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Shortly after the Eagles picked offensive lineman Tyler Steen out of Alabama with their No. 65 pick, the incoming rookie took a few minutes to call-in and talk to Philly reporters.
Steen celebrated the night at a restaurant, the Dragonfly, back home in Miami, surrounded by friends and family. He said that getting the call was a dream come true, and described what was a sigh of relief and big feelings of gratitude and appreciation.
Here’s what Steen had to say:
On his various experience
Steen’s background includes time playing defensive lineman, which he says was great, especially playing SEC football early on, it exposed him to the physicality that would be required. Understanding how physical he had to be and the mentality he had to have, helped him in his transition to offensive line.
“I got an opportunity to play guard at the Senior Bowl and I felt good. I felt pretty good over there. I feel like I played across the offensive line, and so getting the opportunity to play guard at the Senior Bowl was pretty good. I felt pretty comfortable over there.”
He later talked about growing up in a military family and how that instilled a lot of discipline into his life early on. Steen credits that discipline with preparing him for college football and to be able to play at a place like Alabama, and now to the NFL.
On the Eagles OL and Jeff Stoutland
“I know they have a great culture over there with the Eagles. I know they got some really good players across the offensive line. I know one of the best offensive lines in the NFL and it’s a great honor to be a part of that, to get the opportunity to be a part of that.
I know Coach Stoutland is an incredible coach. I know he’s got a lot of respect across the country, so I can’t wait. I can’t wait to be a part of that.”
On playing in the SEC
Steen talked about playing against his new teammates, including Jordan Davis and Nolan Smith at Georgia. He noted that when he was at Vanderbilt, they played Georgia annually, and he’s excited to join them in Philly.
When asked about what he learned most from his one season in Alabama, Steen pointed to the level of competition at practice and in the meeting room as something that stood out. The lineman said that you can show was you can do on the field, but it’s really about consistency and being able to perform well on a play-by-play basis.
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