Since the Eagles drafted him with the 13th overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, defensive end Brandon Graham has been hampered by injuries. If you consider 16 tackles and three sacks in two seasons contributing, I guess you could argue that he has been an asset for the Eagles. Otherwise, he has been a major disappointment. Fortunately for Eagles fans, Graham seems to embrace being labeled as a draft bust.
“I haven’t (done) nothing, really,” Graham said according to the Philadelphia Enquirer. “Right now, I’m a bust, so I’m going to deal with that. I’m a bust, and I’m going to keep being a bust. Even when I make plays, I’m going to still act like I’m a bust. You know what I’m saying?
“It hasn’t done nothing but make me grow and help me get stronger. Going through that whole thing last year, not playing, I just grew as a person, that was number one. I’ve moved on from it. Now it’s time for me to defend myself.”
Draft busts are all too common across the NFL, but very rarely do we find players who are willing to own it. Entering only his third NFL season, the former Michigan Wolverine has lost 20 pounds and taken up boxing in an attempt to be in a better position to fight for playing time. As we know, sports fans are not patient. By now, Eagles nation has given up on Graham. Injuries or not, he is considered a draft miscue. Only he has the ability to alter that perception.
H/T Pro Football Talk
Photo credit: Howard Smith-US PRESSWIRE
