Chris Long: 'Eagles Game Day' Among First Thoughts Upon Signing
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Chris Long has spent nine seasons in the NFL. The first eight he spent with the Rams and last season, he won a Super Bowl with the New England Patriots.
Still, the 32-year-old defensive end -- who signed with the Eagles this offseason -- says he's never experienced anything like a game day in Philly.
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"I'm a worker," Long told Angelo Cataldi and the 94WIP Morning Show on Tuesday. "I'll try to be physical, hard-nosed, and play with a lot of hustle. That's that type of mentality there and you know Philly is a place that fans are among the best in the NFL. I could tell that from playing there. I could tell that from just the atmosphere. I love the fight song, I love all that stuff. That was one of the first things on my mind when I signed, was just the game day experience. I can't wait for that, it's going to be something that I haven't experienced before."
Listen: Chris Long on the 94WIP Morning Show
Long knows the area well. His father, Howie Long, starred as a football player and boxer at Villanova from 1978-1981. His mother, Diane Addonizio Long, is from South Jersey.
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"My parents' friends from Villanova would always be like, 'Man it would be cool if you ended up on the Eagles.'
"I hit the market last year and there wasn't a real need in Philly for another end," Long explained. "And then this year, once it became a possibility I didn't tell anybody that I was talking to [the Eagles], because I wanted to surprise my dad's buddies."
Coincidentally, Long's first collegiate game and professional both were at Lincoln Financial Field. As a freshman at Virginia in 2004, Long was a part of a 44-14 win over Temple. Four years later, as a rookie with the Rams, Long was on the other end of a 38-3 blowout loss to the Eagles.
"Yeah, I noticed that and I was like, 'Hey it's a pretty cool place. It looks like fun to play here if you're on the home team.' And yeah, I mean things come full circle."
Long says his Twitter mentions are filled with suggestions from Philadelphians telling him to go to Wawa.
