5 Reasons Why Carson Wentz And Philly Is A Perfect Match
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The Eagles haven't had a franchise quarterback since 1999.
If/when they draft Carson Wentz with the No. 2 pick on Thursday, here are five reasons Philadelphia is going to fall in love with this North Dakota kid (until he throws an interception, of course).
5. Quarterback
Philadelphia needs a franchise quarterback. 10 playoff wins with Donovan McNabb, 9 playoff wins before Donovan McNabb (four pre-Super Bowl era), 0 playoff wins after Donovan McNabb.
From Kevin Kolb, to Michael Vick, to Nick Foles, to Mark Sanchez, to Sam Bradford it's time. Philly deserves a franchise QB.
4. Smart
A smart fan base needs a smart leader. Wentz is a 4.0 student who has never recorded a 'B' in his life, and was valedictorian in high school. He scored a 29 on the Wonderlic test. In context -- for whatever it's worth -- Peyton Manning scored a 28, Ben Roethlisberger scored a 25, and Cam Newton scored a 21.
3. Tough
I'll let him tell you how tough he is:
"You don't get through winters with an average temperature of 12.8° without being a certain kind of tough — the cracked-skin-dried-blood kind of tough," Wentz wrote on The Players' Tribune. "That toughness comes in handy in a place like North Dakota. You see, up there, jamming your numb fingers against someone's ice-cold helmet happens every practice. Getting decked on the cement-like dirt is just how a play ends."
2. Blue-collar
In ESPN's recent episode of 'Hey Rookie, Welcome To The NFL,' Wentz mentions how he lives in a small, dirty, North Dakota college house with his golden retriever. His agent laughed at Wentz when he saw the house saying, no one's life is about to change more than Wentz's.
"It's kind of that North Dakota, upper Midwest type of mentality," Went'z high school football coach Ron Wingenbach told Jeff McLane. "He's all about work and putting a good day's work in to get a good day's pay, so to speak. He's all about that. And that, to me, is what will make him successful at the next level."
1. Humble
You know McNabb is constantly smug and irritating, always pumping himself up? For example, McNabb said publicly he does not like the Eagles' trade because both Wentz and Jared Goff are mid-round QB's and will not be able to replicate his success.
Wentz is the complete opposite. He's humble and careful with his words. He's already been the star of an entire state, North Dakota. Wentz believes in faith first and family second, something that will keep him grounded.
"It will keep him level-headed," Wentz's cousin Connor told Inforum.com. "I think it will keep him grounded and down-to-earth, whereas a lot of those guys once they go pro they go crazy. His faith will keep him down-to-earth."
"He enjoys the simple things in life," Wingenbach said. "I think he holds true the things in his heart he deems important. I have a hunch we're not going to see a change in him."