can be strongly argued is the greatest defensive play in the history of the Philadelphia Eagles.
Despite this resiliency, success and popularity, Graham never received a certain honor — until Monday night.
It took 11 seasons, but the 32-year-old — who had previously been an alternate for the Pro Bowl — can add Pro Bowler to his résumé.
“This is that much more special to me, because I know how much work was put in years before, and even this year, knowing that my time is almost running out,” Graham said on the Eagles website. “It’s on me to go out and do it. We went out there and did it.”
When asked about Graham’s accomplishment Tuesday morning, Defensive Coordinator Jim Schwartz took a page out of Graham’s book and put a smile on his face.
“Man, there was some tears shed in the coaching staff rooms (Monday) night,” Schwartz said. “Just a totally deserving guy. He’s had a long career and has been a very good player for a long time. But to get his first Pro Bowl nod, it sort of choked every body up because we know what kind of guy -- you guys know what kind of guy he is. I think the fans know what kind of guy he is.”
Graham, often found with a laugh and positive attitude, has seven sacks this season. He’s been stuck on that number for a while and — with two games left — likely won’t reach double digits this season (he had 9 1/2 in 2017).
And that doesn’t mean Graham isn’t worthy of this recognition.
“He hasn’t stopped playing hard and throwing people for losses behind the line of scrimmage and quarterback hurries,” Voice of the Eagles, Merrill Reese, told KYW Newsradio. “He plays hard every single second.”
Reese has called every single one of Graham’s 157 career games.
“I am so happy, so happy to see Brandon Graham finally rewarded with a Pro Bowl.”
There is no actual Pro Bowl game this season because of the pandemic, but in the Eagles Novacare Complex, there’s a wall that features every Pro Bowler in team history, and now Graham will get to go up on that wall.
Fletcher Cox and Jason Kelce are the team’s other Pro Bowlers this year.