Rookie Raheem Mostert Ready To Contribute Now For Eagles
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Raheem Mostert doesn't hesitate when the question is posed. Who is the fastest player on the Eagles? The undrafted rookie out of Purdue smiles, looks up at the crowd that filled the lower bowl at Lincoln Financial Field for the Eagles' open practice on Sunday and says laughing, "Me, of course. That's what tell me. I just have to show them my speed. There are a lot of fast guys on this team like Nelson [Agholor] and Josh Huff. I just have to show them I can play fast at all times."
The 5-foot-11, 190-pound Mostert, the 2014 Big Ten Track Athlete of the Championships, was a special teams threat each time he had the ball for the Boilermakers on kickoff and punt returns. It's a great role that could be available for him with the Eagles, taking less stress off of every-down receivers like Agholor and Huff.
In high school, at New Smyrna Beach High School, in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, he returned nine kickoffs and one punt for touchdowns, in addition to having 39 receptions for 723 yards (18.5 average) and four touchdowns his senior year. By the time he was finished at Purdue, he owned the school record for most kickoff returns yards 2,289 yards on 88 returns, averaging 26 yards a return.
"The challenges at this level is that the game is a lot faster and picking up my keys are very important, blitzes and stuff like that," Mostert said. "The terminology is a lot different, but I'm learning. I just have to keep running."
With DeMarco Murray and Ryan Mathews as the favorites to get the most touches from the running back position, and Darren Sproles a close third behind them, Mostert knows how and where he can fit on this team.
"I'm starting all over again; I'm trying to give it my best and I want to show the coaches that I'm a reliable guy and I want to make plays," Mostert said. "It's encouraging to work with ones, and I've done it a number of times now. [Eagles running back coach] Duce [Staley] doesn't care what your status is. He's going to try and get you in there and get you rep. I've been with the twos and threes, so I've been getting reps with everybody. My confidence level is improving. My confidence is there, I just have to improve on it each and every day. I always played special teams, even at Purdue my senior year. I played gunner, but I also returned kicks and punts for Purdue. I did it all."
It's what the Eagles are hoping for from Mostert this year.
