The EJ Manuel Diaries: Feeling Good About the Eagles


Quarterback EJ Manuel is doing a weekly diary here on Birds 24/7 as we count down to the draft. In this installment he writes about his visit to Philadelphia, and his emotions with the draft less than a week away.

What up Bird Gang!

Man, this feeling has been a long time coming. We are days away from the 2013 Draft and I feel like I’ve done so much to help myself. I made a few visits, which included a stop to Philly.

First off, the fact that there is a hotel connected to the airport is by far one of the most convenient things I’ve experienced in the past 3 months. Once I was settled in, we headed to dinner at Chicky Pete’s (sorry if I’m spelling it wrong guys) that first night. Of course, I had a Philly cheesesteak and these really good fries, which pretty much put me to sleep within the next hour.

Woke up bright and early to meet with the GM, asst. GM, owner, OC, Qb coach, head coach, and pretty much anyone else who had an office within the facility. I don’t want to give away too much, but I left the building feeling good about the Eagles taking me. The good thing is I’ve had the same feeling from every team I’ve met with. This is why I’m so proud of handling every meeting, every visit, every film session, every dinner as if my life depended on it.

I would love to become a Philadelphia Eagle, but if they decide to go a different route, I’m sure I’ll be getting a call soon after. The biggest thing I will do as the draft approaches is to enjoy the moment. You only get drafted once, and this is an extreme new beginning for not just me, but my family also.

Hope I’ll be writing you guys back soon, and it has been my pleasure giving you all insight on this process. Looking forward to seeing what happens draft day! God Bless!

EJ Manuel