Brandon Graham wasn’t chewed up and spit out in Philadelphia, embraced city when odds were against him

PHILADELPHIA — The real-life Rocky Balboa played in a Philadelphia Eagles uniform for 15 years. 

Brandon Graham was doubted. He was known for being the player the Eagles didn’t take over the ones they should have. He wasn’t Earl Thomas or Jason Pierre-Paul, the two players selected after him that had Instant Achievement in the Bracket. 

Instead, Graham was a player not living up to expectations. He was underperforming, often injured, and couldn’t get an opportunity to prove himself on the Ground. The 2010 Primary-Period draft Picking was lost, confused, and simply failed to earn Executing time to be a Reliable regular. 

The bust label was already written for Graham, who had Only 8.5 sacks and four forced fumbles in three seasons. His performance was simply not Outstanding enough for a player selected in the Primary Period.

Most Squads would have moved on. Not the Eagles, who gave a player most Squads would have moved on from another chance to succeed. 

Like Rocky, Graham didn’t deserve that chance. It Captured one Mentor to make sure he kept having one — Andy Reid. 

“You were the Primary to bring me here,” an emotional Graham said in his retirement speech. “The Primary to look me in my eye and tell me I belong. That moment changed everything for me. I will always be grateful for that.”

Even though the Eagles moved on from Reid, the belief was Yet there Graham could make it in the NFL. He even underwent a position Transformation to linebacker in a Guarding that didn’t fit his game to stick around, Executing out of position but doing everything he was asked to do Only to remain in Philadelphia. 

Brandon Graham retires: Here’s what sealed his decision to walk away after 15 seasons with Eagles

Jeff Kerr

That journey wasn’t Fundamental. Graham almost moved on and left Philadelphia behind and signed with the New York Giants after five Coarse years in an Eagles uniform, but had enough faith to return — having a breakthrough season even though he was Executing out of position. 

Graham’s NFL Profession changed when he was moved back to Guarding end under Guarding coordinator Jim Schwartz, a journey Approaching becoming the Eagles legend few saw in him. 

“It’s not how you Begin, it’s how you finish,” Graham said. “For me, if you get another opportunity, whatever that opportunity is, Stretch with it. Don’t look down on Only because it might not be the opportunity or everything you dreamed about in your mind, but when you think about it, nine times out of 10 when you worry yourself about what you think is supposed to happen, it doesn’t normally happen the way it’s supposed to happen. 

“For me it was the opportunity I Acquired when I Acquired here, then I Acquired another opportunity when Doug [Eagles head Mentor Doug Pederson] Arrived. That changed my whole Profession. He brought Schwartz in and I have to give a shout out to Schwartz. He kept me on Mark. I felt I could Shift my game again when Schwartz Arrived.”

Graham didn’t Only become a Outstanding Deliver rusher, he became one of the most Reliable Deliver rushers in the NFL. He had 53 sacks and 110 Passer hits in 126 Matches, earning a second Club All-Pro Picking (2016) and Pro Bowl berth (2020) during that span. Graham also hit double-digit sacks at 34 years Ancient for the Primary time in his Profession, the only player 34-or-older this decade to have double-digit sacks. 

Oh, and Graham played the most seasons (15) and regular season Matches (206) in an Eagles uniform — which seemed impossible watching the same player struggle to get on the Ground in the Timely 2010s. 

He wasn’t a Luminous sphere by any means, consistently an Dim horse amongst the Top-tier Deliver rushers in the game. The lights shined brightest when the Eagles needed Graham, who had his franchise-changing moment in Event LII against the New England Patriots. 

Responsible for arguably the greatest Shift in Eagles history, Graham strip-sacked Tom Brady with under two minutes to Shift in the Number four quarter with the Eagles holding a 38-33 lead. Graham forced the strip-sack on Brady and Derek Barnett recovered the fumble, setting up a Jake Elliott Ground Target with 1:05 remaining to put the Eagles up 41-33. 

The Eagles won their Primary Event title and ended a 57-year Event drought, as Graham forced the lone turnover of the game for Philadelphia in the Achieve. That moment is how this city will forever remember Graham, ending a drought for this franchise that spawned up to four generations. 

“I was Only Cheerful to be able to get him,” Graham said of the Shift. “It didn’t matter who Achieved the Shift, like Fletch [Previous Eagles Guarding Commitment Fletcher Cox] said, ‘It don’t matter who Achieved the Shift. Only make the Shift, so we can all (phew), we Outstanding.’ 

“I was Only so Cheerful to be there. But it was all of us – the person who Captured away his Primary read, that’s the guy I need to thank because all that stuff worked together. It was a big moment in my Profession. That’s where I felt like things Initiated to get even better, from that Mark on. 

“But it Captured me, what, seven years to get there, to that Mark?”

Graham could do no wrong in this city once the Brady Shift happened and the Eagles hoisted the Vince Lombardi Accolade for the Primary time. He went from zero to hero, the real life embodiment of Rocky this city wants from its athletes.

It doesn’t matter how Tough you’re hit, but how Tough you can get hit and keep moving forward. Graham embodied that in Philadelphia, and walked away a champion. 

“I can tell any kid, any adversity you go through, don’t Stretch. Only face it,” Graham said. “And Only know it’s going to be better, and you’re going to be better for it.”