Nate Allen held a press conference at Lehigh today after officially signing his contract. Just before Allen had his press conference, Andy Reid held his own and named Allen the current starter. Here's what Nate had to say.
On his thoughts about getting to camp
"Every rep counts and I knew that sitting at home. I was talking to my agent, pushing him like, ‘Hey, when’s a deal going to get done?’ because I was just ready to get up here and start working. I felt like I was getting behind, but I’m glad to be up here finally."
On why signing a deal took so long
"I have no idea. I was letting my agent deal with the business side of it and I was just looking at my playbook and just getting ready to play football. That was the main thing."
On how he has been preparing this past week
"I’ve just been in Philly working out and just in the playbook getting ready to come up to camp. This last week I’ve been kind of zoned out because I was thinking I was going to be here on the 26th. But I finally got up here today and I just kind of zoned out and have been in camp mode."
On his interaction with veteran players
"Everybody was real respectful right off the bat and they’ve helped me along the way, [S] Quintin Mikell, [S] Macho [Harris], all the vet guys. I just know I need to come in and not hold anybody back as far as knowing the plays and everything and learn from them."
On whether he is concerned about losing repetitions and the starting safety position
"I was just looking to get here and get to practice and start working. I really wasn’t worried too much about whether or not I’m still starting or not because just getting here was good with me."
On what he was doing between his arrival at 11:30 pm and 2:30 am
"I was sitting around and waiting because there was still some negotiating, I guess, some small stuff on the contract. I’m not sure exactly what, but they were still negotiating some things."
On what he was doing in those hours between 11:30 pm and 2:30 am
"I was sitting around talking because I was dead tired. I was on the couch and almost fell asleep a couple of times, I was waiting."
On whether he could get into his room
"No, I couldn’t get into my room until I signed, so I was just sitting in this little living room of one of the dorms across campus."
On him sitting out one day and comparing it to what is on DE Brandon Graham’s mind
"It’s killing him. They were talking to him and he was just saying it was killing him not being here and it was killing me too because I know when I was at home I was texting the guys who were here. I was texting Kurt and Trevard and I was just asking them how practice was and what was going on. I can just imagine how Brandon is feeling right now."
On him talking to Graham yesterday
"Yea, and Kurt, and Trevard because they were here and I was just asking them how practice was, it was killing me.