PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — There’s the signature cackle. The routine outbursts of jubilant energy. The hearty “Gooooooood morning!” greetings on the practice field.
“You hear him before you see him,” said Philadelphia Eagles offensive lineman Jordan Mailata.
For anyone who’s been around or followed the team even the slightest bit the last decade and a half, you can probably guess which player Mailata was talking about.
Brandon Graham is the only answer.
“He’s got that infectious laugh, that overall aura about him,” Mailata said. “The positivity just leaks and reeks — reeks! — from him because it’s so infectious.”
Ever since the Eagles took Graham with the 13th overall pick in the 2010 draft, his personality has permeated just about every layer of the organization — from his fellow players, to coaches, support staff, and executives.
“What would the locker room be like without BG?,” said Mailata.
It was hard to tell whether Mailata was asking the question rhetorically, or out of genuine curiosity.
If the Eagles have the type of season they and their fans believe they’re capable of having, life without Graham could become reality sooner rather than later.
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“This might be the one,” Graham told The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane on a new episode of the unCovering the Birds podcast.
“We win [the Super Bowl], I might have to consider going out on top.”
Delivering a second championship to the only city where he’s ever played as a pro would mark a storybook ending to a strong career.
This season, Graham is poised to set a new record for total games played in an Eagles’ uniform. He was responsible for one of the defining plays of Super Bowl 52, coming up with a fourth-quarter strip sack of New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady that gave the Eagles a vital stop en route to their first title.
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“You know who put [retirement] in my ear? My grandma,” Graham said. “She was like, ‘Baby, you’ve done a lot. If you have a chance to go out on top, I’d go out on top.’”
Graham turned 35 years old in April. Despite accepting a smaller role in the Eagles’ edge rusher rotation last season, he racked up a career-best 11.0 sacks after missing all but two games the year before with an Achilles injury.
Graham has always wanted to play 15 seasons in the NFL. This year is his 14th.
“I was trying to pick [Graham’s] brain about [retirement] at the start of [training] camp,” Mailata said.
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“He doesn't know. He was like, ‘I don't know how long this is gonna be for me, but I'm gonna play this one like it’s my last.’”
“I don’t want them to push me out,” Graham said. “At the end of the day, I’m going to stay ready for 15. It just depends on what the Eagles want to do, but I’m going to enjoy myself, especially if we’re coming off a Super Bowl.”
To hear more from Graham about his future, favorite training camp memories, and his philosophy on mentoring the next generation of Eagles, check out the latest episode of unCovering the Birds!