Pound The Table

PHILADELPHIA — In the hours leading up to what can only be described as a whirlwind, the Eagles kicked off Day 3 of the NFL Draft with their annual “passion meeting.” The purpose is to afford coaches and scouts an opportunity to state their respective cases for prospects they’re championing.

A team-released video revealed then-assistant general manager Alec Halaby lobby for Georgia interior offensive lineman Micah Morris, whom the Eagles would ultimately select in the sixth round. The video then captured defensive line coach Clint Hurtt convincingly pitch one of the more intriguing, albeit immensely raw, draft eligible prospects.

“Uar Bernard,” he said. “I understand he hasn’t played, but this kid has got more talent in his body physically than some of the guys that got drafted in the first two days. I’d love to get my hands on him. Explosive, violent, heavy-handed kid. Ton of upside. Developmental guy, but I trust myself and I believe in the kid.”

GETTY IMAGES/Mitchell Leff: Eagles DL coach Clint Hurtt believes in Nigerian DT prospect Uar Bernard (93) even though Bernard has never played a down of any football.

The Eagles selected Bernard with their second of three seventh-round picks, with a long-term vision in mind. Bernard, a native of Nigeria, is entirely new to football. His growth will require patience and nurturing, but the Eagles, who boast an extensive track record of developing players from all rounds and all corners of the map, have the ideal infrastructure in place to support the process.

Bernard’s freakish athleticism would seemingly be enough to justify most every team investing a late-round flyer, but there was more than meets the eye contributing to Hurtt’s stamp of approval.

Though obviously aware of Bernard’s testing numbers recorded at the International Player Pathway Pro Day – where Bernard produced a 4.63 40-yard dash and a 39-inch vertical at 6-foot-4, 306 pounds – Hurtt observed first-hand the prospect’s immeasurable intangibles.

Prior to the draft, Hurtt had made his way down to Florida to work out Bernard, who was training out of X3 Performance and Physical Therapy in Fort Myers. Beyond the physical ability, Hurtt places an even greater level of importance on work ethic, a component even a supercharged pro day can’t quantify.

Bernard, however, wasted little time checking off that box.

The workout was scheduled for 9 a.m., though Bernard was primed and ready at 7:45 in anticipation of what would eventually become a life-changing job interview.

“Full lather, full sweat, the whole deal,” Hurtt recalled. “That, to me, means a lot. He was excited for the opportunity, and we were the first of 12 teams that were going to go down and work him out. So, the kid knew this was coming up. But being there early, already ready to roll, and when I started the workout with him, it was anything he had made a mistake on, he immediately jumped back up and wanted to do it again. And a lot of guys are not like that.

“So, for me, what are the intangibles? How eager is he to learn? What was the work ethic like? Because you gotta have that in order to be able to fulfill the physical talent. And I felt good about that.”

The intent behind the workout was for Hurtt to spend some time getting to know Bernard. He wanted to get the 21-year-old on the board to see where Bernard was at that stage and get a sense for how he was learning and receiving information.

The interaction left an indelible impression on Hurtt, who lightheartedly expressed concern over peppering Eagles general manager Howie Roseman throughout draft weekend with text messages related to the sentiment of, “It’d be really cool to have this guy.” Reflecting back on the moment the Eagles selected Bernard with the 251st pick, Hurtt remembered it being “really exciting.”

Circling back to Hurtt’s pitch, the veteran coach essentially bet on himself to ensure he fulfills his obligation as a coach and teacher to craft a plan that places Bernard on a successful course. The endorsement illustrated Hurtt’s confidence in himself, but his position was also uniquely individualized.

He had gathered sufficient intel on the player and person and envisioned a fruitful transition. It’s also worth noting that Hurtt isn’t one to pound the table for just any prospect. This wasn’t a case of blind faith, but rather an instance of a calculated leap.

“I’ve always been a self-confident person, but the other thing is I believe in young people,” he said. “I believe in players. And obviously, giving my very best of myself to them … I’m not putting my stamp on everybody. If you don’t have a great work ethic, if I don’t believe in your character or who you are as a person, I’m not putting my family’s well-being in anybody’s hands.

“But when I saw the kid’s work ethic and character, great, he’s an unbelievable human being. As people get a chance to spend some time with him, he’s a great kid. So, I felt good about doing that.”

Bernard’s first time ever experiencing a football practice occurred during Eagles rookie minicamp, but his crash course into the NFL has been gradual and structured. He’ll meet with Hurtt at 7 a.m. every morning, and again in the afternoon, with Hurtt assessing everything from technique, alignments and assignments.

The process of bringing Bernard up to speed was always going to necessitate a concerted devotion of time and diligence, but Hurtt put into perspective what’s often taken for granted. While not every player was introduced to football as an adolescent, most have at least been ensconced at some point during their high school years, giving him a foundation from which to build.

Bernard is essentially a blank canvas, so Hurtt’s tutelage has been rudimentary, focusing on proper stance, the rules of the game, alignments, adjustments and schematics.

Hurtt’s approach with Bernard has been subtle, so to ensure the rookie isn’t overwhelmed. Prior to arriving in Philadelphia for rookie minicamp, Hurtt’s primary goal was to allow Bernard to find his footing, while establishing the confidence needed to assure growth. The first step of his install process was to start Bernard off with some of the easier elements to learn.

According to Hurtt, Bernard is coming along well and working hard, but was sure to reiterate that it’s going to be a process. He also noted just how well the defensive line room has taken to Bernard.

“To me, the most critical thing is keep his confidence high,” he said. “At this level, you’re going to get humbled because you’re going against some of the best players in the world on our team. So, you gotta keep him feeling good where he can also see, ‘Yeah, I have talent, but I can also see myself ascending and going forward.’ I don’t want to put him in a situation where he (questions), ‘Do I really belong?’”

As far as Bernard’s personality, Hurtt considered him to be fairly shy, but that shouldn’t be viewed as much of a surprise for someone experiencing an entirely new orbit. Hurtt said Bernard was especially quiet the first couple days of meetings, but has since opened up to those who have had a chance to get to know him.

While Bernard has mostly remained reserved, he’s remained true to himself and isn’t influenced by anything, which Hurtt finds refreshing. To underscore Bernard’s authenticity, Hurtt shared a carefree moment in which Bernard temporarily let his guard down, showcasing a taste of his personality to teammates.

“In practice yesterday, he heard a Tupac song come on and he started rapping the lyrics, word for word, and the guys went nuts,” Hurtt said. “It was cool. They were like, ‘We didn’t know you knew who Tupac was.’ That was cool.”

— Andrew DiCecco (@AndrewDiCecco) is a Staff Reporter/Content Producer for InsideTheBirds.com